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By the end of Year 13 and up to 7 years of studying at the Leigh Academy, students of humanities subjects will see themselves as global citizens who have a depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding about the changing physical and human world that they are a part of. Moreover, they will be imbued with the skills to work and contribute to society as guardians of each other – be that surveying the landscape, advocating for minorities or applying the law, to give a few examples. 

To have achieved this, students begin in Year 7 with a foundation of three core humanities subjects, each given 1 hour per week and each combining to form an Individuals and Societies curriculum offer following the IB MYP framework that goes beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum. A study of Ethics, Geography and History gives students the opportunity to consider the threshold concept of change through different perspectives, surroundings and narratives. Asking themselves how they and other people got ‘here’ and allow them to consider ‘where’ they will go in their life. Assessed across 4 common themes of Knowledge, Investigation, Communication and Critical Thinking, but formulated in such a way that the distinct disciplinary methodologies come across strongly. For example, for critical thinking in Ethics, students learn about religion but also from it. In Geography students research through field work and create primary data. In History, students analyse sources and interpretations to grasp how historical narratives are constructed by historians. See the subject pages for further details.

By Year 10, students begin a two year journey towards achieving GCSE and BTEC qualifications. History, Geography and Ethics are again offered, but in addition, so is Health and Social Care. Branching out towards Health and Social Care enables our students to begin a theoretical and scientific pathway that opens doors to Psychology and higher levels of healthcare qualifications both at P16 and P18. Our GCSE options respect our local situation, so in Geography students’ field trips are to London, and in Ethics, we study Christianity and Judaism as prominent religions in the community, lastly in history we study a history of medicine that conveys how ideas have changed over time. These key ideas equip our learners for study in our Post-16 provision. See the subject pages for further details.

KS3: Geography and the MYP

Studying MYP KS3 Geography at the Leigh Academy gives students the opportunity to travel the world via the classroom, learning about both natural and social sciences along the way. They will understand how geography impacts everyday life and discover the key opportunities and challenges facing the world. Students will also develop academic and life skills from writing, teamwork and communication to analytical skills.

Ms Nazima Farukh (Coordinator of Learning Geography)

A summary of Year 7 content: 2022/2023

The content is based on both human and physical Geography and covers both UK and international modules.  Year 7 students have 1 hours of Geography lessons a week. Here are the units which are studied in Year 7:

  • Module 1 – My place in this world (Location knowledge/ map skills)
  • Module 2 – My place in this world: Is my school sustainable? (fieldwork)
  • Module 3 – Middle East and development
  • Module 4 – Biomes (Hot deserts and cold environments)
  • Module 5 – Tropical rainforests
  • Module 6 – Weather and climate

Year 7 Assessment

Year 7 students will be assessed regularly using short quizzes, homework and end of unit assessments. Year 7 Geography students will be assessed based on the following criteria throughout the year:

  • Use vocabulary in context
  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content and concepts, using descriptions, explanations and examples.
  • Explain the choice of the research question
  • Follow an action plan to explore a research question
  • Collect and record relevant information consistent with the research question
  • Reflect on the process and results of the investigation
  • I communicated information and ideas in a way that is completely clear
  • Completely organized information and ideas effectively list sources of information in a way that follows the task instructions.
  • Identify the main points of ideas, events, visual representation or arguments
  • Use information to justify an opinion
  • Identify and analyse a range of sources/data in terms of origin and purpose
  • Identify different views and their implications

Year 7 Resources

Students will have individual Google Classrooms for their specific Geography teachers, where homework may be set. It will be important that students are regularly checking these for updates from their Geography teacher. 

The Humanities Department has created a website to support student learning in Geography. Here you will find links to resources that are used in Geography lessons and for revision. Please visit our dedicated Year 7 website.

