Students enjoy Geography at Sedgehill and thrive on the high level of expectation placed upon them both in terms of behaviour and attainment.  The department is committed to ensuring that the students’ results at all levels show year on year improvements in achievement and exam grades.

Our Schemes of Work are designed not only to cover the National Curriculum and the Examination syllabus, but also to offer opportunities for each student to encounter group and paired activities, ICT and to take part in fieldwork.  We aim to show our students the beauty of geography and to promote it as a subject to enjoy for its own sake, developing logical thought and problem solving skills in addition to gaining a better understanding of the world in which we live.

Geography is a popular and successful department within the school. Geography is taught within the Year 7and Year 8 Baccalaureate, for three hours over a fortnight in Year 9, for five hours over a fortnight at GCSE and for ten hours over a fortnight at A Level.

Key Stage 3 

Year 7 classes are taught in mixed-ability tutor groups and follow the new Baccalaureate syllabus. The Year 7 and 8 Schemes of Work provide plenty of opportunity to encounter a variety of investigational and practical activities linked to specific parts of the National Curriculum.  In Year 8 and 9 students continue to be taught in mixed ability tutor groups.  They work towards the National Curriculum requirement for their end of KS3 National Curriculum levels in May.

Key Stage 4 

We follow the OCR syllabus. The structure of the course covers;

Controlled Assessment - 25%

Students complete a 'Geographical Investigation' and a 'Fieldwork Focus Task'. Students prepare for these in class and complete their final pieces of work in exam conditions.

Sustainable Decision Making - 25%

Students take this exam at the end of Year 10. Students will research the topic of the exam in lessons in preparation for the decision making task.

Key Geographical Themes - 50%

Students take this exam at the end of Year 11 and it is worth 50% of their final grade. The exam covers;

Economical development

Population and Settlement

Rivers and Coasts

Natural Hazards

Key Stage 5 at Sedgehill

We follow the AQA Advanced level course in Geography. The course is exciting and offers opportunities for residential work.  The students find the course demanding yet interesting and rewarding and many students go on to study Geography at university.  Our exam results are consistently high.

Year 12 AS Level Geography

Unit 1 - Physical and Human Geography

2 Hours - Structured short and extended questions

70% of AS Level mark

Unit 2 - Applied Geography

Structured skills and generic research fieldwork questions.

30% of AS Level mark.

The Geography Department 2012-2013:

• "Students gain an in depth understanding into the environment in which they and others live. Their knowledge is imparted by a committed and inspirational team of teachers."

  Geography Subject Leader - Elizabeth Hanwell