Dartmoor Field Trip
In Geography there is an emphasis on learning concepts and skills through a sense of place. In Year 7, students study the local area, including a fieldtrip. They also study the UK, Antarctica, Ghana and Europe. In Year 8 students cover weather and climate, river flooding, ecosystems, including a fieldtrip to the Eden Project. They have a decision-making fieldtrip to Dartmoor. In Year 9 they study globalisation, natural hazards, including Operation Montserrat. The key stage concludes with 'Conflict in the Middle East'. We follow OCR B in Year 10 and Year 11, and at AS and A2 level the AQA specification.
Key Stage 3
At this key stage the emphasis is on key skills, the development of a sense of place and an understanding of key concepts in physical and human geography.
Assessments are undertaken each term, on an individual and group basis. Fieldwork is integral to all three years.
In Year 7 students begin the course by looking at the local area through fieldwork in the context of the SW of England. They then contrast this with an LEDC case study of development issues in Ghana. This leads on to the topics of population and settlement. In the summer term students learn about their contrasting EU case study of France which links into their residential experience in Tregourez. Throughout the year students also gain confidence with their mapwork skills through the use of a map skills booklet.
In Year 8 students study physical Geography. They spend a term studying the Tropical Rainforest and this leads to a fieldtrip to the Eden Project.
Term 2 involves an in-depth study of weather and climate. The summer term involves fieldwork on Dartmoor.
In Year 9 students cover globalisation and development, including the issues surrounding Fair Trade. At this stage students are introduced to the idea of Decision Making Exercises in preparation for their possible choice of Geography at GCSE. Term 2 covers natural hazards including the E-missions exercise on Montserrat set up and run by the National Space Agency.
Key Stage 4
At this key stage students follow the OCR B specification. They cover the topics of population and settlement, hazards, coasts, planning for change, employment. Again fieldwork is integral to the course and as well as being a requirement for Controlled Assessment is also vital for understanding of some of the concepts covered.
There is a Decision Making Examination (DME) during Year 11 (25%) and students are prepared for this by
practising one in Year 10 and having a mock DME examination. Students are also encouraged to use ICT
particularly for their Controlled Assessment, as the department has GPS equipment. The department has its own page on the school's
website for home access to primary and secondary resources for coursework.
You can see a video created by Year 10 students about coastal erosion here.
Key Stage 5
The new AS level course (September 2008) comes from AQA. The topics covered are
1. Physical Geography:
CORE: Rivers, Floods and Management.
OPTION: Cold Environments
2. Human Geography:
CORE: Population Change
OPTION: Health Issues
Fieldwork is a very important part of geography, and there are a number of trips out to study local rivers.
Other topics covered during the A2 include, the global economy, ecosystems and hazards. The final module is an Issues Analysis Exercise based on the early training received at KS3 and 4 with the DME and expanded at A2 level. For the last 5 years students have had the opportunity to take part in the annual sustainable development RICS competition.
