Geography
Understanding and learning to manage the challenges of the 21st century!
Geography students hold the key to the world's problems.
Michael Palin: President of the Royal Geographical Society, Actor, TV presenter
God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased.
GENESIS 1:31
Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic and relevant. For me geography is a great adventure with a purpose.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9)
Foundation stage Geography introduces the young person to the amazing natural order of our planet and will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Topics studied over the 3 years should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)
Intermediate Geography builds on the knowledge and understanding learnt at the Foundation key stage but at a deeper level.
Candidates are prepared for the AQA specification A for GCSE. If you would like to see the entire Specification, go to www.aqa.org.uk. Geography GCSE – Geography A 9030
Candidates are assessed via the following:
- Unit 1 Exam Physical Geography (Restless Earth, Living World, Water on the Land) 37.5%
- Unit 2 Exam Human Geography (Development Gap, Population, Tourism) 37.5%
- Unit 3 Local Fieldwork Investigation – Controlled Assessment 25%
Success and Achievements
The Geography Department at Cardinal Wiseman has grown to become a large and successful department. At any one time, nearly 150 students are studying GCSE Geography and 40+ students taking A-Level Geography. The growth in the number of students of Geography at Cardinal Wiseman is a key success as all of these students will have a highly developed understanding of the patterns and processes that govern our planet. With so many environmental challenges facing our planet in the 21st century, Cardinal Wiseman is making an important contribution to the management of tomorrow’s world. Similarly, the number of students seeking to study Geography at university is also increasing steadily. In 2013, the first ever Wiseman student will study the subject at Cambridge university. Student uptake at GCSE and A-Level suggests that they find the subject meaningful and worthwhile and this is greatly encouraging. Students enjoy their geographic learning at Cardinal Wiseman and this in itself is a key achievement. After all, what could be more important than preparing the citizens and managers of the future!
See Michael Palin’s article in The Guardian on the global importance of the work done by geographers
www.theguardian.com/education/2011/aug/18/geography-top-10-alevel-subjects