Richmond School
School Departments | Geography
KS3
From Year 7 until the end of Year 9 we aim to provide a useful and stimulating foundation of Geography skills, knowledge and understanding. We start Year 7 looking at the local area of Richmond and by Year 9 we study some of the highly significant global problems and issues such as population growth and changes in the world’s ecosystems, as well as flood risks linked to Global warming. We help our students to develop a wide range of skills from map reading and drawing to discussion, debate and decision making.
Not all of the time is spent in the classroom. In addition to visits to ICT rooms, students will do work in the school grounds and go on a field trip out of school. For example, our Year 7 students study the growth of the settlement of Richmond and the site of the settlement.
Following the National Curriculum we will study a range of geographical issues, places and concepts.
In Year 7 the main focus is to study issues associated with the UK:
• Settlements
• Map skills
• Changing location and geography of retail shopping
• The British weather and climate
• The links between football and geography
• Environmental issues in the local area
In Year 8 our focus is more Global, with topics studied across a wider range of issues:
• Natural hazards – Earthquakes
• Europe’s climate and geography
• Italy – an MEDC & regional differences
• World Development issues
• Environmental & Resource Issues – including Climate Change
In Year 9 the range of topics and issues widens still to cover more physical and human geography concepts:
• Population issues
• Migration
• Savana ecosystems of East Africa
• Brazil – an LEDC & regional differences
• Hydrology
• Flooding – natural hazards
KS4
Geography is a broad and dynamic subject, which develops students’ general knowledge and understanding of the world, and the interactions between people and the natural environment. Studying Geography helps students to be aware of local, national and global issues.
The GCSE Geography Course from AQA syllabus C follows an issues-based approach, where 12 contemporary concerns have been selected for investigation.
For each issue students will:
a) Investigate the background to the issue and its causes
b) Understand the impacts and consequences involved on people and places
c) Consider alternative strategies for the more effective management of these issues
The sections are:
1. Managing change in the Human Environment
• Population growth
• Rural-urban migration in LEDCs
• City Centre changes
• Rural-urban fringe pressures
2. Managing the Physical Environment
• Food and water supply problems
• Weather hazards associated with Depressions and Tropical Storms
• Pressures on National Parks from tourism
• Tectonic hazards
3. Managing Economic Development
• Contrasting levels of development across the world
• Resource Depletion
• Environmental consequences of economic development
• Tourism in LEDCs
The GCSE Geography Course will also include:
• One coursework investigation on a specific issue• Geographical skills and enquiry, including mapwork, fieldwork, decision-making and ICT
• Knowledge and understanding of places
• Knowledge and understanding of patterns and processes
• Knowledge and understanding of environmental change and sustainable development
• An appreciation of global citizenship
• Opportunities to study the challenges and constraints that face people in different environments
• The significance of people’s values and attitudes
The issues will be studied at a range of scales, from local issues to those on a global scale. A range of different case study examples will be use to consolidate and exemplify the issues studied.
There is one day of compulsory fieldwork to Darlington to collect the primary data required to complete the coursework investigation on the Human Geography issue of City Centre changes and consequences of Rural urban fringe developments.
There are two tiers of exam assessment:
Higher Tier (Grades A*-D), Foundation Tier (Grades C-G)
Assessment will be by one piece of coursework (25%) and two written exam papers, one of which will be on a specific issue known about in advance.
Contact Information
Miss R McNutt - rmcnutt@richmondschool.net
Miss S Burnham - sburnham@richmondschool.net
Mr K Allan - kallan@richmondschool.net
Miss C Ball - cball@richmondschool.net
Mr D Meek - dmeek@richmondschool.net
Mrs V Walker - vwalker@richmondschool.net