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Geography

Phil Crossley

Head of Department

Welcome to Geography

With the growing importance of issues such as climate change, migration, environmental degradation, spatial epidemiology and inequalities, geography is one of the most relevant courses you could choose to study. The Geography department at Ferndown Upper School is committed to providing a high quality geographical education to ensure our students are prepared for roles as active citizens in a rapidly changing world.

Meet The Geography Department Staff

Mrs. C. Lock

Geography Teacher

Mrs. J. Taylor

Geography Teacher

Curriculum Content of each academic year

Year 9

Course

Content

KS3 National Curriculum

Term 1  

– Natural Hazards
– Tectonic Hazards
– Global warming & Climatic Hazards,

Term 2

– Economic World
– Measuring Development – Factors Affecting Development.
– Tourism and the Development Gap

Term 3

– Global Population Change and Pressure
– Causes and consequences of rapid Urbanisation in LIC’s & NEE’s.
– GCSE – Coastal Landscapes in the UK

How its assessed:

2 GCSE assessments

Year 10

Course/ Exam Board

Content

 

Term 1

– River Landscapes in the UK
– The Challenge of Natural Hazards

Term 2

– The Living World
– Urban Issues and Challenges

Term 3

– The Changing Economic World
– Fieldwork (Trips to Southampton & Lulworth Cove)

How its assessed:

Interim and end of topic tests.

Year 10 Mock Paper 1 – Living with the Physical Environment

Year 11

Course/ Exam Board

Content

Term 1

– The Changing Economic World
– The Challenge of resource Management

Term 2

– Revision
– Geographical Applications – Skills and Preliminary Material preparation

Term 3

– Revision

  

How its assessed:

2 Mock Papers – Autumn Term Paper 1 Living with the Physical Environment

Spring Term Paper 2 Challenges in the Human Environment

External Assessments;

Paper 1 Living with the Physical Environment 35%

Paper 2 Challenges in the Human Environment 35%

Paper 3 Geographical Applications 30%

Year 12

Course/ Exam Board

Content

Ed Excel

Globalisation

Coastal Landscapes and Change

Diverse Places

Tectonic Processes and Hazards

Superpowers

How its assessed:

A Level End of topic Assessments

Year 12 Continuation Exam covering year 12 topics

Year 13

Course/ Exam Board

Content

 

Superpowers

The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity

The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security

Migration Identity and Sovereignty

How its assessed:

External Assessments

Paper 1 – Physical (30%)

Paper 2 – Human (30%)

Paper 3 – Synoptic Assessment (20%)

Non Examination Assessment- Independent Investigation (20%)

Facilites / Equipment

Google Expeditions – VR headsets, OS Maps, GIS, Fieldwork equipment.

Extra-curricular

Fieldwork day 1

Southampton city centre

How does the geography of Southampton’s waterfront offer economic and social opportunities?

Fieldwork day 2

Lulworth Cove

What type of waves occur at Lulworth Cove?
How do they affect its coastline?

Revision

All students are provided with detailed knowledge organisers in year 11.
Recommended revision guides:
GCP NEW GCSE 9-1 Geography AQA Revision Guide
Product code: GAR45
ISBN: 9781782946106

Careers In Geography

As a geography student, you will have gained a set of superior skills highly valued by employers. You will also have developed a range of soft skills imperative for the 21st century renaissance worker. Geography is a bridging subject and is an excellent lunch pad to a range of careers including Law, Engineering, Computer Science & Physical Sciences. However, if you are passionate about geography you may wish to explore career opportunities in an area more directly related to geography such as Natural Hazard Analyst, Geomorphologist, Geospatial Advisor, Flood Risk & GIS Analyst, Sustainability Consultant, Transport Planning Consultant, Landscape architect or Cartographer.

Labour Market Information – LMI

It is really useful to look at the labour market when considering a career related to geography.  Many sectors related to geography are areas of growth in terms of employment opportunities.  For example Boris Johnson recently announced a 10 point plan to boost the green economy which geography is an integral part of. The plan promises 250,000 jobs and emphasises a “green industrial revolution” to stimulate a post pandemic economic recovery.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ten-point-plan-for-a-green-industrial-revolution/title

Pathways Example Post 16 Routes – Level 3 A Level

  • A-Level Geography, Government and Politics, Economics, Environmental Science, Maths, Biology, Chemistry

Pathways Example Post 16 – Apprenticeship Ideas

PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT

  • Specialising in environmental claims in relation to contaminated land such as oil spills, groundwater and surface water pollution. You might split your time between undertaking field work to assess and the writing of reports in relation to such works.

GIS CONSULTANT

  • Geographic information systems (GIS)consultants are responsible for managing digital mapping data and performing analyses to answer geographical questions. The key focus for many GIS consultants is making maps for clients, deduced from analytical data. Your work can be used in a variety of fields.

CLIMATE CHANGE CONSULTANT

  • A climate change consultant is responsible for providing advice and research to the government. Specifically you may help policy makers contemplate scenarios they may have to confront in the next 40 years.