choosing your subjects
Course overview
The GCSE Geography course at SCBSO follows the AQA exam board specification, offering a comprehensive exploration of geographical processes. Pupils gain insight into the impact of change and the nature of complex interactions between people and the environment. The programme highlights the dynamic relationships and interconnections between people, places and environments across a variety of scales.
Skills development
Throughout the course, students develop competence in using a broad range of geographical investigative skills and approaches. Lessons are designed to foster an inquisitive attitude, encouraging students to actively participate as they investigate diverse topics that build their geographical skills, knowledge and understanding.
Values and citizenship
Students are encouraged to appreciate and uphold important values and morals, with an emphasis on protecting and respecting both local and global environments. This focus aims to nurture decent citizens who understand their responsibilities within a wider context.
Independent learning
Geography promotes independence and supports students in becoming effective learners both inside and outside the classroom. The curriculum encourages pupils to take initiative and responsibility for their own learning, fostering a spirit of enquiry and self-motivation.
Global and environmental awareness
The course enables young people to become globally and environmentally informed, as well as thoughtful and enquiring citizens. Through the study of geographical concepts, students develop a deep understanding of the world around them and their role within it.
Course structure
The GCSE Geography programme alternates between Human and Physical Geography, facilitating interleaving and embedding key concepts throughout. This approach allows pupils to develop synoptic links between different units, ensuring a holistic understanding of the subject. Concepts introduced in the first three years of the curriculum are revisited and reinforced across each unit, in accordance with the GCSE specification requirements.
Key skills
Key geographical skills are integrated within lessons, including cartographic, graphical, numerical, statistical, qualitative and quantitative data techniques. These skills are embedded as part of the ongoing learning process, helping students to analyse and interpret information effectively.
GCSE Geography Curriculum
Year 10
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What: The Living World (Paper 1) |
What: The Changing Economic World (Paper 2) | What: Urban Issues and Challenges (Paper 2) & Fieldwork (Paper 3) | What: Physical Landscapes (Paper 1) & Fieldwork (Paper 3) | What: Pre-release TRF 2019 & Practice Exam (Paper 3) | What: Revision & Practice Exam (Paper 1 & 2) |
| Why: · Explore how ecosystems exist at a range of different scales and involve the interaction between biotic and abiotic components. · Explore the characteristics, adaptations, uses and management of tropical rainforests (Malaysia). · Explore the characteristics, adaptations, uses and management of hot deserts (Thar). The option of hot deserts has been selected as this has greater cross curricular links with science. Why now: To commence GCSE study with a continuation of the themes explored within KS3 to bridge the gap. |
Why: · Explore global variations in economic development and quality of life. · Explore the strategies that exist for reducing the development gap. · Explore how LICs and NEEs experience rapid economic development, leading to significant social, environmental and cultural change (Nigeria). · Explore how major cities in the UK affect, and will continue to affect, employment patterns and regional growth (a variety of UK examples). Local examples have been selected where possible to provide pupils with a relevance to their ongoing studies. Why now: This topic underpins further study across the course with a recap of the issue of uneven development across the world studied lower down the school. |
Why: · Explore why a growing percentage of the world’s population lives in urban areas. · Explore how urban growth creates opportunities and challenges for cities within LICs and NEEs (Rio de Janeiro). · Explore how urban change creates opportunities and challenges within a city in the UK (Bristol changing this to Birmingham). · Explore how urban sustainability requires management of resources and transport. · Human geographical enquiry based on regeneration within West Bromwich town centre. Case studies have been selected to further broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding from prior learning. Looking to change the UK city to a local case study (Birmingham) to provide pupils with a relevance to their ongoing studies. Fieldwork is based in the local area to broaden students’ knowledge about their community and to increase relevance. Why now: This topic links back to the Changing Economic World previously studied and allows key concepts to be embedded via a study of cities within LICs and HICs. Pupils will have also covered key concepts required for fieldwork. |
Why: · Explore the diverse physical landscapes within the UK, exploring how coasts are shaped by physical processes and the distinctive landforms created as a result. · Explore the different management strategies used to protect coastlines. · Explore how river valleys change downstream and why different landforms result of these processes. · Explore how different management strategies can be used to protect river landscapes from flooding. · Physical geographical enquiry based on ‘Channel characteristics causing Carding Mill Valley stream to flood at Church Stretton’ involves the collection and use of primary data. Coasts has been selected due to pupils’ greater familiarity with these landscapes compared to glacial landscapes. Why now: To provide the necessary knowledge and understanding required to link directly into the fieldwork aspect of the GSCE course which follows this unit. Pupils will have also covered all key concepts required for fieldwork, enabling pupils to show an understanding about the interaction between physical and human geography. |
