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Geography

INTENT

Geography teaching and learning at Looe academy has the following key aims:

  • To promote a love of the subjects, to enthral students with their natural and human worlds.
  • To create a globally aware citizen with knowledge-backed opinions.
  • To develop life skills and employability through development of geography skills, old and new!
  • To prepare KS3 students for the rigours of GCSE examinations.

With these aims in mind, the curriculum has been developed broadly in line with the national curriculum and examination specifications. The KS4 specification is the prime consideration, students need to be fully prepared, if they choose geography, to engage in the topics set out by the QCA. They also need to have developed the range of skills expected of them. To ensure students are fully exposed to all concepts and skills, we have a spiral KS3 curriculum.

The core values of respect, resilience and responsibility are neatly spiralled throughout the curriculum.

The overarching aim of this spiralled curriculum is to embed mastery of the following key geographical concepts:

  • Human Processes
  • Physical Processes
  • Place, Scale, Space
  • Interdependence
  • Cultural Understanding
  • Environmental Sustainability

Each of these key concepts will be visited through the various topics, and students will look to identify, and engage with, these 6 key concepts throughout their learning.

IMPLEMENTATION

Geography is taught in an exciting, dynamic manner using various teaching strategies. Students are encouraged to engage with learning through carefully crafted groupwork activities.

The curriculum is structured as follows:

KS3

Year 7
  • Being empowered to be a good Geographer
  • Mapping and map skills
  • The UK – nation-scale study
  • Flooding - the UK’s hazard no 1?
  • China – a comparison of places where students learn to respect other cultures and ways of life
  • Settlement: Site, situation, and hierarchy
Year 8
  • Rivers – Dynamic Freshwater
  • Coasts – Where land meets sea….
  • Plate tectonics – Earthquakes and tsunamis
  • Plate tectonics – Volcanoes
  • Using Geoskills to fight crime (introduction to GIS)
Year 9
  • Weather hazards – dangerous atmosphere
  • Climate and climate change – Antarctica. This unit encourages students to take responsibility for their actions.
  • Ecosystems/TRF. This unit empowers students to become resilient learners as they tackle a fully independent project.
  • Development/LIC

KS4 / GCSE

Topics covered:

  • Natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, weather hazards, tropical storms, extreme weather in the UK, climate change
  • The living world: ecosystems, tropical rainforests, hot deserts, or cold environments
  • Physical landscapes in the UK: coastal landscapes, river landscapes, or glacial landscapes
  • Urban issues and challenges: world migration, natural increase, megacities, urban planning
  • Opportunities and challenges of urban change in the UK: cultural mix, recreation, health, sprawl, and regeneration
  • Sustainable urban living: water and energy conservation, waste recycling, reducing traffic congestion
  • Changing economic world: global variations in development and quality of life, tourism, fair trade, aid, political, social, and environmental changes, the UK economy
  • Resource management: food, water, or energy
  • Geographical applications: issue evaluation, fieldwork, maps, graphs, and photo skills

We foster a respectful environment where students listen to the views of others and feel able to contribute to discussion. Students are encouraged to be resilient learners by correcting misconceptions and developing their writing skills through scaffolds and guided instruction.

Teachers adapt activities to enable all to learn and feel confident. There are high expectations of behaviour to enable us to teach students the right learning habits for success. We encourage students to be curious, lifelong learners, and we develop purposeful learning environments for this to happen.

IMPACT

The Geography curriculum aims to develop students' understanding of their surroundings, enabling them to contextualise world events and participate in decisions affecting their environment locally and globally. By engaging in activities such as GIS, debates, and fieldwork, students not only acquire knowledge but also develop critical thinking, evaluative and problem-solving skills.

How is Geography assessed?

  • Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment (1 hr 30 mins, 35% of GCSE)
  • Paper 2: Challenges in the Human Environment (1 hr 30 mins, 35% of GCSE)
  • Paper 3: Geographical Applications (1 hr 15 mins, 30% of GCSE, including a pre-released booklet on fieldwork)

Geography opens doors to post-16 courses in Geography, Geology, Agriculture, Land Management, Conservation Management, and various apprenticeships.

Ultimately, Geography equips students with the skills and knowledge to navigate and influence the world effectively. The curriculum ensures that students are well-prepared for both academic success and future employment, emphasising the subject's relevance and applicability in understanding and addressing global challenges.

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