We study AQA GCSE Geography in Year 10 and 11, with a focus on the National Curriculum for KS3.
Our intent is for students to have an awareness of the world around them, to build confidence and understanding with geographical concepts. To know and understand how the human and physical worlds interact. To become global citizens, to care for the planet and have an understanding of the concept of sustainability.
The curriculum is planned to develop skills which are examined at GCSE, through KS3 topics- Map skills, My local area, UK Human and Physical Geography, Coasts, Tectonics, Asia, Russia, Climate Change, Rivers and India. If students complete their geography education in Year 9 and not opt for the GCSE we would hope they would have some knowledge from these topics studied at KS3 and have gained some geographical skills
Skill 1: Demonstrating knowledge of places and processes and environments at different scales
Skill 2: Remembering and understanding geographical information about places/ processes and the relationships between them
Skill 3: To be able to make judgements using real geographical information about issues and problems
Skill 4: Use geographical skills, e.g. map reading, using data etc, to investigate issues and communicate your findings
By the end of Year 11, we aim for all students to be able to sit their GCSE, which comprises 3 exams. We would hope to develop their independent learning skills, fieldwork skills and ability to write projects. Many skills in our subject are transferable to employment- communication, research, problem solving, and many aspects of our course content relate to the real world e.g: UK employment and industry, earthquake and hazard management, sustainable cities, globalisation etc.
We provide many off-site enrichment opportunities for both Key Stages, e.g: Year 10 students complete two off site visits for Fieldwork studies, and a Year 11 day visit to London or the Eden project. There is also local fieldwork to Wiveliscombe in Year 7, and we use the school grounds to explore geography as well.
We have also successfully run two residential trips to Iceland for Year 11 and 10 students in 2023 and 2025. We are booked again to go in March 2027 with 40 KS4 students.
The curriculum is planned and sequenced so that there is clear progression in knowledge, understanding, and skills from Year 7 into Year 11.
All topics have been re-written for all years from September 2025 to be in line with the Trust’s geography curriculum.
We have taken the GCSE assessment objectives and created ‘skills’ which we now use and assess within work and assessments at KS3, so that students are developing these, which are requirements of the GCSE. The topics at KS3 have taken key aspects and important knowledge from the GCSE ones, so that students have some awareness and understanding before embarking on Year 10.
There is a clear SoL and resources for every lesson from Year 7-11. These are reviews and improved regularly.
Students have tracking sheets at KS3 and one tracking booklet for their whole GCSE. They record feedback and note down which skills they did well in and which still need development. This encourages them to reflect on their previous assessments with the aim of improving the next.
Students also receive PLC and evaluation sheets for each GCSE topic to track their progress from start to end, but also to aid revision for mocks in Year 11 and for summer exams.
In Year 7 student complete a local area study and visit the local town of Wiveliscombe to complete a land use survey of the area.
In Year 8 and 9 we use the school grounds to conduct lessons.
In Year 10 (Winter) we take the cohort to Bristol to conduct the first of two fieldwork trips. Here they study various levels of urban deprivation and conduct environmental quality surveys and other research.
Late in Year 10, or sometimes very early in Year 11, students conduct their second piece of fieldwork, this time a coasts study of Minehead and Blue Anchor.
Finally, in the Spring of Year 11 students are offered an optional day trip visit to the Eden Project.
We run a residential trip to Iceland once every two years for 4 KS4 students around Easter time.