Why: · Pupils will draw together knowledge, understanding and skills from the full course of study to date, providing an opportunity for pupils to show their breadth of understanding and an evaluative appreciation of the interrelationships between different aspects of geographical studies. This aspect of the course contributes a critical thinking and problem-solving element, with pupils analysing a geographical issue at a range of scales, consider and select a possible option in relation to the issue(s) and justify their decision. Why now: This is the first time students will be exposed to the GCSE Pre-release material based on the TRF 2019 Paper and will be studied in class at this point. Any remaining lesson time will be used for focused taught revision based on the Fieldwork. This Paper 3 result will be combined with the June mock results from Paper 1 & 2 to give a more accurate overview of pupils’ performance at GCSE. |
Why: · Pupils will draw together knowledge, understanding and skills from the full course of study to date, providing an opportunity for pupils to show their breadth of understanding and an evaluative appreciation of the interrelationships between different aspects of geographical studies. This aspect of the course allows students to reflect and consolidate their learning through a variety of revision lessons and exam technique practice. Why now: Provides an opportunity for students to experience two GCSE papers. Combined with the Paper 3 exam from Spring 2 this gives a more accurate picture of students performance in Geography to make informed predictions. |
Year 11
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What: The Challenge of Natural Hazards (Paper 1) | What: Pre-release Practice, Revision & Practice Exam (Paper 1, 2 & 3) | What: Resource Management (Paper 2) | What: Revision (Paper 1 & 2) and teaching of Pre-release (Paper 3) | What: Pre-release (Paper 3) | |
| Why: · Explore how natural hazards pose major risks to people and property as a result of physical processes. · Explore how the effects of natural hazards vary between areas of contrasting levels of wealth and the significant effects on people and the environment. · Explore how monitoring, prediction, protection and planning can reduce the effects of natural hazards. Provide a study of the UK to exemplify increases in extreme weather events and explore the causes, effects and management of climate change. Why now: Following on from a recap of the concept of uneven development between different countries, pupils will be able to access why LICs and HICs have differing experiences of natural hazard events. |
Why: · Pupils will draw together knowledge, understanding and skills from the full course of study to date, providing an opportunity for pupils to show their breadth of understanding and an evaluative appreciation of the interrelationships between different aspects of geographical studies. This aspect of the course contributes a critical thinking and problem-solving element, with pupils analysing a geographical issue at a range of scales, consider and select a possible option in relation to the issue(s) and justify their decision. Why now: This is the second time students will be exposed to the GCSE Pre-release material based on the Slums SAM1 Paper and will be studied in class at this point. Any remaining lesson time will be used for focused taught revision in preparation for Dec mocks. |
Why: · Explore how food, water and energy are fundamental to human development and how the changing demand and provision of resources in the UK creates opportunities and challenges. · Explore how the demand for energy resources is rising globally but supply can be insecure, which may lead to conflict. · Explore how different strategies can be used to increase energy supply. The option of energy has been selected as this is incredibly topical with the current energy crisis. Why now: Consolidation of the course reflecting on how different places have different access to resources and how this directly impacts on levels of development and highlighting the importance of interrelationships between the human and physical world. |
Why: · Pupils will draw together knowledge, understanding and skills from the full course of study, providing an opportunity for pupils to show their breadth of understanding and an evaluative appreciation of the interrelationships between different aspects of geographical studies. This aspect of the course contributes a critical thinking and problem-solving element, with pupils analysing a geographical issue at a range of scales, consider and select a possible option in relation to the issue(s) and justify their decision. Why now: From Summer term 1 to Easter a scheduled revision timetable will be followed. The pre-release material is issued in mid-March and will be studied in class at this point. Any remaining lesson time after this will be used for focused taught revision. |
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Suggested revision websites
Exam Board Link
Recommended Revision Guide
- GCSE 9-1 Geography AQA Exam Practice – ISBN:978-019-842348-5 published by Oxford University Press
- GCSE 9-1 Geography AQA Revision Guide – ISBN: 978-019-842346-1 published by Oxford University Press
Further enrichment
- Watch the news weekly to keep up to date with current affairs.
- Visit contrasting locations – rural and urban areas – to understand how these areas are changing and are different.
- Watch National Geographic to help with new concepts.
- Watch BBC/ITV/Channel 5/Channel 5 documentaries related to the topics we are studying.
