Intent 

The geography curriculum seeks to broaden students’ horizons by deepening their awareness of the dynamic human and physical processes that shape the world around us. Through the study of human cultures and physical landscapes in both near and far places, GCSE geography aims to kindle a sense of curiosity about the social, political, economic and environmental processes that create the world in which we live.

Implementation

 The first out of the three papers in this GCSE focuses on the Hazardous Earth by looking at a broad range of climatic and tectonic hazards including climate change, tropical storms, volcanoes and earthquakes. They will also learn about why some countries are more economically developed than others as well as the challenges that urbanisation is having on newly emerging economies such as India in terms of population growth, social and economic mobilisation and climate change.

In the second paper students will conduct two engaging and manageable field studies that do not have coursework. Last year we visited Stratford to study urban regeneration around the 2012 Olympic games. We also visited Epping forest, where we studied how a river’s profile changes along its course. 

The final module of the course focuses on people and environmental issues where students are challenged to think about the demands humans are placing on the natural world as a result of global population growth, and ultimately to develop skills and confidence to solve  these issues in order to protect and preserve our magnificent planet for future generations.

Impact 

At best, geography is accessible for all students and learning styles because it is the study of real-world issues. Assessments are Stratford and accessible for all abilities. Students will develop key skills such as critical thinking, data handling and learning how to write short essays. This course sets students up to continue studying geography at A level if they would like to, and if not, the skills they will develop are highly versatile and transferable for whatever they do next.