Geography
There has never been a better or more important time to study geography. With growing interest in issues such as climate change, migration, environmental degradation and social cohesion, geography is one of the most relevant subjects a young person can choose to study. The Geography Department tries to develop pupils’ passion for the world. Studying geography provides knowledge and transferable skills that reward them personally and advance them professionally. Geography at St Mary’s involves a variety of IT, field and classroom analytical approaches including techniques such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and fieldwork, which are an integral part to most courses
Staffing
| Mr Weaver | Curriculum Leader for Humanities |
| Mrs Loftus | Assistant Headteacher |
| Mrs Schofield | SENCO |
All pupils study Geogrpahy until the end of Year 9.
In year 9 all pupils have the opportunity to opt to study AQA Geogrpahy GCSE in KS4.
The following topics are studied at KS3.
|
|
Autumn Term |
Spring Term |
Summer Term |
|
Year 7 |
Introduction to geography |
Cities past and present |
Wacky Weather |
|
Year 8 |
Chaotic coasts; Risky rivers |
The United Kingdom; Restless earth |
China; Geography of conflict |
|
Year 9 |
Global Issues – Ecoysystems; Rainforests/Deserts |
Global Issues – Wasteful World |
GCSE Study – Natural Hazards & Urban Issues |
The following units are studied at KS4.
Pupils have 2 lessons per week in year 10 and 3 lessons per week in year 11.
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|
Autumn Term |
Spring Term |
Summer Term |
|
Year 10 |
Urban Issues/Human Fieldwork; Natual Hazards |
Natural Hazards; Changing Economic World |
Coasts/Physical Fieldwork |
|
Year 11 |
Glacial Environments |
Recource Management; Ecosystems |
Changing Economic World Pre-Release Preparation |
Extra-curricular activities and visits:
The most effective place to experience true geography is outside the classroom. Therefore the Geography Department at St. Mary’s offers a wide and varied range of fieldtrips. In year 7 we stay closer to home and explore the microclimates of our school. In Year 8 we aim to take our students to investigate their local shopping area in Leyland to investigate whether it is a ‘home town or clone town’. Our year 9 pupils in the summer term visit the Flyde coast to investigate the effectiveness of coastal engineering strategies. For GCSE we offer a visit to Liverpool, which is linked to the GCSE aspect or Urban Geography within the UK.
In addition to this, every other year the Geography department offers an international trip to pupils. Previous trips have included Iceland and Italy. St Mary’s is also an accredited centre for the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, which is run through the geography department.
