Geography is a highly successful department with five dedicated specialist teachers. Students receive four lessons per fortnight in Geography at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.

Our curriculum is ambitious, broad and engaging, developing students’ knowledge, confidence and geographical skills through the study of place, space, scale, location and interconnections. It is underpinned by strong disciplinary knowledge across human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork.

Our aim is to develop empathetic global citizens who value their environment, understand an increasingly interconnected world and recognise their role within it.

Students experience a range of teaching strategies designed to encourage independence, curiosity and critical thinking. Homework provides opportunities for investigative geography across all topics, encouraging students to research independently, explore geographical questions and extend their learning beyond the classroom.

Across the curriculum, students work with a wide range of geographical resources, including maps, atlases, graphs, data and fieldwork equipment. At Key Stage 3, topics are structured around a Big Question, enabling students to build their knowledge throughout each unit before applying what they have learned to a final enquiry.

Geography is offered as an option at GCSE and students follow the AQA GCSE Geography course. Students study both human and physical geography alongside geographical skills, fieldwork and geographical decision-making.

Year 7 Curriculum

Year 7 introduces students to a broad range of geographical skills, places and processes. Students begin to develop the vocabulary and analytical skills needed to think, speak and write like geographers, while exploring key themes including development, weather and extreme environments.

Topics include:

• What on Earth? – Earth structure, continents, the British Isles, geological timescales, ice ages and fieldwork.
• Mastering Map Skills – Grid references, map symbols, scale, latitude and longitude.
• Diving into Development – Development indicators, employment sectors, uneven development, aid and BRICS.
• Wondering about Weather – Weather, air masses, microclimate fieldwork, rainfall and climate change.
• Extreme Environments – Las Vegas, Antarctica, Tesso Nilo, volcanoes and earthquakes, including Japan.

Throughout Year 7, students are introduced to a wide range of geographical terminology and increasingly develop their ability to explain geographical processes, interpret evidence and undertake geographical enquiry.

Year 8 Curriculum

In Year 8, students develop a deeper understanding of geographical processes and concepts. Building upon the foundations established in Year 7, they explore links between development, population, globalisation, physical landscapes and the continent of Africa.

Students are increasingly encouraged to evaluate geographical issues critically, consider different perspectives and reach informed, evidence-based conclusions.

Topics include:

• Popping Population – Population growth, megacities, quality of life in Mumbai and approaches to population management, including examples from Russia and China.
• Gripping Globalisation – Globalisation, transnational corporations, clone-town fieldwork, sweatshops, food miles and the geographical impacts of disease.
• Adventure into Africa – Climate zones, blood diamonds, piracy, development in Nigeria and tourism.
• Cracking Coasts – Coastal processes, landforms, coastal management and the Holderness Coast.
• Raging Rivers – Long and cross profiles, river processes and landforms, flooding, river management and fieldwork on the River Anker.

Year 9 Curriculum

Year 9 marks an important transition towards GCSE-level Geography. Students begin the year with Frozen Frontiers, a bridging topic designed to develop the depth of knowledge, geographical thinking and analytical skills required for GCSE study.

Following this transition unit, students begin studying content from the AQA GCSE Geography specification. Starting GCSE content in Year 9 ensures that the full course can be covered in sufficient depth, giving students time to develop secure knowledge, revisit key concepts and strengthen their analytical and evaluative skills throughout the course.

Topics studied in Year 9 include:

• Frozen Frontiers – A bridging unit exploring cold environments and contemporary geographical issues, helping students develop the depth of thinking and geographical skills required for GCSE study.
• Tectonic Hazards – Students investigate plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanic hazards, including their causes, impacts and how people respond to and manage these events.
• The Living World – Students explore ecosystems and the relationships between their components before studying the characteristics, opportunities and challenges of tropical rainforests and hot deserts.
• Resource Management – Students examine the importance and distribution of food, water and energy resources, the pressures placed upon them and how resource supplies can be managed more sustainably.

