Geography

Intent (based on the National Curriculum)

Across RET schools the geography curriculum is both academic and ambitious. At key stage 3 it

1. inspires in students a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that facilitates their journey in becoming independent and inquisitive learners of geography.
2. equips students with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
3. enables students to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
4. knowledge, understanding and skills provides the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
5. develops contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places.
6. helps students to understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world.
7. develops skills so students can
   • collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes and enable them to connect their experiences outside of the classroom.
   • interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
   • communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
8. enables students to be challenged and inspired by contemporary and personal geographies so they can engage with, make synoptic links between and evaluate global themes and issues.
9. explores core values of community from local to global scales, encouraging students to take on the role of active citizens.

Implementation

At key stage 3 students will be taught to:

1. extend their locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’s countries.
2. understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places.
3. understand the key processes in physical and human geography and the links between them.
4. understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate.
5. learn how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.
6. develop their geographical skills and fieldwork including building their knowledge of globes, maps, atlases and information systems

At key stages 4 and 5 schools follow the AQA specifications.

Key Themes/Concepts

• Hazards
• Climate change
• Ecosystems
• Landscapes
• Development
• Sustainability
• Resources
• Demography

Links to KS2

The key stage 3 curriculum builds coherently on students’ KS2 experience, including in terms of

• locational and place knowledge.
• human and physical geography.
• geographical skills and experience.

Relationship to the wider (KS3) curriculum

• History: industrial revolution and medieval realms.
• Mathematics: coordinate, graphs, 3D shapes and ratio.
• Science: rock formations and ecosystems.
• English language: Spelling, grammar, punctuation, written analysis, written investigation

Links to KS4:

The key stage 3 curriculum is coherent with the GCSE specification which focuses on

• Living with the physical environment
• Challenges in the human environment
• Geographical applications
• Geographical skills

Extra-Curricular Ventures:

In addition to fieldwork which is undertaken at KS3 to various extents across the schools.

Examples of trips include:

• Box Hill
• Olympic Park