GEOGRAPHY

KEY STAGE 3 (YEARS 7 & 8)

KS3 in Geography focusses on skills based learning to both ensure development within Geography, but also
to aid other areas of students learning. For example, literacy with written tasks, numeracy with graph
interpretation and report writing skills. We cover both the physical and human aspects of Geography with
a place based focus each year where students learn all about a particular country: America, Brazil and
China.

KEY STAGE 4 (YEARS 9 EBACC, 10 & 11)
Course Title: Geography
Exam Board: Edexcel
Qualification: GCSE
About the course
Students learn aspects of both Physical and Human Geography: Human taught in year 10 and Physical in year 11.
There is also a controlled assessment aspect of the course which involves students conducting primary data
collection in Stratford, and 4 weeks to write up the report.
How it is assessed
Unit 1 Dynamic Planet: Exam, 25% of overall grade
Unit 2 People and the Planet: Exam, 25% of overall grade
Unit 3 Geographical Investigation: Exam, 25% of overall grade
Unit 4 Controlled Assessment: Report, 25% of overall grade


KEY STAGE 5 (YEARS 12 & 13)
Course Title: Geography
Exam Board: Edexcel
Qualification: AS/A level

AS
About the course
There are two units, unit 1: Global Challenges and unit 2: Geographical Investigations

Unit 1 Content Summary:
The meaning, causes, impacts and management of global challenges. How we can influence global challenges
through our own lives. There are two compulsory topics that form this unit:
Topic 1: World at Risk
Topic 2: Going Global

How is it assessed?
1-hour-and-30-minute examination in two sections 50% of AS grade.
Section A: objective items, data response and short-answer questions.
Section B: choice of Going Global or World at Risk longer/guided essay questions.

Unit 2 Content Summary:
A closer look at how physical and human issues influence lives and can be managed. It involves learning about both
Coasts and Rebranding of places.
Physical topic:
Crowded Coasts reveals how increasing development is testing our ability to
manage these valued environments.
Human topics
Rebranding Places focuses on how we need to re-image and regenerate rural
and urban places, using appropriate strategies.

Assessment:
1 hour 15 minutes examination in two sections 50% of overall grade.
Candidates will answer one physical question from Section A and one human question from Section B. The
questions require longer responses, each with three parts, designed to include data response, investigation and
evaluation skills and related impacts/management issues.

A2
This course is split into 2 sections:
Contested Planet 30% of total GCE marks (60% of A2 only).
Geographical Research 20% of total GCE marks (40% of A2 only).

Contested Planet
Content summary:
The use and management of resources is a key issue for geography in todays world. Consumption patterns highlight
stark inequalities between regions, countries and groups of people. Many resources are finite, and rising
consumption means that difficult decisions over the use of resources will have to be taken more frequently.

There are six compulsory topics:
Topic 1: Energy Security
Topic 2: Water Conflicts
Topic 3: Biodiversity Under Threat
Topic 4: Superpower Geographies
Topic 5: Bridging the Development Gap
Topic 6: The Technological Fix?

Assessment:
2-hour-and-30-minute examination in two sections.
Students will be asked to select and answer two questions from five in Section A and all questions in Section B.
Section A: A choice of two short essay questions from five.
Section B (Synoptic Investigation): One question with three parts.


Geographical Research
Content summary:
Options range from those with a strong physical geography focus, to those concerned
more with environmental, social and cultural geographies. Students must select and
study one of the following research options:
Option 1: Tectonic Activity and Hazards
Option 2: Cold Environments Landscapes and Change
Option 3: Life on the Margins the Food Supply Problem
Option 4: The World of Cultural Diversity
Option 5: Pollution and Human Health at Risk
Option 6: Consuming the Rural Landscape Leisure and Tourism.

Assessment:
1 hour and 30 minute examination.
Candidates will be given a list of questions based on the six options. Candidates will select and answer one question
that relates to the option they have studied.