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Geography

The Geography Department aims to ensure that students develop a sense of wonder and excitement, and a strong and critical understanding of the human and physical world.

Key Stage 4:

The GCSE Geography classes follow the WJEC Eduqas A specification. This specification takes an enquiry approach to extend students' understanding of a range of geographical concepts, places and processes. Units 1 and 2 contain core themes that create a balance between contemporary and traditional, human and physical geography. Alongside the core, this course offers themes which include “Coastal Hazards and Management”, which UK and global coastal hazards and the management of them, and Environmental Challenges', where issues such consumerism, biofuels, carbon footprints and management of damaged ecosystems are investigated.

In Year 10 and 11 we take the whole year group to Box Hill, Surrey and locally to Maidenhead Town Centre to develop their fieldwork skills in preparation for Unit 3.

Key Stage 5:

There are two A-Level classes which follow the Edexcel course.

As part of this course, they learn about some of the key issues facing the world that we read about in the papers, such as exponential world population growth, consequences of globalisation, responses to tectonic hazards, and conflicts over energy and water supplies and climate change, and how we are planning to meet these challenges.

The subject is broadly split into two areas: Human Geography and Physical Geography. Human Geography deals with how people and the environment interact. It also looks at how people and groups move and live in the world around us. Physical Geography on the other hand is all about the scientific aspects of our world, with an emphasis on how we can manage them. However, there is a strong synoptic element to the course, where students are expected to make links between all the topics studied to answer questions in depth.

There is also a 4000 word Independent Investigation that students will undertake across the two years.

Students will base their Independent Investigation data following a field trip visit to the Nettlecombe Field Studies Centre in Somerset in Year 12.

Previously the Geography department has run an optional biennial Easter trip to Iceland. This is one of the highlights of our department trips. We are looking at reintroducing this for the Autumn Half-Term in the 2024 school year.