Geography

Geography at NHGS

At our grammar school, the geography curriculum is designed to guide students from novice learners to informed scholars and eventually to expert geographers. We foster curiosity and a fascination for the complex interdependence of our world, encouraging students to engage with pressing global issues such as climate change, migration, and resource distribution. Our curriculum promotes an understanding of how local actions can have far-reaching global consequences, equipping students with the awareness needed to become responsible global citizens.

Through a balanced approach that integrates theoretical knowledge with practical application, students develop essential topic grammar, engage in meaningful dialectic discussion and become independent thinkers, capable of articulating their views through persuasive rhetoric. We emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving and data analysis, ensuring that students can interpret and navigate the complexities of modern society. Fieldwork is a vital component of our program, allowing students to experience first-hand the diverse environments and cultures they study, thereby deepening their understanding and appreciation of the world around them.

We are committed to nurturing a passion for lifelong learning, instilling in our students the ethos of “learning to live” and “living to learn.” By challenging them to think critically about the world around them, we prepare them to navigate and address the complexities of contemporary life. Our curriculum encourages collaborative projects, discussions, and research, fostering an environment where students can explore their interests while developing a strong sense of community.

In essence, our geography curriculum aims to cultivate informed and engaged individuals who are equipped to tackle future challenges. By instilling a passion for geography and an understanding of global interconnections, we prepare our students to contribute positively to society, ensuring they are not only knowledgeable but also compassionate decision makers of tomorrow.

Key Stage 3

Using geographical skills is critical to the work we do in the classroom and beyond. We will be teaching cartographic skills by using a range of maps, atlases and digital images. Students will be taught how to conduct fieldwork and to interpret and present geographical data in a range of formats that can be used across their curriculum and in their future careers. Learning the skill of using and applying geographic terminology to describe processes, patterns and relationships is a key skill we aim to develop in students.  Physical geography is a key section of work that we deliver in the grammar of geography. We aim to study physical features of the earth through landforms created by rivers and coast as well as climate and weather patterns. We study natural hazards such as earthquakes, tropical cyclones and volcanoes. Looking at their impacts and we discuss how human behaviour can be changed to reduce their devastation. We also study world biomes and how ecosystems work and how they are interconnected. The other core area we study at key stage 3 is human geography. Students will explore population and migration, examining the distribution of populations and the factors influencing migration. We will also study urbanisation looking at the growth of cities and its effects on the environment and people. We will gain an awareness of global economic systems through our topics on fashion and development. Linking all these topics together is an understanding of environmental and sustainability issues. Students will learn about climate change and its global impact as well as the importance of sustainable development and the management of human impacts. The Key Stage 3 geography curriculum is designed to build a strong foundation for further study in geography at key stage 4 and beyond, fostering a sense of curiosity and critical thinking about the world.

Click here to see the Key Stage 3 on a page document.

Key Stage 4

At NHGS geography builds upon the foundation set in key stage 3 but focuses more on developing deeper understanding and higher-level skills. The topics studied in KS4 become more specialized and detailed. Students are expected to understand complex issues, such as climate change, urbanization, and global economic systems. There’s also a stronger focus on the impacts and management of these geographical issues at local, national and global scales. The focus shifts to applying knowledge to real-world case studies and understanding the causes, effects and responses to geographical issues. For example, students might explore the impacts of a specific earthquake or flood, evaluating the effectiveness of the response. Students refine and build on KS3 skills, applying them in more complex contexts. They also learn to evaluate data and use a wider range of geographical techniques, like fieldwork data collection, statistical analysis and using Geographical Information Systems. Fieldwork in Hornsea and Salford becomes a critical part of the curriculum, with students expected to design, conduct and analyse fieldwork projects. This is also assessed in the exam, where students may be asked to refer to their fieldwork experiences and how data was collected and analysed. The assessment in KS4 is more formal, involving written exams. In addition to traditional exam questions, students may be required to analyse case studies, evaluate geographical issues and present well-structured arguments. There are also more in-depth and extended-response questions. In short KS4 geography is more specialized, analytical, and exam-focused, with a stronger emphasis on evaluating and applying geographical knowledge to real-world situations.

Key Stage 5

Geography reinforces the foundation set by GCSE geography, but it dives much deeper into the topics and encourages more critical thinking, analysis, and independent research. Using a more limited range of topics at NHGS we explore them in much greater detail at A level. For example, you might study specific case studies in depth, analyse the impact of global warming in more complex ways, or look at the causes and effects of economic development on a regional and global scale. You’re expected to think critically, analyse data and apply geographical theories. You’ll also work more with complex data sets, using maps, graphs and models to support your arguments. Fieldwork is a key component of the course and involves a fieldtrip to North Wales. You will ultimately conduct your own primary data collection through fieldwork to produce an independent investigation of your own. This will form part of your final assessment. You also work on developing your analytical skills to interpret a wide range of data. The exams are more challenging at A level and involve a wider variety of question types, including extended responses that require critical thinking and application of knowledge. You will also need to write essays and show deeper understanding in evaluations. Topics are more specialized and focused with a greater emphasis on contemporary issues and debates. In summary, A-level geography is more specialized, requires deeper analysis and emphasizes skills like fieldwork and independent research.

Cross-curricular Links

The curriculum emphasizes the importance of linking geography with other subjects, such as:

1. Science- Biology and geography share knowledge of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the study of life on Earth. Through topics like cold environments and Amazonian deforestation. Physics and geography link well through topics like weather patterns, tides, plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

2. Mathematics -Geography uses a lot of mathematical tools and concepts, particularly in data analysis, statistics, and map interpretation. For example, you may need to analyse population growth rates, economic indicators, or climate data using graphs, charts, and formulas. Geometry and trigonometry are used in map reading, navigation, and analysing the physical landscape when calculating the gradient of a slope.

3. History -Geography often overlaps with history, looking at how topics like war, the industrial revolution and colonialism has impacted development, trade and migration.

4. Art -Geography can link with art through topics like landscape photography, painting, map making, architecture and urban design.

5. Languages -Geography can connect with languages through the study of place names, cultural geography and the linguistic diversity of regions.

6. Politics-Political geography explores how political processes define space through borders, sovereignty and governance, conflicts or international relations.

7. Sociology -Sociology looks at how human societies interact with their environments, which aligns with geographical topics like urbanization, population migration and social development.

8. Economics-Geography is closely related to economics through topics like resource management, global economic development and trade

 In short, geography is an interdisciplinary subject, drawing upon knowledge from various fields to offer a richer understanding of the world and the complex relationships between people, places, and the environment.