Geography
In geography, learners have opportunities to study their role as local and global citizens and appreciate the diversity of communities in Wales and other countries. They investigate how and why environments change and the importance of sustainability. They learn about the links between producers and consumers and how people’s economic and environmental actions in one part of the world can impact on the lives of others. They learn to use information about places and peoples to counter stereotyping, make well-informed judgments about issues, develop their own views and opinions, and appreciate the values and attitudes of others.
At Key Stage 3, learners build on the knowledge, understanding and skills that they have already acquired at Key Stage 2. Geography develops and stimulates learners’ interest and fosters a sense of wonder about the variety of places and the complexity of the world. Through a study of Wales, Europe, other countries, different environments and issues in the news, learners extend their locational knowledge and understanding of how processes shape both natural and human landscapes. They carry out investigations, use maps, gather data, and analyse and synthesise information. They apply their knowledge and skills to explain relationships between places and patterns of activity at a range of scales from local to global. Learners are encouraged to make informed judgments about everyday issues and develop and reflect on their own views and opinions. They develop an understanding of why countries are interdependent, how people interact with their environments and the importance of sustainability. They are encouraged to develop a sense of responsibility for the environment and their role as global citizens.
Our year 7 students learn Geography through project based learning whilst our year 8 & 9 students attend dedicated lessons.
GCSE Geography
WJEC GCSE Geography adopts an enquiry approach to the study of geographical information, issues and concepts. It is based on the principle that geographical education should enable students to become critical and reflective thinkers by engaging them actively in the enquiry process. Content is organised around key questions and students should be encouraged to pose geographical questions of their own. Fieldwork is an essential aspect of geographical education and of this qualification. It is placed at the heart of this specification and our teachers embed fieldwork within any programme of study that they create.
The enquiry approach taken by WJEC GCSE Geography, in both classroom and fieldwork contexts, should enable learners to develop the ability to think ‘like a geographer’ if they are given opportunities to:
- Think creatively, for example, by posing questions that relate to geographical processes and concepts that include questioning about spatial pattern and geographical change
- Think scientifically by collecting and recording appropriate evidence from a range of sources, including fieldwork, before critically assessing the validity of this evidence and synthesising their findings to reach evidenced conclusions that relate to the initial aim of their enquiry
- Think independently by applying geographical knowledge, understanding, skills and approaches appropriately and creatively to real world contexts. In doing so they should appreciate that geography can be ‘messy’ i.e. that real geography does not always match typical or predicted outcomes
Geography graduates are among the most employable, possibly because they possess the skills employers are looking for. This may be because the subject is a combination of the facts of science and the understanding of the arts. Career options include management and administration, teaching or lecturing, work in the financial and retail sector, other professions including media, administration, architecture, the armed forces, business management, the civil service, conservation, the heritage industry, human resources, journalism, local government, the police force, politics and tourism.
For more information about this course, please take a look at our Year 9 Options Booklet.