CURRICULUM
Geography
Geography Curriculum Intent
The geography curriculum ignites excitement, creativity, and critical thinking, empowering students to explore and understand the world around them. It examines the intricate connections between human and physical processes on Earth, addressing sensitive local and global issues while appreciating the beauty and diversity of our planet. This exploration fosters a profound connection to the world, nurturing a sense of responsibility to protect and preserve it.
Geography Curriculum
Our spiral curriculum is structured around three key strands—knowledge, skills, and communication—enabling progressive learning and mastery of complex concepts. Students develop a geographer’s mindset by critically evaluating evidence and considering diverse perspectives, while acquiring vital skills in data collection through fieldwork, enhancing their interpretation and analysis capabilities. Both written and verbal communication skills are honed over time, allowing students to articulate their insights with clarity and impact.
Key STRANDS
Geographical Knowledge
From Year 7, students are introduced to essential geographical concepts that lay the foundation for understanding the world, including locational knowledge, key definitions, and fundamental geographical concepts. Over the course of three years, or five years for those opting to pursue GCSE Geography, students engage with an increasingly comprehensive curriculum that broadens their appreciation of both human and physical components of our planet. This progression fosters a deeper understanding of geographical relationships and challenges, equipping students with the knowledge needed to navigate and analyse the complexities of the world around them.
Key Geographic Skill
Students enhance their ability to interpret and apply essential geographical skills, including the use of maps, graphs, and data collection through fieldwork. Opportunities to advance these skills are integrated throughout the curriculum, with increasing complexity as students’ progress through each year, fostering automaticity in their application. By the end of Year 9, and even more so by the conclusion of Year 11, students demonstrate the ability to apply their geographical skills to unfamiliar contexts with confidence and precision.
Over five years, students develop and refine essential mathematical skills through a structured curriculum that revisits key concepts in increasingly complex contexts. By integrating math into geography lessons and applying it to real-world scenarios—particularly in data analysis—students gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, the curriculum is designed to enhance students’ ability to communicate effectively as expert geographers. This begins with the identification and explanation of social, economic, and environmental impacts. As students progress, they are guided to enhance their explanations, evaluate geographical concepts, and construct cohesive arguments. At each stage of their development, students first practice “speaking like a geographer,” which lays the foundation for their written work, allowing them to translate their verbal insights into clear and articulate written expressions.
Written Communication
Year 7
Fascinating Places
In the "Fascinating Places" topic, Year 7 students investigate a diverse range of locations from each continent, focusing on both their geographical significance and what makes each place unique.
Key areas of study:
- Weather and climate
- Biomes and Ecosystems
- Plant and animal adaptations
- Location: continents, oceans and countries studied.
- Location vs Place
- River systems and flooding
- Economic Development (HIC, NEE, LIC) Climate Change
- Key case studies include: The UK, Italy, Vietnam, Nigeria, Australia, Chile, Greenland, Antarctica, Canada
Key Skills developed:
- Data collection
- Graphical skills: Bar graph, line graph, combination chart (climate graph).
- OS map skills
- Mathematical skills: mean, median, mode and range.
Year 8
Hazardous World
In the Year 8 topic on natural hazards, students investigate key events like earthquakes, volcanoes, extreme weather, and wildfires. They explore the causes, impacts, and necessary responses and preparations.
Key areas of study:
- Formation of natural hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes and tropical storms)
- Primary and secondary effects of natural hazards
- Immediate and long-term responses of natural hazards
- How tectonic hazard effects and responses compare in areas of contrasting levels of wealth
- How the effects of natural hazards can be limited through monitoring, prediction, planning and protection.
- Key case studies include Haiti and New Zealand earthquakes and Mexico tropical storms.
Key Skills developed:
- Choropleth Maps
- GIS mapping of natural hazards and plate margins
- Mathematical skills: multiplication and division
Development and Globalisation
This unit will explore the reasons behind global inequalities, examining economic, social, and political influences that contribute to varying levels of development among countries. Students will analyse development indicators, such as GDP, literacy rates, and access to healthcare, while also investigating different types of industries and how globalization interconnects global economies.
