Geography
at Bishop Perowne Church of England College
Intent
Our intent in geography is to inspire a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with our students for the rest of their lives.
We encourage students to enhance their understanding and appreciation of human and physical features of the world.
We strive to develop a sense of place amongst our students and encourage collective ownership and responsibility towards the environment at local, national and global scales.
The aim is that our students are excited by geography and feel the value of further study in the subject.
Key Stages 3 & 4
KS3
At Key stage 3, we follow a knowledge-rich curriculum which is rooted in the key areas identified within the Geography KS3 National Curriculum.
Pupils study a range of human and physical topics at different scales and locations. Pupils will explore the variations and inequalities that exist throughout the world and embrace the cultural diversity that exists within our global, national and local community.
Pupils will evaluate solutions to contemporary issues such as; climate change, resource management, the growth and change of our cities and the necessity of achieving a sustainable future for our planet.
The geography curriculum is designed to provide exposure to key geographical skills regularly, with pupils required to present and analyse a range of maps and graphs to examine geographical trends.
KS4
At Key Stage 4 pupils with deepen their knowledge and understanding of the four pillars for geography (location, place, geographical processes and geographical skills). We follow the AQA GCSE Geography specification, which encourages students to examine the processes and changes in the physical environment and how people deal with the challenges of the human environment.
Pupils will also adopt an enquiry approach to learning through two fieldwork investigations conducted in the local environment.
They will also investigate a contemporary issue that poses challenges at either a national or global scale.
Assessment & Lessons
Knowledge and understanding in geography are checked frequently. Teachers regularly use ‘Show Me Boards’ and ‘quizzing’ as assessment for learning strategies to encourage all students to participate in sharing their knowledge and ideas.
Low stakes tests are used by teachers to check understanding and provide feedback on students’ written responses.
Pupils are encouraged to evaluate and improve their written responses to deepen their knowledge and understanding of key concepts in geography.
Each year group will have two main summative assessments to indicate progress being made in geography. This will culminate in the final GCSE examinations in Year 11 where student complete three papers for the AQA GCSE Geography qualification.
Enrichment & Co-curricular
In Geography, all pupils take part in a local fieldwork to examine contemporary geographical issues in Worcestershire.
The geography department has established links with Worcester Wildlife Trust to raise student awareness of environmental sustainability in the local area.
We also make use of guest speakers to bring aspects of culture from other countries into the classroom.
Opportunities to participate in an eco-club and school-based projects with Worcester Wildlife Trust are available to KS3 students.
The Geography and Science departments collaborate to lead the Duke of Edinburgh Award for Year 10 students, which involves expeditions at local and national scales that draw on knowledge and skills taught in Geography.
