Geography Curriculum Intent

Geography aims to be relevant to students and give them a greater understanding of the world around them. This encompasses not just UK geography but the issues surrounding geography across the globe. The geography curriculum follows the National Curriculum aims to improve knowledge of place and concepts and allows for students to apply their learning to similar locations. Human, physical and environmental processes are learnt in a specifically designed sequence and scheme of learning, in line with the latest OFSTED research review (September 2023).

Students are given the opportunity to gradually develop geographical skills throughout their time at Whitworth. Improving their ability to use and read maps, interpret graphs and photographs as well as a range of mathematical techniques. Additionally the curriculum aims to promote the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of every student and to develop British values of democracy and the rule of law.

KS3: Y7-Y9 – to read maps confidently and improve sense of place and location. To understand how geographical phenomena have shaped the world and to understand how humans have impacted the planet positively and negatively through the use of case studies. 

KS4: Y10 - Y11– to complete independent enquiries on fieldwork studies. To build knowledge on physical and human geography, allowing students to infer, analyse and evaluate or use evidence to make a decision. Students are taught a range of skills preparing them for KS5 should they wish to pursue their studies further.

The best students do these things in every lesson:

• Makes explicit links between different geographical topics 
• Ask learning questions to support discussion and debate 
• Uses knowledge of Science, Maths and English to help with geography questions 
• Stride to assess and improve their work at every opportunity

Curriculum Plan

For curriculum progression, a high quality Geography education is provided at WCHS that brings together a careful selection of content, organisation of the content, choice of teaching approaches and assessment.  Students will be constantly challenged to think about what is happening to our planet now and what this will mean for the future. Many topics reflect this with a focus on the impact climate change will have and how we can act on this. As they move into KS4 they will be asked to think about the management strategies required on planet Earth to guarantee a better future for the planet.

KS3 - in Y7, Y8 and Y9 students follow the National Curriculum studying:

• UK and European Geography
• Geological and Glacial processes
• Globalisation
• Sustainable cities
• Natural hazards (Volcanoes, earthquakes, tropical storms, droughts)
• Population and migration
• River landscapes
• UK weather patterns
• Power, borders and people
• Climate change
• Development
• Coastal Landscapes
• Fieldwork - Orienteering Map Skills, Environmental Quality Survey, Microclimate Study, Decision making exercise on Scout Moor 2

KS4- in Y10 and Y11 students build upon their knowledge, skills and learning to prepare for AQA GCSE Geography which includes the topics of: 

• The Challenge of Natural Hazards
• The Living World
• Physical Landscapes in the UK (Rivers and Coasts)
• Urban Issues and Challenges
• The Changing Economic World
• The Challenge of Resource Management
• Geographical Fieldwork Skills and a Decision Making Exercise.

There is an emphasis to provide students with knowledge on issues around the world but also the relevant locations. This is with the hope that students will develop a deeper understanding of the world and leave with the skill to question future issues.

Concepts taught include: place, space, scale, interdependence, physical and human processes, environmental impact, sustainable development, cultural awareness, cultural diversity and tolerance of others.
 

Assessment and Challenge

KS3 & KS4

Diagnostic assessment

Students are questioned throughout each lesson and provided with verbal feedback. This is with the aim of gauging students’ knowledge and understanding. It therefore exposes any weaknesses and strengths before any assessments and allows the teacher to plan future lessons to highlight any misconceptions. The questioning is a mixture of closed and open-ended so it provides plenty of opportunities for students to show off their knowledge.

Formative assessment

Throughout the KS3 curriculum there are written questions which students will complete and receive feedback. Students will be given the opportunity to improve their work in a future lesson with a DIRT task. Mini, low stakes assessments are also used to test knowledge and understanding. KS4 assessment uses exam questions completed in lessons and as home learning to provide feedback once marked on how to improve exam technique and address gaps in knowledge. 

Summative assessment

At the end of each topic, students complete an assessment on the topic in order to check knowledge, understanding, application and skills.

Confirmative assessment

As part of the school calendar, students will regularly have mock exams and which each of these mocks, students will be expected to recap knowledge taught throughout the course and not just at the end of each topic.

British Values

Our intention is to enhance the core British Values of students by developing a greater sense of tolerance and understanding of class, gender and ethnic diversity and differences in society and the role and purpose of key institutions. At Whitworth Community High School we pride ourselves on lessons being thought provoking and exposing students to our rich British history. This is highlighted and discussed when we teach topics such as Development, Migration, Borders and sustainable cities. Global issues elsewhere highlighted to our pupils make them aware of British Values they possess in contrast with some other places in the world.  Pupil voice in this subject suggests that students enjoy learning about laws that underpin our society and values.

Developing Aspirations and Challenging Thinking 

• At WCHS we aim to provide a broad and balanced Geography education for all students which builds on prior knowledge and skills.
• Engage students in learning which is enjoyable, stimulating and relevant to students now and for the future management of the planet.
• Provide students with an understanding of the application of the knowledge and skills they acquire and use in the Geography classroom into real world situations, e.g. Microclimate study within school, Blackpool coastal fieldwork
• Provide students with an understanding of how the social, economic and environmental impacts of human activities and natural processes affect people in different countries and economic conditions in a variety of ways.
• To help students develop empathy levels, so that they understand that the world is made up of very different places both in terms of landscape and climate as well as economically and politically.
• To promote the highest aspirations amongst students in Geography: to have dreams for the future and to work towards them in the present 
• To develop resilience within Geography lessons, self-belief and self-motivation in lessons and home learning
• To enable every student to reach their full academic potential in Geographical skills, knowledge and understanding
• To promote the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of every student and to develop British values of democracy and the rule of law
• To create a safe and secure, disciplined and happy learning environment in all Geography lessons.

Career Options

Our intent is to provide a basis for moving to an AS/A Level moving students towards a number of careers, including working in geology, town planning, climatologist surveyors or water conservation.