GEOGRAPHY

The Geography department is one of the most vibrant and well-resourced departments in the school.

There are three, thirty-five minute lessons a week for each class. These are split into either a single and one double lesson or three singles depending on the timetabling.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

In line with both the Common Entrance and National Curriculum Syllabuses, the objectives of the department are designed to ensure that pupils are able to:

1. use geographical enquiry skills to develop their knowledge and understanding of people, places patterns and processes, environmental awareness and sustainable development,
2. apply tools and techniques of geography,
3. ask geographical questions while inquiring about people and the environment,
4. undertake enquiries inside and outside the classroom,
5. extract relevant information from data sources,
6. interpret, analyse data and evidence, make decisions and evaluate information, ideas and opinions,
7. develop skills specific to geography, including those of fieldwork and map work,
8. draw on many different sources and resources such as maps, atlases, photographs, written and visual materials including the use of ICT,
9. make reasoned and balanced judgements based on a respect for attitudes, values and perceptions of different cultures.

EXPEDITIONS

The department, often in conjunction with other departments, goes out on field trips and at times uses guest speakers on certain topics.

Places regularly visited include:

• Seven Sisters Country Park for the Rivers as well as the Coastal, Tourism and Environment topics.
• Plumpton Agricultural College (Primary Industry topic).
• The local coastline in Rottingdean is used effectively for the Geomorphologic Studies.
• There are plans for future expeditions to Purbeck as well as the Dorset coast.

PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Transition

At this level, children are introduced to Global Location starting with the world map, the continents and their main features (mountains, rivers, lakes etc). Other topics are the Solar system, study of the earth’s structure, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Map work (Directions, Grid References and Map Symbols).

Year 4

Topics covered are Global Location, Ordnance Survey Map Skills, Coastal features, Weather and Climate, Measuring Instruments, Other Cultures(Kenya and Egypt ) and Coastal Landforms.

Year 5

Consolidation of all the work covered in Years 3 and 4, e.g. Ordnance Survey Map Work, Weather and Climate, Global Location. Other topics are the Water Cycle, Depressions and Anticyclones, Settlement and Environmental Concerns e.g. Pollution, and Renewable and Non-Renewable resources.

Year 6

At this stage children are well prepared to make a start to the KS3 requirements in addition to consolidation of knowledge of basic topics: Global Location and OS Map Work Skills. New topics include Geomorphological Processes (Erosion, Deposition, Transportation, Deposition and Weathering), Flooding and Plate Tectonics.

Year 7

In addition to Global Location and Map work skills, children revisit the topic on Settlements, Local and Global Economic Activities (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary). Further topics are LEDCs and MEDCs, Environmental Issues, Sustainable Development, Global Warming and the Fieldwork Enquiry.

Year 8

In Year 8 children will consolidate all Thematic and Case Studies, complete the Fieldwork Enquiry as well as revising all topics in preparation for their CE and Scholarship exams.