Useful websites

Ms Nazima Farukh (Coordinator of Learning Geography)

A summary of Year 8 content: 2022/2023

The content is based on both human and physical Geography and covers both UK and international modules.  Year 8 students have 1 hour of Geography lessons a week. Here are the units which are studied in Year 8:

  • Module 1 – Geophysical Hazards (Volcanoes and Tsunamis)
  • Module 2 – Resource Pressure
  • Module 3 – Wonderful Asia
  • Module 4 – Wonderful Asia/ Rivers (Processes)
  • Module 5 – Rivers (Human interventions)
  • Module 6 – Tourism

Year 8 Assessment

Year 8 students will be assessed regularly using short quizzes, homework and end of unit assessments. Year 8 Geography students will be assessed based on the following criteria throughout the year:

  • Use vocabulary in context
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content and concepts, using descriptions, explanations and examples.
  • Explain the choice of the research question
  • Follow an action plan to explore a research question
  • Collect and record relevant information consistent with the research question
  • Reflect on the process and results of the investigation
  • I communicated information and ideas in a way that is completely clear
  • Completely organized information and ideas effectively list sources of information in a way that follows the task instructions.
  • Identify the main points of ideas, events, visual representation or arguments
  • Use information to justify an opinion
  • Identify and analyse a range of sources/data in terms of origin and purpose
  • Identify different views and their implications

Year 8 Resources

Students will have individual Google Classrooms for their specific Geography teachers, where homework may be set. It will be important that students are regularly checking these for updates from their Geography teacher. 

The Humanities Department has created a website to support student learning in Geography. Here you will find links to resources that are used in Geography lessons and for revision but you must be signed into your school google account on your web browser. Please visit our dedicated Year 8 site.

Useful websites

Ms Nazima Farukh (Coordinator of Learning Geography)

A summary of Year 9 content: 2022/2023

The content is based on both human and physical Geography and covers both UK and international modules.  Year 8 students have 1 hour of Geography lessons a week. Here are the units which are studied in Year 9:

  • Module 1 – Extreme Weather
  • Module 2 – India (development)
  • Module 3 – Sustainability
  • Module 4 – Extreme weather (UK)
  • Module 5 – Extreme weather (Global)
  • Module 6 – Glaciation

Year 9 Assessment

Year 9 students will be assessed regularly using short quizzes, homework and end of unit assessments. Year 9 Geography students will be assessed based on the following criteria throughout the year:

  • Use vocabulary in context
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content and concepts, using descriptions, explanations and examples.
  • Explain the choice of the research question
  • Follow an action plan to explore a research question
  • Collect and record relevant information consistent with the research question
  • Reflect on the process and results of the investigation
  • I communicated information and ideas in a way that is completely clear
  • Completely organized information and ideas effectively list sources of information in a way that follows the task instructions.
  • Identify the main points of ideas, events, visual representation or arguments
  • Use information to justify an opinion
  • Identify and analyse a range of sources/data in terms of origin and purpose
  • Identify different views and their implications

Year 9 Resources

Students will have individual Google Classrooms for their specific Geography teachers, where homework may be set. It will be important that students are regularly checking these for updates from their Geography teacher. 

The Humanities Department has created a website to support student learning in Geography. Here you will find links to resources that are used in Geography lessons and for revision but you must be signed into your school google account on your web browser. Please visit our dedicated Year 9 site.

Useful websites

KS4: GCSE Geography

Ms Nazima Farukh (Coordinator of Learning Geography)

Studying Geography at GCSE gives you the opportunity to travel the world via the classroom, learning about both natural and social sciences along the way.  You will understand how Geography impacts everyday life and discover the key opportunities and challenges facing the world. You will also develop academic and life skills from writing, teamwork and communication to analytical skills.

How the students will learn

In this course students will study both Human and Physical Geography whilst developing and applying their Geographical Skills.

Human Geography covers the following units: 

  • ‘Urban Issues and Challenges’
  • ‘The Changing Economic World’
  • ‘The Challenge of Resource Management’

Physical Geography covers the following units: 

  • ‘The Challenge of Natural Hazards’
  • ‘The Living World’
  • ‘Physical Landscapes in the UK’

How the students will learn

Students will experience a range of learning opportunities while studying Geography.  In lessons IT will be used, when possible, for students to individually and collaboratively research topics being investigated.  Students will also take part in two fieldwork study trips, which they will be asked questions about in Paper 3’s examination.

Enrichment Opportunities

Students must take part in two compulsory fieldwork trips. Both of these will involve gathering primary data which will then be analysed by students in the classroom:

  • Physical Geography Fieldwork: Day trip to a coastal location (for example, Herne Bay, to find evidence that Long-Shore Drift is taking place).
  • Human Geography Fieldwork: Day trip to an urban environment (for example, Faversham, to find the impacts of a 20mph speed limit that has been implemented throughout the town).

