Geography

Geography Staff

 

Teaching

  • Dr L Brunger (Subject Leader)
  • Mr L Jamieson
  • Mr S Bennison


Faculty Introduction

Geography is one of the broadest and most topical subjects available today. The new courses have retained a number of essential aspects of traditional geography while at the same time incorporating up-to the-minute issues and topics that are extremely relevant to life in the 21st Century.

The Geography department is one of the most popular and successful at Queen Elizabeth’s. Over half the students in Key Stage 4 opt for the subject and results have been consistently strong at both GCSE and A Level.


 

Key Stage 3


At Key Stage 3, students study 12 topics that span different branches of Geography: Physical, Human and Environmental Geography. Alongside this, they develop essential geographical skills, including data analysis, evaluative writing and the use of GIS (Geographical Information Systems). Throughout the course, we explore a range of topics including weather & climate, tectonics and superpowers, across a diverse range of places and environments, comparing examples from both more and less economically developed countries, while also examining geographical issues and processes within our local area.


Key Stage 4


The GCSE course studied is the Edexcel Geography B specification. This is studied at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School for three years and is all exam-based (there is no coursework).  At the end of the GCSE students take three examinations; one for global topics, one for UK topics and a third relating to people and environmental issues.  The UK paper also tests practical fieldwork skills in both coastal and urban environments.  In recent years fieldwork has been carried out in Faversham and at Reculver. 

 

Paper 1 Global Geographical issues

 

Topic 1: Hazardous Earth (Natural and Human causes of climate change; Tropical storms; Earthquakes and Volcanoes).

Topic 2: Development Dynamics (with the case study being India) 

Topic 3: Challenges of an Urbanising World (with the case study being Mumbai)

 

Paper 2 UK Geographical issues

 

Topic 4: The UK’s Evolving Physical Landscape:  this covers Geology; Coastal change and conflict; River processes and pressures.

Topic 5: The UK’s Evolving Human Landscape: (with the case study being London).

Topic 6: Geographical Investigations: including one coastal fieldwork investigation (likely to be in Reculver) and one urban fieldwork investigation (likely to be Faversham) linked to Topics 4 and 5.

 

Paper 3 - People and Environmental Issues: Making geographical decisions

 

Topic 7: People and the biosphere  

Topic 8: Forests under threat (Tropical rainforests and the taiga)

Topic 9: Consuming energy resources

This GCSE specification was introduced in 2016 and was first examined in 2018. A central aim of the course is to make Geography highly relevant and engaging for young people by exploring issues that are shaping the world around them and are likely to affect their lives in the future. Topics include climate change, environmental sustainability, population dynamics, urbanisation, and the changing nature of work and industry. Alongside these contemporary themes, students also study more traditional geographical topics, such as coastal landscapes, rivers and natural hazards. The course encourages students to develop a deeper understanding of the complex challenges facing our world while equipping them with valuable analytical, research, and decision-making skills.


Key Stage 5

The course we offer (from September 2016) is the new linear A Level from Edexcel. The course is divided broadly into:

Physical Geography with the following chosen topics: Tectonic processes and hazards; Coastal landscapes and change; The water cycle and water insecurity; The carbon cycle and energy security.

Human Geography with the following chosen topics: Globalisation; Regenerating places; Superpowers; Health, human rights and intervention.

Students are also required to complete coursework in the form of an independent investigation (coursework project) which is based on the fieldwork we carry out in Year 12. This has been done in Spain along the coast at Barcelona for the last couple of years.

 

Enrichment


Throughout both key stages, we offer in school support sessions (Humanities Hub) to help students consolidate their learning and prepare for assessments. We also champion the school’s Green Group with the Geography teachers being central to supporting students in planning and implementing a range of environmentally focused initiatives and activities. Wherever possible, we also take students into the local area, enabling them to apply their theoretical knowledge and geographical skills in real-world settings through practical fieldwork and investigations.