Welcome to the Geography Department

The vision of the Geography department at Harrow Way is to inspire pupils to develop a lifelong love of geography and be curious and compassionate about the world around them. The four strands of knowledge are recognised as locational, place, human/physical and geographical skills.

Geography was first systematically studied by the ancient Greeks and encompasses almost every other discipline. From enquiries such as ‘Why is Antarctica considered the greatest desert?’ to ‘How might advanced countries contribute to the poverty of others?’ Geography has great depth and breath. At Harrow Way we have spent considerable time carefully selecting when and what to teach our budding geographers.

Our department is working towards equipping students to have environmental stewardship of the world around them and develop the geographic skills needed to thrive in the 21st century and overcome the challenges which we are facing as a global community.

Geographers have long been recognised as very employable, with the skills, knowledge and understanding gained during a geography course held in high regard by employers.

Geography is not a subject which is standing still and through a students’ time at Harrow Way there are multiple fieldwork opportunities. These include international and local trips such as the Jurassic Coast and New Forest. This is fundamental in students gaining a passion for Geography as they are able to experience the living world outside the classroom.

Geography Curriculum Overview
Geography KS3 End Points
Careers Link

Curriculum Content

Key Stage 3

Year 7

  • Urbanisation: This unit explores how patterns of urbanisation are changing across the world. Students investigate why people migrate to cities, how levels of development vary between countries, and the opportunities and challenges created by rapid urban growth, using China as a case study.

  • Climate Change: Students investigate the causes of climate change, examine the evidence that our climate is changing, and explore the impacts on people and ecosystems. Using Nigeria as a case study, they evaluate how societies can respond through mitigation and adaptation.

  • Tropical Rainforests: This unit investigates why tropical rainforests are globally important and explores the causes and impacts of deforestation. Using the Amazon as a case study, students examine how rainforest loss affects biodiversity, indigenous communities and the global climate.

  • Rivers: Students explore how rivers shape landscapes through erosion, transportation and deposition, before investigating flooding, river management and sustainable development using the Yangtze River as a case study.

Year 8

  • Weather and Climate:  Students investigate how global atmospheric circulation creates different climates and weather hazards around the world. They study tropical storms, flooding and changing weather patterns, using the UK and Haiti as case studies.

  • Remarkable resources: This unit explores the global distribution of energy resources and examines why some countries are energy rich whilst others face energy insecurity. Students investigate the opportunities and challenges of resource management using Saudi Arabia as a case study.

  • Urban Change: Students investigate how towns and cities evolve over time and how regeneration can transform communities. Using Southampton as the principal case study, they explore the social, economic and environmental opportunities and challenges created by urban change.

  • Tectonic Hazards: Students explore the structure of the Earth and investigate how the movement of tectonic plates creates volcanoes and earthquakes. They examine both the opportunities and hazards associated with tectonic activity, using Iceland as a key case study.

Year 9

  • Global Development: This unit investigates why levels of development vary around the world. Using Haiti as a case study, students explore the causes and consequences of global inequality and evaluate strategies used to reduce the development gap.

  • Earthquakes: Students investigate why earthquakes have very different impacts around the world. Through detailed studies of Haiti (2010) and Japan (2011), they explore how wealth, preparedness and infrastructure influence vulnerability and recovery.

  • Coasts: Students investigate how coastal landscapes are shaped by weathering, erosion, transportation and deposition. They examine coastal landforms, the challenges of coastal erosion, and evaluate strategies used to manage changing coastlines.

  • Geographical Enquiry: In the final unit, students apply the geographical knowledge and skills developed throughout Key Stage 3 to investigate a contemporary geographical issue. They analyse evidence, evaluate different viewpoints and make reasoned, evidence-based judgements, preparing them for GCSE Geography.

Key Stage 4

Year 10 & 11

In Years 10 and 11 students follow the AQA GCSE Geography syllabus.
Assessment comprises 100% written examination including a decision making exercise and assessment of fieldwork. Fieldwork in Year 10 includes a visit to Swanage to study the impacts of coastal management on the natural coastal processes as well as the impact of tourism on the town.

The topics studied in Year 10 are:

  • The Challenge of Natural Hazards

  • The Living World

  • The changing Economic World

The topics covered in Year 11 are:

  • Physical Landscapes in the UK

  • The Challenge of resource management

  • Dynamic Development