Geography

The academic identity of the Geography Department is firmly linked to the important themes of sustainability, diversity, environmentalism, globalization, hazard management and internationalism.

Programmes of Study
Enrichment

Teaching Staff

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Field Trip TenerifeExpedition to Cuba

Mr K J D Richards (Head of Department)
Mr J A Hodgson
Mrs JA Hodgson
Miss A C Langdale
Mr B H Miller
Mr G M Turner

Programmes of Study

The Shell (Year 9) course focuses on key global issues with an emphasis on creative and imaginative enquiry and problem solving. Core themes include wilderness Antarctica, Siberia and Amazonia, the study of hurricane and tsunami hazards, global warming and global poverty. Special topics are chosen by individual teachers and have included tobacco, water, islands, terrorism, China and India.

The AQA GCSE course provides for a mix of human and physical topics. The human topics are Globalisation, Sustainable Cities and Development while the physical topics are Glaciation, the Restless Earth and the Living World. Additionally pupils complete a fieldwork project which is written up under controlled conditions.

The AQA AS course is broad and varied with studies of coasts, energy, rivers and population. Pupils complete a practical module based on a Studland sand dune study.

The AQA A2 course includes the study of Development and Globalisation, Tectonic hazards and Ecosystems. Additionally, there is a fieldwork enquiry and an issues evaluation based on pre released material.

Geography is offered at IB Standard and Higher Level. Core topics include population, development, environmental quality and resource consumption. Option topics include Coasts, Hazards and Tourism and Leisure. There is an HL extension on Globalisation. IB students complete a fieldwork project based on a field course on the Dorset/Hampshire coast.

Enrichment

Fieldwork is at the heart of our subject. There are two days of fieldwork at GCSE level. AS students take part in a local field day as well as a residential field course in Dorset and Hampshire. A2 students have a local day and a day at Barton-on-Sea and Hurst Castle Spit.

IT is an increasingly glamorous aspect of our subject: there is much exposure to exciting software, to rewarding internet research, to graphical and design challenges and to report and project publishing.

The Department has a dynamic tradition of running challenging and stimulating expeditions and field trips abroad. Destinations since 2002 have included China, Cuba, Myanmar, Eastern Turkey, the Sinai Desert, the Algarve and Sri Lanka. Trips to Namibia, Peru and Ladakh have been run jointly with other Departments. Trips have a combination of cultural, outward bound and nature based objectives. All trips emphasise the development of life skills including initiative, self reliance and leadership.

Additionally, there is an annual inter-house quiz for the Shell, and an annual Tourism Forum organised by U6th pupils. We invite speakers (both pupils and adults) to present academic challenges and to inspire an interest in nature, adventure and travel. Recently, we have enjoyed a very stimulating sequence of talks by outside speakers on polar themes.