Geography
Geography Curriculum Vision
At Epsom and Ewell High School we want to provide students with a broad geography curriculum that inspires them to want to learn more about the dynamic world we live in. Students have the chance to investigate key geographical theories as well as question and debate contemporary issues and we encourage students to read around the topics we study. Students will leave us with a better understanding of the world around us and how events on a range of different scales from local to global can shape the social, economic and environmental world we live in.
How do we help our students to ROAR?
Resilient: In the geography department we challenge students to analyse and evaluate geographical topics, students have the opportunity to question and debate topics. Students get the opportunity to develop their work through the feedback they receive and chances to improve their work.
Open-Minded: Geography has a range of topics that need students to be open-minded, to think like a geographer from different points of view and see different sides of the argument, for example, climate change, globalisation and development issues.
Aspirational: We give the students the chance to think about how geography is used in everyday life and students are exposed to a range of skills that are cross-curricular. We also teach them how they could be used outside of the classroom, for example, the study of ecosystems and the use of maths skills such as Spearman’s rank.
Reflective: Students reflect on their progress through the use skills assessments and knowledge audits in lessons. As well as reflecting on their own progress, we place great emphasis on reflection within the topics we teach. For example, when looking at natural hazards and globalisation, we aim to get students thinking about why things occur, to question if the outcome could have been different, and to measure the potential impact when looking from a different perspective.
Year 7:
Intent:
The first topic we introduce in year 7 is Map Skills which builds knowledge and provides them with the fundamental skills needed for the learning journey moving forward. Students develop their grid references, scale and contour line knowledge and start to apply their skills to maps of the local area and further afield. Throughout the rest of year 7 students are engaged in the topics of Natural Hazards and Rivers as this gives them a wide range of different concepts. Within each topic they will study physical and human elements of geography.
Implementation:
Year 8:
Intent:
In year 8 students continue to learn a broad curriculum which starts off with Coasts and Coastal Management before moving onto Natural Resources and the issues surrounding them. The final topic of year 8 is Development. All of these topics allow students to engage with the real world with links between topics such as how Globalisation could harm ecosystems, both terrestrial and coastal, and the way they could be managed to reduce future damage.
Implementation:
Year 9:
Intent:
The first topic in year 9 is Globalisation which will allow students to follow on from the end of year 8. Students will begin to analyse the pros and cons of Globalisation and the way it has changed the world over the last 50 years. Students then move onto focussing on Asia and China specifically; how and why it has emerged and developed in the way it has. Conflict follows on smoothly after Development as students can start to analyse the reasons why different conflicts around the world occur and how they are linked to geography. We then finish off the year by starting off looking at a human topic about Place and Movement of People. These topics allow the students to begin to understand how other places around the world, such as Mumbai and Sydney, have similar yet contrasting problems to UK cities.
Implementation:
Year 10:
Intent:
Students continue to grow their knowledge with a focus on global issues. They then move onto development issues, Global Warming and Climate Change and the effects these can have globally. These topics allow the students to develop their debating skills and look at cause, effect and management. The students deepen their understanding of the world and how Climate Change is impacting everyone. It also leads perfectly onto Water Supply and Desertification towards the end of year 10.
Implementation:
Year 11:
Intent:
This year the students really focus on the skills needed in geography and carry out a piece of fieldwork. Working through a process from posing questions to data collection is a key skill for many subjects. The fieldwork, and preparatory work with it, allow students to collect data, analyse and draw conclusions from them before revisiting the whole process through an evaluation. Students also focus on Coasts and Ecosystems after fieldwork before moving onto revision.
Implementation:
Year 12:
Intent:
Students who continue into A level cover a 2 year Edexcel course which starts to revisit some of the topics taught in KS4 but at a greater depth as well as some new topics such as Water, Carbon and Superpowers. The specification continues to give the students the ability to develop their independence with a fieldwork project that involves investigating a topic of their choice and submitting a 4000 word written report. Ultimately students are prepared for further study and university courses in a range of subjects.
Implementation:
Year 13:
Intent:
Year 13 is a chance for students to develop their geographical knowledge by looking at some in-depth topics such as Carbon and Water Cycles. This topic is very contemporary and will allow students to see how anthropogenic emissions can be managed and the effects they have around the world. On the human side of geography students begin to analyse health issues around the world and this allows a good understanding of how different countries suffer from different health issues, but also the way health varies within countries.
Implementation:
