GOSFORTH ACADEMY GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

Staff:

Gary Moad (Leader of Teaching and Learning in Geography)

Denise Todd

Carolyn Robson

Holly Story

KS3

Upon entry in Y9, students complete a baseline assessment and an introductory skills unit. All students then begin the Edexcel B GCSE course which we deliver over three years.

KS4

Geography is one of the most popular option subject in the school with 7 GCSE classes in years 10 and 11. At Key Stage 4 students who have opted to study GCSE Geography receive seven 45-50 minute lessons per fortnight. Our fieldwork is carried out in the summer term of year 10 and the autumn term of Y11 with students collecting river data from the upper courses of the River Coquet in Northumberland and focussing upon the dynamic urban landscape of Newcastle. GCSE results are excellent. In 2015, 95% of pupils achieved A*-C grades with 50 % achieving either an A* or A.

KS5

Geography is a very popular option at A-Level. In year 12 we have in excess of 60 students studying Edexcel Geography in three teaching groups.They are a large and diverse cohort of ranging from prospective Oxbridge Geographers to those wishing to maintain a broad based curriculum.

In year 13 we have 55 students. Students receive 10, 50 minute lessons per fortnight taught by a physical and human geography teacher. At AS students cover the coastal physical option and rebranding as a human option.

To help prepare the students for the fieldwork component of the examination, we take them to study coastal issues in Northumberland and rebranding issues on the Newcastle Quayside and in the Ouseburn area as well as visiting some rural businesses. Results are excellent. Over 30% achieved an A grade at AS level in 2015.

In year 13, students opt to study either the pollution and human health at risk option or tectonics. To assist their exam preparation, students visit the Naples area, focussing on pollution issues in the Greater Naples area as well as visiting Mount Vesuvius and the Vesuvius monitoring observatory to cover tectonics. We have a partnership with the University of Naples, where students attend lectures in their chosen specialism. This year we are hoping that over 20% of our students achieve an A or A* grade.

Geography Department Accommodation

The Geography Department has 4 classrooms, one for each full-time teacher of the subject. All classrooms have built-in data projectors and interactive Promethean whiteboards.

ICT

The school has excellent ICT facilities and Geography is a leading department within the school for innovative and extensive ICT and the school’s VLE. Each department member has a laptop and all classrooms have access to the school intranet and beyond to the World Wide Web.

Gary Moad

Leader of Teaching and Learning, Geography

March 2016