Intent

Geography students will become active and compassionate global citizens by developing a curiosity and fascination through the learning of the world’s human and physical processes. The result is that students will gain the key Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge to promote, inspire and create change in our local and global community.

Enacting our Vision

We interleave our students learning so that they gain an appreciation of both the physical and human world, enhanced with an understanding of how the world functions naturally but can be altered and compromised by human intervention. Our Geography elective allows students to act upon environmental issues and become compassionate and active towards global challenges, so that they can bring these skills into the wider community. We have an abundance of trips that not only improve student’s local appreciation of Slough, but fluvial regions of Buckinghamshire and the effects that erosion can have on civilisation in the UK. Questions are encouraged and our Geography Library allows students to check out books and read wider around the subject to evolve their curiosity.

YEAR 7

The first topics that students learn at secondary school for geography ensures that they have an awareness of the geography of our World; location, interconnections, opportunities and challenges within society. Through oral presentations, we permit them to articulate their perception of the world and those who live in it whilst building key vocabulary for life. Year 7s have many opportunities to understand the geography of the wider world; for personal connection and foundation to future study. Students are also taught about the world’s physical processes as well as human. For example, the summer term we teach students about geology, rock types and weathering processes- which lends a strong cross curricular link to Biology in Science. Like many topics in Geography, the subject lends itself to many wider links and skills, such as grid referencing and mapping, that allows students to rapidly progress.

YEAR 8

Beginning in Year 8, students appreciate the challenges facing biodiversity and marine life in our Coral Reefs, which lends itself well to skills of problem solving and encourages careers, such as marine biology.  Key topics, such as glaciation and urban issues and challenges are grounded during Year 8 which builds students up ready for Geography as a chosen GCSE and A-Level option. Physical challenges and opportunities from year 7 are also recalled during their later KS3 studies and terminology is firmly embedded; such as social, economic and environmental effects. The Year 8 curriculum is highly relevant with today’s energy use, climate crisis and current events and tackles issues of our time which students must know about in their future lives, as well as their studies.

YEAR 9

Students continue to develop their Geography knowledge with the intent of not only understanding the physical makeup of our Earth, but ensuring they have a knowledge of the social, economic and environmental effects of natural hazards. Students will develop clarity over the development of countries and how this varies in response to hazards, in particular the Philippines as a hotspot of natural events. This builds compassion and hope for solutions which supports the development of our future citizens. This aligns with our teaching of climate change which is an ongoing global debate amongst politicians, which allows students to access the news and current events with the vocabulary and concepts that we teach them; this in turn will support their discussions about the world around them. We embed skills of drama and media to ensure a variety of teaching for a range of different learners. Students will also have a good knowledge of London and urban areas within the South of the UK, and this gives them insight into the challenges and differences in the way of life in similar areas in NEEs/LICs. This builds not only knowledge but compassion and hope for the changing developing world. By the end of KS3 Geography students would have experienced both human and physical fieldwork techniques to allow them independence in their GCSE studies and to delve deeper into research and discovery.

YEAR 10

Students are provided with necessary knowledge about how vital resources are distributed and sourced around the world. This links to future careers that may be dependent on these. i.e. Council/Governmental worker addressing strategies for resource management in a community. We inspire many opportunities for local and national change in Year 10 and encourage students to contemplate a future dealing with these and offering solutions. Students are also enlightened to the varying levels of development throughout the world. It follows on heavily from the development topics in KS3. There are also physical topics that are developed at GCSE level: River and Coastal Systems and Natural Hazards. Parts of these topics are aimed at enhancing student knowledge about the changing weather and climate – The causes, consequences of, and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards. This also includes recognising their changing distribution in time and space and drawing on an understanding of the global circulation of the atmosphere. By the end of the Natural Hazards topic, students will understand the spatial and temporal characteristics, of climatic change and evidence for different causes.

YEAR 11

The students continue to refine their knowledge and focus on their teamwork and communication skills through fieldwork. Students are given the opportunity to visit their local town and gain an appreciation for the regeneration around us, as well as enhancing their curiosity down at the River Chess in Buckinghamshire. Our aim is that students begin to feel comfortable with the links in learning across their KS3 and 4 and make wider connections and cross curricular links. Students build on their knowledge of development indicators and explore rationale behind the development gap, before looking towards an in depth case study of Nigeria. During this they will explore the causes and responses to Nigeria’s growing development. The students then use the UK as a case study to understand how it has changed economically over time, and what impact that has on their day to day lives. This continues to build compassion and promote active citizens. Students also question and evaluate the changing world which offers them a refined argument and approach to their opinions. There is an emphasis upon revision of key topics to ensure students are prepared for their future studies, especially paths in Geography at A-level.

A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY

Students deepen their appreciation and curiosity of the natural and human world. Students begin Year 12 enhancing and building upon previous studies of Hazards and Contemporary Urban Environments. Students also have the opportunity in Year 12 to learn new content in the topics of Changing Places and Water and Carbon Cycles. This allows students to question the developing world around them and how humans are shaping the landscape. A-level Geography also lends itself to new learning of financial and global systems which offers excellent links with economics and business, as we approach the working systems of the World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund alongside trade routes and relationships. A-level geography also lends in well with Biology and the changing physical world that surrounds us; parallel with English studies and how the world is represented in culture and the media. Geography is an excellent A Level subject to aid progression to university whether you are continuing the subject or not because geography demonstrates a questioning mind and one that can evaluate and summarise key concepts which is a big plus for employers; a recent study found those with a geography degree had the lowest unemployment rate of any subject (2010 HECSU).

CAREERS IN GEOGRAPHY

For information on careers in Geography please see the below document:

Careers in Geography

CONTACT US

For further information regarding Geography please contact the following:

• Miss Lauren Boland (Head of Geography and Travel and Tourism) - l.boland@st-josephs.slough.sch.uk