Key areas of study: - Social and economic factors which help indicate the level of development within a country
- How countries develop over time
- Types of industry
- Globalisation and westernisation
- Strategies used to reduce the development gap
- Key case studies include: UK employment and sweatshops in Bangladesh
Key Skills developed:
- Scatter graphs
- Longitude and Latitude
- Pie charts
-Line graphs
-Desire line maps
Population
In this topic learners will critically analyse the factors driving population dynamics. This topic builds on previous studies of development, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the implications of demographic changes on societies and economies.
Key areas of study:
- The human and physical factors which influence population distribution
- Regional study of China: human and physical factors which influence population distribution; political policies which impact on population
- Urbanisation and megacities
- Types of migration and its impacts
- Key case studies include: China, Mumbai, Mexico and the USA
- Fieldwork: exploring the population around Horizon, collecting data from a student sample on residences, practicing data presentation on OS maps, and conducting data analysis, followed by reflection and evaluation of the validity of their findings
Key Skills developed:
- Diverging bar charts (population pyramids)
- Line graphs (Demographic Transition Model)
- Choropleth maps
- OS maps
Year 9
Exploiting Earth
This topic supports students to critically evaluate how human activities have ushered in the Anthropocene epoch. Through real-world case studies, learners will gain a deeper understanding of humanity's role in shaping the planet's future and identify meaningful actions they can take to promote environmental stewardship.
Key areas of study:
- Epochs in time, including the Anthropocene
- The enhanced greenhouse effect, the challenge of climate change and how this can be managed
- Human exploitation of ecosystems including the ocean biome Sustainable urban living
- Fieldwork: Students collect wind speed data on the school site through fieldwork, determining optimal turbine locations while more independently applying their fieldwork knowledge and skills in data collection presentation and analysis.
Key case studies include: Russia, Kenya, Bangladesh, China, Crete, Kiribati and Tajikistan
Key skills developed:
- Longitude and latitude
- Desire line maps
- Flow line maps
- Choropleth maps
Middle East
How do natural and human influences contribute to the opportunities and challenges faced by the Middle East?
This unit supports students to critically examine to what extent natural factors alongside human actions are the root causes of the region's opportunities, challenges, and instability. This holistic unit encourages students to draw on their prior learning to analyse the intricate relationships between human activities and physical geography – gaining nuanced understanding of the unique dynamics faced by the Middle East.
Key areas of study:
- Location of Middle East
- Population Distribution
- Causes, effects and management of water stress
- Economic Development – factors that lead to and hinder economic growth,
Key case studies include: Lake Urmia, Dubai, Yemen, Syria
Key skills developed:
- Climate Graphs
- Combination charts
- GIS to show life expectancy, wealth and literacy rates
Urban World
To what extent does urbanization create opportunities and challenges
This unit explores the impacts of urban growth and change on developed and developing cities.
Key areas of study are:
- Place and location of case studies
- Global urbanisation trends
- Causes of migration
- Urban growth challenges and management
- Urban opportunities
- Sustainable urban living
Case studies students learn about are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and London, UK
Key skills developed: - Pie charts
- Bar charts
- Combination charts
- Line graph
- Flow line map
- Choropleth map
Rivers
How do hazards shape the world we live in?
In this topic, students critically examine the causes, impacts, and management strategies associated with tectonic hazards, tropical storms, and climate change. Through a range of case studies, they analyse how different hazards uniquely affect communities and require specific management approaches, supporting learners to understand the complex interactions between human and physical environments.
Case studies include: Nepal and Italy (earthquake comparison) and Typhoon Haiyan (Tropical Storm).
Key skill developed:
Interpreting maps of natural hazards
Year 10
Natural Hazards
How do hazards shape the world we live in?
In this topic, students critically examine the causes, impacts, and management strategies associated with tectonic hazards, tropical storms, and climate change. Through a range of case studies, they analyse how different hazards uniquely affect communities and require specific management approaches, supporting learners to understand the complex interactions between human and physical environments.
