Geography is a lively department that aims to imbue pupils with a sense of awe and wonder about the world, from a global scale right down to the local scale. Through the use of contemporary case studies, students learn about a wide range of places and processes. Fieldtrips are an integral part of the curriculum, with trips to Porlock Bay, Exmoor, Bath, Salisbury and the local area featuring each year.
At Key Stage 3, all pupils follow our own devised schemes of work. These have been redesigned recently to give greater coverage of topics that are relevant to teenagers as well as relevant to the study of geography, such as development, globalisation, fast fashion, population and natural hazards.
For GCSE, students learn about tectonics, rivers, urbanisation, economic activity and energy as well as a global issue such as globalisation or development. The Edexcel IGCSE course has no coursework but there is a requirement to complete 2 days of fieldwork, which will be carried out on a residential trip to Shrewsbury. This element of the course is assessed in the second exam paper.
A-Level students follow the Edexcel specification which has a greater focus on global geography and ties in well with politics and economics, as well as covering important 21st century challenges such as water conflicts and the rush for renewable energy. It is compulsory to complete 4 days of fieldwork which will be carried out over a long weekend in Slapton at one of the Field Studies Centres, offering the opportunity for immersive fieldwork and testing a variety of data collection techniques which will feed into the non-examined assessment.
The department also offers the IB for Geography. There is some parity between A Level and the IB which allows for healthy discussion between classes. The IB also undertake fieldwork in the South-West.
Facilities Available
Two teaching rooms with interactive whiteboards.
Examination Boards
Edexcel IGCSE, Edexcel A Level and IB.
Co-curricular Activities
The department runs international trips to European and African destinations, most recently Morocco and Iceland. These tend to run in either October half term, or the first week of the Summer holiday.
The department participates in a local Geography Forum and pupils also have the opportunity to take part in the Young Geographer of the Year Competition run by the Royal Geographic Association.
The department has a X account and regularly posts articles suited for all year groups to help engagement with learning outside of lessons @warminstergeog