Assessment

Students will have three exams to complete at the end of Year 11:

  • Paper 1 – Living with the physical environment (35% of GCSE)
  • Paper 2 – Challenges in the human environment (35% of GCSE)
  • Paper 3 – Geographical Applications (30% of GCSE) 

There is no coursework in this subject

Useful Information

In recent years the environment has become increasingly important to economic growth and new industries related to it will continue to emerge in the future. There are a variety of careers that are related to the study of Geography, including working for councils, environmental agencies, city/town planning and GIS (Geographical Information Systems).

For more information about GCSE Geography, please visit the Humanities website:

https://sites.google.com/leighacademy.org.uk/humanities/geography

KS5: IB Geography

Geography is a dynamic subject, firmly grounded in the real world, and focuses on the interactions between individuals, societies and physical processes in both time and space. It seeks to identify trends and patterns in these interactions. It also investigates the way in which people adapt and respond to change, and evaluates actual and possible management strategies associated with such change. Geography describes and helps to explain the similarities and differences between different places, on a variety of scales and from different perspectives. 

Geography as a subject is distinctive in its spatial dimension and occupies a middle ground between social or human sciences and natural sciences. The course integrates physical, environmental and human geography, and students acquire elements of both socio-economic and scientific methodologies. Geography takes advantage of its position to examine relevant concepts and ideas from a wide variety of disciplines, helping students develop life skills and have an appreciation of, and a respect for, alternative approaches, viewpoints and ideas.

Throughout Year 12 and Year 13, Geography students will be taught to Higher Level. Students will receive two pieces of homework per topic (Paper 3 topics will only get 1 piece of homework as they are only 4 lessons long). These homework tasks are independent study tasks, to provide students with comprehensive notes about each exam unit and will also provide students with exam practice to develop their skills. At the end of each topic, students will be required to complete an end of topic assessment. This will be followed by a review lesson to correct misconceptions and to develop their exam technique. The lessons include introducing key concepts, checking for understanding and practising the writing skills demanded by the course.

Students are prepared for the second year by knowing about and having learned from the range of methods required by the exam. Students also have underpinned knowledge of the IA which involves collecting primary data during fieldwork carried out early in Year 13. It is this type of activity that many jobs particularly require from Geography students.

Schedule of Learning

  • Module 1: Population and Leisure and Tourism
  • Module 2: Geographical Hazards and Leisure and Tourism
  • Module 3: Global resources and Leisure and Tourism
  • Module 4: Global Interactions and Urban Environments
  • Modules 5 & 6: Internal Assessment and mock exams.

Exam Board Information

Geography is a dynamic subject, firmly grounded in the real world, and focuses on the interactions between individuals, societies and physical processes in both time and space. It seeks to identify trends and patterns in these interactions. It also investigates the way in which people adapt and respond to change, and evaluates actual and possible management strategies associated with such change. Geography describes and helps to explain the similarities and differences between different places, on a variety of scales and from different perspectives. 

Geography as a subject is distinctive in its spatial dimension and occupies a middle ground between social or human sciences and natural sciences. The course integrates physical, environmental and human geography, and students acquire elements of both socio-economic and scientific methodologies. Geography takes advantage of its position to examine relevant concepts and ideas from a wide variety of disciplines, helping students develop life skills and have an appreciation of, and a respect for, alternative approaches, viewpoints and ideas.

There are two teachers of Geography who teach distinct areas of the course but combine expertise on the Internal Assessment.  Students have homework that links to the learning, giving students independent opportunities to go into detail on topics, and in class use that information to unpick key concepts in class discussions and practice writing opportunities. Particularly uniquely in Year 13, students carry out the fieldwork on urban development, which is linked closely to future job opportunities but also as required know how for higher education.

Geography students not only gain a strong body of knowledge regarding their world, but also the manner in which we measure the changing world. Numerical and scientific methods are crucial to future careers and higher education in order to face the threats of climate change amongst other issues like increased urbanisation. Students can equally collect data, a skill sought after in the surveying and town planning sectors.

Schedule of Learning

  • Module 1: Population and Leisure and Tourism
  • Module 2: Geographical Hazards and Leisure and Tourism
  • Module 3: Global resources and Leisure and Tourism
  • Module 4: Global Interactions and Urban Environments
  • Modules 5 & 6: Internal Assessment and mock exams.

Exam Board Information

Additional Information