Geography

GCSE Geography builds on the knowledge and information gained during the study of the subject in Years 7 to 9. The AQA course has been completely rewritten to offer pupils an outstanding range of subject matter and skills. At the end of the course your understanding of major national and global issues and places will be highly developed with a broad range of geographical skills to complement them. The course is particularly suited to those who have an interest in the changing world around them, including both landscapes and environments whether natural or human.

The course involves a mixture of theoretical lessons and practical teaching with fieldwork exercises, as well as ICT experience, interwoven into a stimulating course, with teachers encouraging a lively and enquiring approach. During the course pupils develop their knowledge of physical and human geography, as well as an understanding of environmental issues and other current affairs. Fieldwork remains a significant part of the subject, enhancing a pupil’s problem-solving skills and further developing interest in the subject. Pupils in Year 10 conduct fieldwork both at Lulworth Cove on the Jurassic Coast and at Bristol’s Temple Quarter which is being substantially redeveloped. Both are very valuable and memorable days. The Lulworth and Temple Quarter trips form the basis of the pupils’ field work preparation.

The course is divided up into three papers. Paper 1 (Living with the Physical Environment) has three aspects: the challenge of natural hazards; the living world; and physical landscapes in the UK. Recent events such as the Nepal earthquake and extreme weather in the UK are highlighted, and natural disasters are linked back to human impact including climate change. The Living World includes the study of ecosystems, tropical rainforests and cold environments. Physical Landscapes in the UK provides an opportunity to study coastal and glaciated environments in the UK. Cartographic, numerical and presentational skills are built into the course.

Paper 2 is called Challenges in the Human Environment. The unit again has three sections: urban issues and challenges; the changing economic world; and the challenge of resource management. Pupils are able to develop investigative, mapwork, and presentational skills in this section, Pupils learn about the nature of rapid change in cities both in the Developed and Developing Worlds, economic development in the UK and globally, and our use of resources.

Paper 3, Geographical Applications, involves the application of geographical skills including maps, atlases and graphs. There’s also an issue evaluation section and an assessment of the fieldwork we will be conducting during the course.

For Papers 1 and 2, examination papers are a mixture of short, structured responses and the opportunity for extended writing. 70% of marks are gained from two written exams (Papers 1 and 2), whilst the remaining 30% are from Paper 3, Geographical Applications. Pupils take all three papers in the summer of Year 11. There is no coursework or controlled assessment in this course.

A GCSE in Geography provides an excellent springboard for many Sixth Form subjects and is particularly regarded as an outstanding “bridging” subject between the arts and the sciences. A high proportion of GCSE Geography pupils opt to follow Geography and Geology in the Sixth Form, and many subsequently embark on degree courses in these areas. In the last few years a number of pupils have successfully applied to read Geography at top universities.

Results in the department are strong at both GCSE and A level with 19.4% 9 and 75% 9-6 at GCSE in 2021.