At KS3 students cover a range of topics which include aspects of physical, human and environmental geography. These topics will engage and stretch the students' understanding and provide an opportunity to learn about our world.

Year 7

Students begin with Map Skills and Atlas Skills which provides them with the basic skills required throughout their geography career. The students then move onto studying Hot and Polar Deserts which looks at the climate and how animals and humans adapt. They then study China and India and look at key physical features of the countries and how the countries have changed. Students then study Weather and Climate, and finally Economic Activity. 

Year 8

Students start by studying Rocks and Landscapes, which involves looking at how our earth is formed. They then study Population, which allows them to question why our population is growing and the challenges of a growing population. Students then learn about the Water Cycle, Rivers and  Coasts, which gives them a good understanding of the UK physical geography and how humans interact with the environment. The final two topics studied are Africa and South Asia, which give them a broad understanding of our world and the issues faced in other continents.

Year 9

Students learn new skills and develop an enquiring mind. They will study Tectonics which will draw on information learned in Year 8 and they will look at case studies of tectonic hazards. Their second topic is Urbanisation and they will learn about the issues created by rapidly urbanising areas and how we can solve them. They then study glaciation where they look at how the UK has been affected by previous Ice Ages. Students will also study the cause of the Development Gap, Russia’s physical and human environment and finally the Middle East. 

KS3 Geography at St Bede’s allows students to question global issues and challenges. It provides them with an opportunity to problem solve. They are able to build on their IT skills and develop their communication skills through presentations and group work. The topics taught at KS3 give students a good foundation for further study to GCSE and beyond.

GCSE Geography

At Key Stage 4 we teach the Edexcel B specification which consists of:

Component 1: Global Geographical Issues -Topic 1: Hazardous Earth Topic 2: Development dynamics, Topic 3 : Challenges of an urbanising world

Component 2: UK Geographical Issues - Topic 4: The UK’s evolving physical landscape – including sub-topics 4A: Coastal change and conflict and 4B: River processes and pressures. Topic 5: The UK’s evolving human landscape – including a Case Study - Dynamic UK cities. Topic 6: Geographical investigations – including one physical fieldwork investigation and one human fieldwork investigation linked to Topics 4 and 5.

Component 3: People and Environment Issues – Making Geographical Decisions Topic 7: People and the biosphere, Topic 8: Forests under threat, Topic 9: Consuming energy resources

Fieldwork is an essential part of the GCSE and there is a requirement for both human and physical geography fieldwork during the course. We have developed an exciting fieldwork experience involving a three day residential trip to Swanage, Dorset in the summer term of Year 10

Map Skills are ongoing throughout Key Stage 4 and they are a part of all assessments. Students also learn a range of written, diagrammatical, statistical presentation and analysis skills.

A level Geography

At Key Stage 5 we teach the Edexcel specification which consists of :

Topic 1: Tectonic Processes and Hazards

Topic 2: Landscape Systems, Processes and Change : Coastal Landscapes and Change

Topic 3: Globalisation 

Topic 4: Shaping Places :Regenerating PlacesTopic 5: The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity 

Topic 6: The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security

Topic 7: Superpowers

Topic 8: Global Development and Connections : Migration, Identity and Sovereignty

Students will also complete a non-examination assessment. This NEA is worth 20% of the final exam grade and involves fieldwork trips to Dorset 

A level geography will enable students to be inspired by their geographical understanding, to engage critically with real world issues and places, and to apply their geographical knowledge, theory and skills to the world around them.

Students will grow as independent thinkers and as informed and engaged citizens, who understand the role and importance of geography as one of the key disciplines relevant to understanding the world’s changing peoples, places and environments.

For more information about this subject at KS5, please click here and go to the relevant subject leaflet.