Curriculum Team Leader and Associate Assistant Principal: Mr. Nguyen
Key information:
Geography is a subject which provides students with a wide range of skills and understanding needed to be successful in an ever-changing world. It gives students the opportunity to investigate the issues facing many parts of the world and how many of these problems can be managed. Through Geography, students learn about many issues which they may face throughout their life and the impact we can have on society, as well as the environment.
Curriculum Intent
Strong teacher subject knowledge will equip our students to develop a holistic knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts. Teaching staff will model and demonstrate how pupils can think critically within Geography about whether responses that have been put forward are relevant or effective. Teacher subject knowledge will be enhanced through internal subject provision or brokered through external support in order to ensure knowledge and understanding is kept relevant. This will enable teaching staff to form a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes over time (minutes to millennium).
The use of out of classroom learning is seen within our curriculum to enable pupils to apply their understanding of concepts learnt within the classroom in a safe environment. Out of classroom learning will take a variety of scales, from the immediate area to the national region with opportunity for international travel, where applicable. It is believed that this will lead to a high level of aspiration and achievement with pupils fostering a love of learning geography, thereby facilitating future access to Geography at further and higher education institutions. All pupils, regardless of ability or disability, will have access to our curriculum through differentiation, providing challenge for all pupils. This will be further supported by research in teaching and learning strategies through our membership of the GA and RGS.
If pupils do not pick Geography at GCSE (KS4) and/or Travel and Tourism (BTEC Tech), we believe that by the time they leave us at KS3, that they will have the fundamentals of our curriculum in place to tackle issues (moral, spiritual and cultural) they may experience. This includes an awareness of events which have geographical importance, understanding of core geographical concepts and a curiosity as to why events happen in the way they do. It is expected that this will allow pupils to adopt a mind set for life-long learning. We will support our learners to develop transferable skills that can be used across all subjects and employment in later life. Learners will also be inspired to continue the study of Geography Post 16 with the aim that all learners ‘thinking like a geographer’ and the majority of learners critically ‘applying understanding as a geographer’. This will be seen through visits by HE institutions and outsider organisers and employers.
