Year 7
Half Term 1 / Half Term 2 / Half Term 3 / Half Term 4 / Half Term 5 / Half Term 6
Weather / Climate / Climate / Coasts / Coasts / Map skills
Year 8
Half Term 1 / Half Term 2 / Half Term 3 / Half Term 4 / Half Term 5 / Half Term 6
Population / Rivers / Italy / Italy / Ice Age Earth / Ice Age Earth
Year 9
Half Term 1 / Half Term 2 / Half Term 3 / Half Term 4 / Half Term 5 / Half Term 6
People and poverty / Rainforests / Geopolitics / Start GCSE – Natural Hazards / Natural hazards / Natural hazards
Key Stage Four: AQA GCSE Geography (8035)
Aims of the course:
The GCSE Geography course will provide you with a balance of study between physical and human geography but also explore how these two aspects are interrelated.
You will investigate a range of contemporary geographical issues for the 21st century including climate change, inequality, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use.
You will also be encouraged to consider your role in society by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes and understand the responsibility we have to play in creating a more sustainable world.
You will develop your knowledge, understanding and skills for further study at Higher Education or for employment.
Component 1 / Component 2 / Component 3
Living with the Physical Environment
- 3.1.1 The Challenge of Natural Hazards
- 3.1.2 The Living World
- 3.1.3 Physical Landscapes in the UK
- 3.4 Geographical Skills
35% total GCSE / Challenges in the Human Environment
- 3.2.1 Urban Issues and Challenges
- 3.2.2 The Changing Economic World
- 3.2.3 The Challenge of Resource Management
- 3.4 Geographical Skills
35% total GCSE / Geographical Applications
- 3.3.1 Issue Evaluation
- 3.3.2 Fieldwork
Assessed with 1 hour 15 minute exam
Worth 30% of total GCSE
Year 12 (KS5) Pearson Edexcel A Level Geography Specification (9GE0)
Aims of the course: The aims and objectives of the Edexcel qualification are to enable students to build on their knowledge and skills to:
● develop their knowledge of locations, places, processes and environments, at all geographical scales from local to global across the specification as a whole
● develop an in-depth understanding of the selected core and non-core processes in physical and human geography at a range of temporal and spatial scales and their significance in a range of locational contexts
● recognise and analyse the complexity of people–environment interactions at all geographical scales, and appreciate how they underpin understanding of some of the key issues facing the world today
● gain understanding of specialised concepts of causality, systems, equilibrium, feedback, inequality, representation, identity, globalisation, interdependence, mitigation and adaptation, sustainability, risk, resilience and thresholds
● improve their understanding of the ways in which values, attitudes and circumstances have an impact on the relationships between people, place and environment, and develop the knowledge and ability to engage, as citizens, with the questions and issues arising
● understand the fundamental role of fieldwork as a tool to understand and generate new knowledge about the real world, and become skilled at planning, undertaking and evaluating fieldwork in appropriate situations
● apply geographical knowledge, understanding, skills and approaches in a rigorous way to a range of geographical questions and issues, including those identified in fieldwork, recognising both the contributions and limitations of geography
● develop as critical and reflective learners, able to articulate opinions, suggest relevant new ideas and provide evidenced argument in a range of situations
● build on knowledge of contexts, locations, places and environments, by extending the scope and scale of study, the variety of physical, social, economic, cultural and political contexts encountered, the depth of conceptual understanding required, and the range of spatial and temporal scales included
Component 1 / Component 2 / Component 3
Paper 1 (Paper code: 9GE0/01)
Topic 1: Tectonic Processes and Hazards.
Topic 2: Landscape Systems, Processes and Change. Students answer questions on either ‘Topic 2A: Glaciated Landscapes and Change’ or Topic 2B: Coastal Landscapes
and Change.
Topic 5: The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity and Topic 6: The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security.
Assessed with 2 hour and 15 minute exam
Worth 105 marks
30% of A Level / Paper 2 (Paper code: 9GE0/02)
Topics 3: Globalisation
Topic 7: Superpowers.
Topic 4: Shaping Places. Students answer questions on either Topic 4A: Regenerating Places or ‘Topic 4B: Diverse Places’.
Section C relates to Topic 8: Global Development and Connections. Students answer questions on either Topic 8A: Health, Human Rights and Intervention or ‘Topic 8B: Migration, Identity and
Sovereignty’.
Assessed with 2 hour and 15 minute exam
Worth 105 marks
30% of A Level / Paper 3 (Paper code: 9GE0/03)
An externally-assessed written examination comprising three sections. A resource booklet will contain information about the geographical issue.