Case studies include: Nepal and Italy (earthquake comparison) and Typhoon Haiyan (Tropical Storm).
Key skill developed:
Interpreting maps of natural hazards
Human Fieldwork
Has Barnsley’s town centre regeneration project been successful?
Students complete two fieldwork investigations, applying geographical theory in real-world contexts. This enhances critical thinking, data analysis, and independent learning. It develops teamwork, problem-solving, and decision-making skills while deepening understanding of environmental processes and human impact, preparing students for further study and future careers in geography and related fields. The first piece builds on learning from the previous topic: urban world.
After classroom preparation, students spend an afternoon in Barnsley Town Centre collecting data, which they then present, analyse, and evaluate back in class, reinforcing their understanding and developing data interpretation and critical thinking skills.
Key skill Developed:
- Data collection: bi-polar survey and photographs
- Data presentation: radar graph and annotated photographs
- Maths: central tendencies and averages
Coasts
To what extent can physical processes change landscapes?
In the coasts topic, students build on their rivers knowledge through a spiral approach, exploring coastal processes, landforms, and management strategies. Case studies of the Holderness coastline enable them to evaluate erosion, deposition, and weathering. Later in the year, fieldwork in Mapleton reinforces their understanding by analysing coastal management techniques in practice.
Key case study: Holderness coastline
Key skill developed:
- OS maps: 4 figure grid reference, 6 figure grid reference, relief, map symbols, distance etc.
Living World
How and why do ecosystems need to adapt to human and physical factors?
In the Living World topic, students explore ecosystems, focusing on tropical rainforests and cold environments. They investigate the characteristics, biodiversity, and interdependence of these systems, in addition to the human impacts from economic development and sustainable management practices. This highlights the conflict between economic development and environmental sustainability.
Key areas of study are:
-Physical characteristics and distribution of biomes
-Plants and animal adaptations
-Causes, effects and management of deforestation
-Opportunities and challenges of development in cold environments and how they can be managed
Key case studies include: Epping Forest, the Malaysian tropical rainforest and Svalbard
Key skill developed:
-Climate graphs
-Bar charts
-Distribution
-Location
Year 11
Economic World
At the beginning of this topic students study development, what defines development and how it’s measured across the world.
They’re then taught about the newly emerging economy, Nigeria. Students study Nigeria’s development over the past few decades, how TNCs are investing in it now and what the impact of that it.
Afterwards, students learn about the development of a contrasting country, the UK. Students learn particularly about London’s position in the UK and how the north and south of the country are unevenly developed.
Skills -
Students are learning to:
Demonstrate relevant and broad knowledge, understanding and application of geographical information and issues
Use a range of geographical skills and techniques effectively with evaluation
Construct convincing arguments with occasional complexities to reach reasoned judgement with some substantiation
Issue Evaluation
12 weeks before the GCSE exams, students are sent an ‘issue evaluation’ by the exam board. This is a 6-page document of which each year is on a different topic. Previously this has been on: water scarcity and distribution in the UK, development in tropical rainforests and squatter settlements. Students read this document in detail, then collaborate with their peers and teacher to share ideas and develop a wider understanding of the issue, in preparation for their examination.
Skills
Students are learning to:
Demonstrate relevant and comprehensive knowledge, understanding and application of geographical information and issues
Use and evaluate a wide range of geographical skills and techniques effectively
Construct sustained and convincing argument to draw well-evidence conclusions
Resource Management
The final topic students study links together all previously learnt content and skill development. Student engage with 3 resources, critical to human survival: Food, Water and Energy. Students examine the source, use and sustainability of these resources and impact the use of these could have on the future of planet Earth.
Skills
Students are learning to:
Demonstrate relevant and comprehensive knowledge, understanding and application of geographical information and issues
Use and evaluate a wide range of geographical skills and techniques effectively
Construct sustained and convincing argument to draw well-evidence conclusions
