Colfe's School - The Senior School - Departments - Geography

Geography

Geography Trips:

We run field trips on a regular basis, mainly related to GCSE Coursework and A Level exam work. These take place in Box Hill and Dorset respectively. In the Lower School we have visited an organic farm with year 7 and Chislehurst Caves with Year 9. We also run an annual expedition to Iceland where pupils can experience one of the most impressive landscapes on the planet.

Geography in the Sixth Form:

In the Sixth Form Geography remains popular, with on average 20 - 30 pupils in both the Lower and Upper Sixth studying the subject. The Lower Sixth program of study includes the workings of ecosystems, our impact on them and the way we are affected by the climate on a global basis. We also look at the issues presented by rapid population growth, migration, and industrial change. In the Upper Sixth we focus on Geomorphological processes such as plate tectonics and glaciation as well as looking at the impact of global tourism and how we manage urban growth.

We also follow AQA Specification A at AS/A2 Level: http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gceasa/geoa.php.

Geography in the Middle School:

Currently, Geography is optional at GCSE although the majority do opt to study the subject – around 70 pupils every year. Topics of study include population, rivers, coasts, plate tectonics and managing resources. Through studying these topics we aim to enthuse pupils about the subject and to encourage them to think about the issues that we face as a global community. We follow AQA Specification A at GCSE.

The following link will take you to the AQA website for GCSE specifications: http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/geo_a.php.

Geography in the Lower School:

The first three years at Colfe’s is aimed at stimulating interest in the subject and providing the necessary foundation for GCSE work. Indeed, pupils in Year 9 will begin to study subject matter that will be examined as part of their GCSEs should they opt for the subject in Year 10. Throughout their Geographical studies at Colfe’s pupils will be expected to develop their knowledge of places. The grid below details briefly the topics studied in the Lower School:

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
The UK – a study of the physical and human geography of the UK.	Kenya– a study of the physical and human geography of an LEDC. Issues like sustainable development and Fairtrade are covered here.	Plate Tectonics – A unit of work studied as part of the GCSE course. We cover the science behind plate movements and study the consequences of them.
Mapwork – a course designed to familiarise students with the workings of Atlases, OS Maps and GIS.	Environmental Concerns – An assessment of how we impact the planet. We look at who is involved and focus on specific environments like Antarctica.	Managing Resources and Tourism – A look at how humans are utilising the Earth’s resources and what happens when this is not sustainable.
Settlement – A consideration of the nature of settlement – why it is where it is and what issues are associated with urban growth.	Primary Industry – a look at types of primary industry in the UK with particular focus on farming. Organic farming and other ethical issues are examined.	Skills – here we focus on some of the skills required as part of the GCSE course – analysing and interpreting graphs, data, photographic evidence, maps and other sources of geographical information.


			6 January 2009