Geography
"The study of geography is more than just memorising places on a map. It is about understanding the complexity of our world." Barack Obama
The Geography Team (part of the Humanities Faculty)
- Miss Newham – Director of Learning for Humanities
- Mrs Evans – Deputy Director of Learning for Humanities (Geography Subject Lead)
- Miss Lawson – Geography Lead Practitioner
- Mr Reed – Geography Teacher
- Miss Harris – Geography Teacher
Humanities Overview Intent
The study of Humanities subject allows all students, irrespective of background, to be able to take their place in the world with confidence in their ability to make sense of their own place in it. Humanities subjects encourage curiosity, enquiry and fascination with the world whilst also asking students to think critically, engage with the views of others and use evidence to form judgements. Students will understand how physical, religious, social and cultural changes over time have shaped the world and how our society and environment has come to be as it is today.
Geography Intent
Through our Geography curriculum students will be inspired to understand and engage with the world around them. We strive to develop informed, responsible global citizens who appreciate the interconnectedness of human and physical environments, and who can critically assess the challenges facing our planet. The carefully selected and sequenced curriculum from KS3 onwards allows students to build a wealth of world knowledge of places, people, processes and environments by drawing from a range of relevant case studies and examples. The curriculum considers the social, political, economic and environmental climate of our academy, community and wider geographical scale to offer support students in experiencing a Geography curriculum that is appropriate to their context, experiences and future life.
In KS3, students will build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that will prepare them not only for GCSE Geography and beyond, but also support their other subjects, boost employability and life chances regardless of options selected for further study. Students will cover the concept of sustainability throughout a range of topics including ‘How is the Earth a natural resource?’ in Year 7, ‘Why do weather and climate change affect our lives so much?’ in Year 8, and ‘How are the Earth’s ecosystems changing?’ in Year 9. The careful sequencing of the curriculum allows students to revisit their prior learning and build on this by applying it to new contexts.
Students will also develop a wider suite of skills including statistical skills, reading/literacy skills and being able to interpret/analyse a range of geographical sources including maps, graphs, images and text. Additionally, students at Whitcliffe Mount will be able to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to view, map, analyse and interpret places and data. To further enhance the opportunities for students to become well-rounded Geographers and learners, we have an embedded sequence skills throughout the curriculum including fieldwork opportunities for students in all year groups to gather first-hand experience of the issues and concepts they study; from Year 7 completing fieldwork at Bolton Abbey to GCSE students conducting physical fieldwork at the Holderness Coast and investigating changing urban areas in Leeds City Centre.
For revision materials please see the bottom of this page.
The Curriculum
Key Stage 3
Students in Years 7, 8 & 9 receive four 60 minute lessons per fortnight. Students are taught in mixed ability groups throughout Key Stage 3 (KS3). Progress is tracked and monitored by the department to provide additional support and intervention. The topics studied at KS3 are the building blocks of those studied in KS4.
Key Stage 4
Students in Years 10 & 11 receive five 60 minute lessons a fortnight. The two year GCSE course is taken with the AQA examination board. There are 3 exams:
- Paper 1: Living with the physical environment
- Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment
- Paper 3: Geographical applications
The topics for Paper 2 are studied in Year 11 while the topics for Paper 2 are studied in Year 10.
The Physical Environment fieldwork trip is completed in Year 10 and the Human Environment fieldwork trip in Year 11; Paper 3 examines what the students learn on these trips, it is therefore essential that students attend them. This is an opportunity to experience Geography in the real world and can be fun!
Students complete a range of both formal and informal assessments in class, as well as mock and real examinations. Exam questions will contain 'command words' that indicate how they should be answered, e.g. 'describe' or 'explain'.
Revision and catch-up sessions
'Achieve' sessions are held on Mondays after school between 3:10 and 4:10 for students in years 10 and 11 studying Geography and History. These sessions are supported by staff and are available for anyone who wishes to complete homework, revise or complete missed work. Room 102 is a collaborative working environment where students can help each other. For those who prefer a quieter environment or may have an assessment to catch up on, we use room 101.
Useful links
Enrichment
A variety of field trips take place that are linked to the curriculum and are designed to enhance students' learning and appreciation of the geography around them.
- Year 7 - Bolton Abbey
- Year 8 - Weather and Climate on site field work
- Year 9 – To be confirmed
- Year 10 – Holderness coast (Physical environment)
- Year 11 – Leeds City centre (Human environment)
The field trips in Years 10 and 11 are essential components of Paper 3 as this exam will directly refer to the work students complete on the day and in follow-up lessons.
To help broaden and deepen your understanding of Geography, below are weekly news articles to read and learn about a different real-world topic. If you are studying Geography at GCSE this is a valuable opportunity to read around the subject and boost your learning, as well as the articles being interesting and informative in their own right.
Please click the links below to view our curriculum plans.