Geography
Intent
Why do we teach the curriculum we do?
The Key Stage 3 curriculum seeks to provide the necessary skills and knowledge to enable successful transition to GCSE Geography.
The topics taught at Key Stage 3 have been selected principally to cover a range of human, physical and environmental issues, as well as geographical skills.
At GCSE pupils follow the Pearson Edexcel B specification (IGB0). The specification was chosen to ensure pupils at Wigmore gain a broad and balanced knowledge of Geography. The course offers an issues-based approach, which allows students to investigate people and environmental issues on a global scale. They will consider the values and attitudes of decision makers as well as their own and will study content from both UK and Global geography. The specification is modern and uses contemporary material to provide a well-rounded range of skills to broaden and deepen existing knowledge to progress onto A-Level and beyond.
At Key Stage 4 pupils are given the opportunity to experience human and physical geography fieldwork. These provide opportunities for experiential leaning.
Implementation
The Key Stage 3 Geography curriculum builds on the knowledge and skills taught at Key Stage 2 and each topic chosen at KS3 has synoptic links to the GCSE specification. We also recognise the importance of the rurality of our location and the challenges and opportunities this presents within the local community. Progression is then evident when the topics are covered in more depth at GCSE. When writing GCSE programmes of Study, previous knowledge is considered. Learning activities such as lesson starters are based around previous knowledge, with new material or greater depth being covered throughout the lesson.
To ensure pupils have sufficient challenge and show progression at Key Stage 3, assessments mirror the style of questions on a GCSE paper, starting with multiple choice and skills questions, leading to extended writing.