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Geography

Years 7-11 - Subject Departments – Geography

The geography department at AGS consists of five dedicated and knowledgeable members of staff, four large classrooms and a dedicated ICT suite. As a department, we want our students to enjoy geography at school and develop a spirit of inquiry about their personal and local geographies as well as the wider national and international context. We hope that through a diverse and varied curriculum that students will develop the skills necessary to become inquisitive, empathetic and pro-active global citizens.

Learning outside of the classroom through fieldwork is a hugely important part of the geography curriculum at AGS, throughout their career at AGS, students will have multiple opportunities to study in the field locally and abroad.

Key stage 3 curriculum

Year 7

In year 7 students receive one lesson of geography each week, the topics covered are:

  • Local Geography and skills

  • Coastal landforms and management

  • The development gap

  • Importance of rocks and resources

Fieldwork: 1 day at Hawkstone Park


Year 8

In year 8 students receive two lessons of geography each week, the topics covered are:

  • Economic Change

  • Transformation of Asia

  • Africa - past, present and future

  • Conflicts - Russia and the Middle East

  • Rivers and flooding

Fieldwork: 1 day in the Long Mynd


Year 9

In year 9 students receive three lessons of geography each fortnight (alternate with history every other week), the topics covered are:

  • Tectonic hazards

  • Dynamic cities

  • Population change

  • Climate - past, present & future

  • Resource Management (1st topic of GCSE Geography)

Fieldwork: 1 day in Birmingham


GCSE curriculum

At GCSE, students follow the AQA specification details of which can be found here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035

GCSE Specification Summary:

  • Paper 1: Living with the physical environment
    • Written paper – 1 hour 30 mins – 88 marks – 35%
  • Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment
    • Written paper – 1 hour 30 mins – 88 marks – 35%
  • Paper 3: Geographical applications
    • Written paper – 1 hour 15 mins – 76 marks – 30%

Year 9

The topics covered in Year 9 are:

  • Resource Management

Year 10

The topics covered in Year 10 are:

  • UK physical landscapes

  • Urban issues and challenges

  • The living world

Year 11

The topics covered in Year 11 are:

  • The changing economic world

  • Natural Hazards

  • Preparation for Paper 3

Fieldwork: 3 day residential in Snowdonia in the Autumn term of Y11.