We aim to nurture global citizens on a journey, developing their skills knowledge and understanding surrounding key physical processes, complex patterns and explore human interactions, challenges, and opportunities within the urban world.
We aim to create the very best geographers. We challenge students to think, act and speak like experts. We do this by quality first teaching which ensures students understand geographical principles and can apply them in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar contexts form around the world. We teach content in its totality and constantly vary topics between human and physical geography to provide a varied and balanced appreciation of the ideas, skills and topics in this discipline.
Our curriculum at The Heys School goes far beyond what is taught in lessons, for whilst we want students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable.
The curriculum provides opportunities for collaborative working as well as independent learning. Students are explicitly taught skill, knowledge and the vocabulary needed to effectively explain and understand geographical issues in the past, present and future. As a knowledge engaged curriculum we believe that knowledge underpins and enables the application of skills; both are entwined. As a department we define the powerful knowledge our students need and help them recall it by using knowledge for their exam preparation.
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In Key stage 3 Assessments are completed at the end of every topic to track and monitor the progress of students. Feedback is provided to students in terms of the skills they are working towards or have mastered. Targets for further improvement are then shared with students. At KS3, students are taught in mixed ability classes. They receive a diet of two one-hour periods per week in Years 8 and 9 and a single one-hour period per week in Year 7.
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At Key Stage 4 Geography is a subject that is taught as a GCSE option. Students that opt to take Geography in Key Stage 4, have 3 hours a week and will work towards a GCSE qualification. They follow the AQA GCSE Geography programme and will complete 3 end of Year 11 examinations on the following topics:
Paper 1:
(Physical)
Challenges of Natural Hazards
The Living World
Coastal Landscapes in the UK
River Landscapes in the UK
Paper 2:
(Human)
Urban Issues and Challenges
Changing Economic World
Resource Management
Paper 3:
(Geographical Skills)
Unseen Fieldwork
Own Fieldwork Study
Pre-release
They will be awarded a grade 1-9 following their GCSE examinations in the summer of Year 11. Assessments to track progress are set regularly throughout each half term. Feedback is related to GCSE criteria to highlight areas of strength and development throughout the course.
Throughout their time at The Heys, students are taught the following key skills:
- AO1: Demonstrate knowledge of locations, places, processes, environments and different scales
- AO2: Demonstrate geographical understanding of: concepts and how they are used in relation to places, environments and processes; the interrelationships between places, environments and processes
- AO3: Apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues to make judgements
AO4: Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings
The topics students cover throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 are outlined in the link below:
Curriculum Overview Geography KS3 and KS4
Links to GCSE Exam Board Specifications
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035/specification-at-a-glance
Long Term KS3 and 4 Scheme of Work
KS3
Year 7 Themes/Focus
Coasts
Map Skills
Where in the World
Weather and Climate
Year 8 Themes/Focus
Ecosystems
Settlements
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Tourism
Year 9 Themes/Focus
Planet in Crisis
Rivers
Development Gap
Globalisation
KS4
Year 10 Themes/Focus
The Living World
Ecosystems
Tropical Rainforests
Hot Deserts
Urban Issues and Challenges
Case Study: Manchester
Case Study: Rio De Janiero
Resource Management
Overview of Water, Food and Energy Security
In-depth Study: Energy
Fieldwork
Unseen Fieldwork: Liverpool
Human Fieldwork: New Islington
Physical Fieldwork: River Irwell
Year 11 Themes/Focus
The Challenges of Natural Hazards
Tectonic Hazards
Weather Hazards
Climate Change
River Landscapes in the UK
Transformational processes of erosion and deposition
Managing the rivers destructive power
Coastal Landscapes in the UK
Transformational processes of erosion and deposition
Managing the coasts destructive power
Changing Economic World
Development Gap
Case Study: Nigeria
Case Study: UK
Year 11 Open house intervention and exam preparation on Monday lunch times
Department produced Revision Guides and Personal Learning Checklist (PLC’s) are used throughout all topic subsections