This approach allows students to move progressively from Key Stage 3 into GCSE-level study while ensuring that later GCSE content can be explored in appropriate depth rather than being rushed.

Year 10 Curriculum

Students who choose Geography at GCSE continue their studies through the AQA GCSE Geography course.

The course provides students with a broad understanding of both human and physical geography and explores social, economic, environmental, political and geopolitical issues. Students continue to develop their skills in analysis, interpretation, justification, evaluation, research and geographical decision-making.

Students at GCSE are also supported through a comprehensive programme of revision and exam preparation.

Year 10 topics include:

• The Changing Economic World – Students examine global differences in development, how development is measured and strategies used to reduce the development gap. They compare the development of Nigeria with the UK and consider how economic change affects people and places.
• Physical Landscapes in the UK: Rivers – Students investigate river processes, landforms, flooding and approaches to river management, with a strong focus on case-study material. This knowledge supports their physical geography fieldwork.
• Urban Issues and Challenges – Students explore patterns of urbanisation and the growth of megacities. They investigate the opportunities and challenges created by urban change, including studies of Mumbai and London, alongside approaches to urban sustainability such as those used in Curitiba.

Fieldwork forms an important part of GCSE Geography, allowing students to apply geographical knowledge and skills to real-world environments.

Year 11 Curriculum

In Year 11, students complete the remaining elements of the GCSE course while consolidating knowledge from across the specification and preparing for their final examinations.

Topics include:

• Physical Landscapes in the UK: Coasts – Students investigate coastal processes, landforms and mass movement, together with different approaches to coastal management around the UK.
• Resource Management – Students build upon their earlier understanding of resources by exploring pressures on energy, food and water supplies and considering how these resources can be managed.
• Issue Evaluation and Pre-Release Material – Students study the AQA pre-release material in preparation for Paper 3. They apply knowledge, interpretation, analysis and decision-making skills to a contemporary geographical issue.

Students also continue to develop their understanding of fieldwork methodology, data collection, data presentation, analysis and evaluation in preparation for the geographical applications element of the course.

Year 12 and Year 13 Curriculum

A Level Geography has developed an excellent reputation at Higham Lane School, with high expectations and strong outcomes.

Students follow the Pearson Edexcel A Level Geography course. They sit three examination papers at the end of Year 13:

• Paper 1 – Physical Geography
• Paper 2 – Human Geography
• Paper 3 – Synoptic

Students also complete an assessed independent investigation worth 20% of the qualification.

Topics studied include:

• Tectonic Hazards and Processes
• Coastal Landscapes
• The Water Cycle
• The Carbon Cycle
• Diverse Places
• Globalisation
• Superpowers
• Human Rights

Fieldwork is an important element of A Level Geography. Students take part in fieldwork designed to develop their data-collection and geographical enquiry skills before completing their own independent investigation on a physical or human geography topic of their choice.

Fieldwork and Enrichment

Fieldwork and enrichment are integral parts of Geography at Higham Lane School. They provide opportunities for students to apply classroom learning to real environments, develop geographical enquiry skills and experience geography beyond the classroom.

Previous opportunities have included:

• Year 7 – A residential visit to the Eden Project, supporting students’ understanding of deforestation and linking to their study of extreme environments, alongside enrichment visits such as Coombe Abbey.
• Year 8 – A residential visit to the Jurassic Coast, where students have applied their understanding of coastal processes and landforms developed through the Cracking Coasts topic.
• GCSE – Physical and human geography fieldwork, including investigations of river and urban environments.
• A Level – Fieldwork supporting students’ independent investigations, with previous locations including Southwold, Wales, Norfolk and Northumberland.
• International Visits – The department has a strong tradition of international geographical visits, with previous destinations including Iceland, Italy, Norway and the West Coast of the USA. These opportunities have enabled students to experience distinctive landscapes, environments and cultures beyond the classroom.

Mr A Flavell
Subject Leader for Geography

For further details on this subject, please feel free to email us contactus@highamlaneschool.co.uk