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Geography

Curriculum Intent

To provide a high-quality, coherent and progressive curriculum that will alight geographical imaginations and inspire students to be inquisitive and passionate geographers, now and for the rest of their lives. Our curriculum is ambitious and provides an ambitious offer. Teaching should equip students with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, to provide a fascination for our world, together with a deep understanding of the Earth's key physical and human processes. This helps students be determined learners. As students' progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. We aim to ensure geographical knowledge, understanding and skills are secured over time to provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earth's features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time, and ultimately, so that students are supported to be the best geographers that they can be, ensuring they have a passport for success.

Core Academy Values

  • Respect: We are well behaved and considerate to all staff and students in our learning community.

  • Ambition: We are hard working and have an ambitious attitude to succeed and achieve.

  • Determination: We accomplish our desired goals by being committed, disciplined and motivated to achieve a positive outcome.

Year 7

Term 1: Exploring our World & The United Kingdom

  • Content:

    • The importance of (human and physical) Geography.

    • Types of rock and the Rock Cycle.

    • The (geological) difference between upland and lowland areas in the UK.

    • How to use a map and an atlas.

    • Map symbols on OS maps.

    • The main characteristics of the Middle East.

    • The challenges of building Burj Khalifa.

    • The main characteristics of Africa.

    • Relief on OS maps.

    • Four and six figure grid references.

    • Coastal geology, processes and landforms.

    • Preventing coastal flooding and erosion: hard and soft engineering.

    • The UK's glacial upland areas.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Cliff Collapse: Holbeck Hall.

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: geological timescales, plate tectonics, rocks, weathering, glaciation, hydrology, coasts, population and urbanisation, economic activity, natural resources and environmental regions. Application of OS map skills and atlas skills, data analysis, graphical skills.

Term 2: Pole to Pole

  • Content:

    • Location of the Arctic and Antarctic, topography and climate.

    • Flora and Fauna adaptations and Food Web.

    • Tourism in Antarctica.

    • The main characteristics of Russia.

    • The difference between urban and rural areas.

    • The reasons people choose to migrate.

    • The Nenets of the Arctic Tundra.

    • The different factors which affect the UK's climate.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Wildlife adaptations to the extreme conditions of the Tundra.

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: hydrology, weather and climate, development, population and urbanisation, economic activity, environmental regions and natural resources. Application of OS map skills and atlas skills, data analysis, graphical skills.

Term 3

  • Content:

    • The location, climate and vegetation of the Congo Rainforest.

    • Population of the UK: change and distribution.

    • Case Study: DRC.

    • Journey along the River Congo.

    • Case Study: Sierra Leone.

    • The main characteristics of China.

    • The main characteristics of India: level of development. Dharavi Slum.

    • UK Economic Activity: employment structure.

    • UK's resources: food, water and energy.

    • The River Tees: long profile and landforms.

    • UK extreme weather/weather hazards.

    • Fieldwork: Microclimate Enquiry.

    • The causes, evidence and impacts of climate change.

    • Managing climate change.

    • Impact of climate change on biodiversity.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: The physical characteristics of the Congo Rainforest.

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: geological timescales, plate tectonics, rocks, weathering and soils, glaciation, population and urbanisation, economic activity, natural resources and environmental regions. Application of OS map skills and atlas skills, data analysis, graphical skills and fieldwork.

Year 8

Term 1: India

  • Content:

    • India.

    • The impact of India's energy mixes on climate change.

    • Causes of climate change and impact on India.

    • Plastic pollution: cause, impact and solutions.

    • India's changing population.

    • The causes and impacts of urbanisation.

    • India's level of development (development indicators).

    • Causes and consequences of uneven development.

    • India's employment structure.

    • Economic activity and the impact of TNCs.

    • Conditions and ways to improve slums in India.

    • Global distribution of hot deserts.

    • Energy supply in the Thar Desert (wind energy/solar energy).

    • The Indira Gandhi Canal (water supply).

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: India's industrial structure and energy mix (graph analysis and interpretation).

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: weather and climate, climate change, development, population and urbanisation, economic activity, environmental regions (hot deserts) and natural resources. Application of data analysis and graphical skills.

Term 2: The Philippines

  • Content:

    • Philippines: level of development.

    • Philippines: natural hazard hot spot.

    • Tectonic hazards along a destructive plate boundary.

    • Volcanic eruption: Mt. Pinatubo and Luzon Earthquake.

    • Distribution and formation of tropical storms.

    • Effects of and responses to a tropical storm (Typhoon Haiyan) and management strategies.

    • The impact of climate change on the Philippines.

    • River Cagayan: drainage basin, erosion, transport and deposition. Long and cross profile and formation of landforms.

    • Flooding and flood management.

    • Coastal landforms.

    • Deforestation rates in the Philippines.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Effects and responses to a natural hazard (photo analysis).

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: geological timescales, plate tectonics, rocks, weathering, hydrology, coasts, population and urbanisation, economic activity, natural resources and environmental regions (tropical rainforest/deforestation). Application of data analysis, photo analysis, graphical skills.

Term 3: Brazil

  • Content:

    • Physical geography of Brazil.

    • Characteristics of Brazil's coastline.

    • Population distribution of Brazil.

    • Causes of inequality in Brazil and challenges of slums.

    • Location, climate and structure of the Amazon Rainforest. Plant and animal adaptations.

    • Importance and threats to the Amazon Rainforest (deforestation) and sustainable management.

    • River Amazon: drainage basin, long and cross-profiles, landforms and flooding.

    • Small-scale ecosystem: Strinesdale Nature Reserve (Deciduous Woodland).

    • Key knowledge and skills for a physical fieldwork investigation.

    • Complete fieldwork: including data collection, sampling, presentation, evaluation and analysis.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Explain the importance of the Amazon Rainforest.

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: coasts, hydrology, rocks, weathering and soils, population and urbanisation, development, economic activity, natural resources and environmental regions (Amazon Rainforest). Application of OS map skills and atlas skills, data analysis, graphical skills and fieldwork.

Year 9

Term 1: Kenya

  • Content:

    • The main physical characteristics of Kenya including climate and its different ecosystems.

    • The main human characteristics of Kenya including population distribution and population change.

    • Measuring development.

    • Kenya: level of development.

    • Strategies to close the development gap.

    • Economic opportunities in Kenya.

    • The social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism in Kenya.

    • Eco-tourism in Kenya.

    • Causes, effects and responses to drought and famine.

    • Deforestation in Kenya.

    • Contrasts in Nairobi and conditions and improvements in Kibera slum.

    • Impact of tourism on the residents of Kibera slum.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Analysis, manipulation and interpretation of development data (scattergraph).

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: weather and climate, development, population and urbanisation, economic activity, environmental regions and natural resources. Application of map skills, data analysis, graphical skills.

Term 2: China

  • Content:

    • The main physical characteristics of China.

    • Climatic regions of China.

    • The main human characteristics of China including population distribution and structure.

    • Causes and impacts of urbanisation.

    • Shanghai: China's first mega-city: advantages and disadvantages.

    • River Yangtse: long and cross profiles, processes and landforms.

    • Causes and effects of flooding in China.

    • The impact of the Three Gorges Dam.

    • Coastal processes and management of coastal flooding.

    • The impact of tropical storms on China.

    • The impact of climate change on China.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Analysis, presentation and interpretation of data (choropleth map).

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: weather and climate, weathering, hydrology, coasts, population and urbanisation, economic activity, natural resources and environmental regions. Application of map skills, data analysis, graphical skills.

Term 3: Iceland

  • Content:

    • The main physical characteristics including climate, the polar and tundra biome.

    • Tectonic hazards: volcanic eruptions and earthquakes at a constructive plate margin.

    • How the risks from volcanic eruptions can be reduced and why people still choose to live near natural hazards.

    • The importance of tourism in Iceland.

    • The Tundra ecosystem and the adaptations of flora and fauna.

    • Glacial processes and landforms.

    • Causes and impacts of climate change on Iceland.

    • The national and international importance of geothermal energy.