Sections A, B and C all draw synoptically on knowledge and understanding from compulsory content areas (players, attitudes and actions, futures and uncertainties) drawn from different parts of the course.
Assessed with 2 hour and 15 minute exam
Worth 70 marks
20% of A Level
Year 13 (KS5) AQA A Level Geography Specification (H481)
Aims of the course: The aims and objectives of the Edexcel qualification are to enable students to build on their knowledge and skills to:
develop their knowledge of locations, places, processes and environments, at all geographical scales from local to global across the specification as a whole
develop an in-depth understanding of the selected core and non-core processes in physical and human geography at a range of temporal and spatial scales, and of the concepts which illuminate their significance in a range of locational contexts
recognise and be able to analyse the complexity of people-environment interactions at all geographical scales, and appreciate how these underpin understanding of some of the key issues facing the world today
develop their understanding of, and ability to apply, the concepts of place, space, scale and environment, that underpin both the national curriculum and GCSE, including developing a more nuanced understanding of these concepts
gain understanding of specialised concepts relevant to the core and non-core content. These must include the concepts of causality, systems, equilibrium, feedback, inequality, representation, identity, globalisation, interdependence, mitigation and adaptation sustainability, risk, resilience and thresholds
improve their understanding of the ways in which values, attitudes and circumstances have an impact on the relationships between people, place and environment, and develop the knowledge and ability to engage, as citizens, with the questions and issues arising
become confident and competent in selecting, using and evaluating a range of quantitative and qualitative skills and approaches, (including observing, collecting and analysing geo-located data) and applying them as an integral part of their studies
understand the fundamental role of fieldwork as a tool to understand and generate new knowledge about the real world, and become skilled at planning, undertaking and evaluating fieldwork in appropriate situations
apply geographical knowledge, understanding, skills and approaches in a rigorous way to a range of geographical questions and issues, including those identified in fieldwork, recognising both the contributions and limitations of geography
develop as critical and reflective learners, able to articulate opinions, suggest relevant new ideas and provide evidenced argument in a range of situations.
You will develop your knowledge, understanding and skills for further study at Higher Education or for employment.
Component 1 / Component 2 / Component 3 / Component 4
Physical Systems
This question paper has two sections.
• Section A: Questions on Landscape Systems, answering questions on
either Option A, B or C. Option A: Coastal Landscapes
• Section B: Questions on Earth’s Life Support Systems (Water and Carbon).
Assessed with 1 hour 30 minutes
Worth 66 marks
22% of A Level / Human Interactions
This question paper has two sections.
• Section A: Questions on Changing Spaces; Making Places.
• Section B: Questions on Global Connections, answering questions on:
Global Systems - Option B Global Migration
Global Governance - Option C: Human Rights.
Assessed with 1 hour 30 minutes
Worth 66 marks
22% of A Level / Geographical Debates
This question paper has three sections.
• Section A: Short answer and medium length questions on all topics
• Section B: Synoptic questions on all topics
• Section C: Extended response questions on all topics.
Learners answer questions from two topics out of Climate Change, Disease Dilemmas, Exploring Oceans, Future of Food and Hazardous Earth.
Assessed with 2 hour 30 minutes
Worth 108 marks
36% of A Level / Investigative Geography
The independent investigation may relate to any aspect of the specification.
It is a written report with a recommended length of between 3000 and 4000 words.
The assessment will be marked by the centre using a marking criteria grid provided by OCR. This component is internally marked by the centre and externally moderated by OCR.
Worth 60 marks
20% of A Level
Subject Name: Geography
The Geography faculty aims to ensure that students have:
- Knowledge and understanding of the planet Earth and its peoples
- Lasting awareness of the world around us
- Sensitivity and empathy towards all others
- Tolerance and independent thinking
- Preparedness for an active citizen’s role in a changing world
Key Stage Three:
Geography at KS3 aims to prepare students effectively for the rigours of GCSE Geography through engaging and relevant topics including Geopolitics in the modern world, natural disasters and their impact, sustainability of our planet and a study of different cultures to widen students understanding. Assessment will take the form of GCSE style questions to promote mastery of the assessment criteria throughout the key stages.
Key Stage Four:
Students follow AQA GCSE Geography 8035
Post 16:
In Year 12 from 2017 students follow Pearson Edexcel A Level Geography Specification (9GE0)
In Year 13 students follow AQA A Level Geography Specification (H481)
For further information about the Geographycurriculum please contact:
Name: Mrs L. Williams (Head of Humanities)
Email:
Or: Mrs. M. Robinson (Lead teacher of Geography)
Email: