Geography

Where do most people live?
How and why are places different?
Why are some countries rich and others poor?
What causes people to migrate to another country?
Why do volcanoes and earthquakes occur?
Will some of our resources run out in the future?
What impacts will global warming have on us and our environment?

Our main aim in the Geography Department is to inspire inquisitiveness about our world. We are passionate about it and we want our students to ask questions about, and be able to find answers to, the important issues facing us all. We also aim to raise awareness about our environment, issues of world development and global citizenship and encourage pupils to respect and value differences between people and cultures.

Geography covers a wide range of themes which are focused on both physical environments, such as tropical rain forests and coasts, and human activities, such as settlement and population. Pupils learn about local, national and global issues in both rich and poor countries, and are encouraged at all levels to develop geographical and fieldwork skills. All pupils study the subject up to the end of Year 9. Many pupils go on to study it at GCSE, AS/A2 level and at university.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is not seen as an ‘optional extra’ to our curriculum in geography.

We provide the opportunity for our students to experience the educational benefits associated with fieldwork both in the local area and at distances from the school.

Fieldwork Programme for 2008-2009

Year 7

Housing types and ages in Ockbrook

Fieldwork skills in the Matlock area

Year 8

Environment Day [with the Science Department] at the Attenborough Nature Reserve

Year 9

Tourism study in Castleton

Years 10 & 11

Residential weekend - Pollution along Pocklington Beck & Coastal Studies at Flamborough Head and on Holderness coast

Years 12 & 13  

Marrakech and the Berber villages of the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Year 13

Toyota factory visit [with the Business Studies department]

Careers and Opportunities
You can study Geography with a large range of other subjects at GCSE and in the Sixth Form. You can then go on to one of over 100 universities and other institutes of Higher Education offering degrees in Geography and related subjects. Geography offers key skills such as literacy, numeracy, communication, ICT and enquiry skills that are all relevant to the world of work.

 

 

Geography specific revision sites

 

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/gcse/revision.html

 

http://www.geographypages.co.uk/revision.htm