    • The use of renewable energy sources as a mitigation strategy.

  • Assessment:

    • 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge).

    • STAR Marking: Explain why people live next to volcanoes.

    • 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

    • End of Unit Assessment: Knowledge of location, human and physical geography: geological timescales, plate tectonics, rocks, weathering and soils, glaciation, population and urbanisation, economic activity, natural resources and environmental regions. Application of map skills, data analysis, graphical skills.

Year 10

Half Term Schedule & Content

  • Half Term 1: The Living World

    • Content: Ecosystems: local pond, Major Biomes, Tropical Rainforests, Hot Desert.

    • Assessment: 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge), STAR Marking: Opportunities and Challenges in Hot Deserts (9 marks), End of Unit Assessment: The Living World, 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

  • Half Term 2: Urban Issues and Challenges

    • Content: Urban change in the UK (Manchester), Urban Sustainability (BedZed), Urbanisation, Mumbai.

    • Assessment: 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge), STAR Marking: Mumbai opportunities and challenges (9 marks), 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

  • Half Term 3: Physical Landscapes in the UK: Coastal Landscapes in the UK

    • Content: UK's diverse landscapes, Coastal Landscapes: Processes, Landforms, Hard and Soft engineering, Case Study: Holderness Coast.

    • Assessment: 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge), End of Unit Assessment: Urban Issues and Challenges, STAR Marking: Coastal Landforms, 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge).

  • Half Term 4: Resource Management and Energy

    • Content: Global water, food and energy; UK water, food and energy; Energy: Demand and supply; Energy security: Meeting increasing demand; Adv and disadvantages of fossil fuel extraction; Sustainable energy; NEE/LIC local sustainable energy.

    • Assessment: 20 Questions (assess prior/ fundamental knowledge), End of Unit Assessment: Coastal Landscapes, STAR Marking: Fracking, 20 Questions (assess acquisition of fundamental knowledge), End of Unit Assessment: Resource Management.

  • Half Term 5: Climate Change

    • Content: Evidence, Human and physical causes, Effects on people and the environment, Mitigation strategies, Adaptation strategies.

    • Assessment: STAR Marking: Climate Change.

  • Half Term 6

    • Content: Revision for Mock Exams, Paper 3: Fieldwork Salford Quays, Issue Evaluation/ Skills, Traffic Management.

    • Assessment: Mock Exams (Paper 1: Living World, Coastal Landscapes; Paper 2: Urban Challenges, Resource Management).

Year 11

Half Term Schedule & Content

  • Half Term 1 & Half Term 2: River landscapes in the UK & The Changing Economic World

    • Content: River processes, River landforms, Flood management, Hard and soft engineering, Case study: Somerset Levels, The development gap, NEE: India, Changing UK economy.

    • Assessment: End of Unit Assessment: River Landscapes in the UK, End of Unit Assessment: Changing Economic World.

  • Half Term 3: Natural Hazards

    • Content: Natural hazards, Tectonic hazards, Weather hazards, Climate change (re-cap from Year 10).

    • Assessment: End of Unit Assessment: Natural Hazards.

  • Half Term 4: Revision/ Paper 3: Issue Evaluation

    • Content: Fieldwork/ Skills: Paper 3, Past papers, KOs and Retrieval Grids, Graphical Skills, OS Map Skills, Revision, Paper 3: Issue Evaluation, Practice for Paper 3 (9 marks), Issue Evaluation (March 2026), Strinesdale fieldwork.

    • Assessment: Mock Exam: Paper 3: Issue evaluation and fieldwork (after publication of pre-release).

  • Half Term 5: Revision and Exam Preparation

    • Content: Revision, Past Papers, Exam Technique, KOs and Retrieval Grids, Revision Task Booklets, Model Answer Booklets, Retrieval Activities, Multiple Choice, Past Paper Questions, RAG Checklists, Revision Notes Booklets, Student Handbook AO1 and AO2 (KOs).

  • Half Term 6

    • Assessment: GCSE External Examinations (Paper 1: 13th May 2026, Paper 2: 3rd June 2026, Paper 3: 11th June 2026).

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