Geography

Ethos & Values

We aim:

• To enhance children's quality of learning through the effective delivery of the Geography syllabus.
• To raise attainment by creating a target-orientated culture based on the enhancement of self-esteem.
• To have consistently high expectations and match these with high quality resources and learning strategies.
• To provide a range of educational experiences appropriate to the age, ability and needs of our students.
• To manage resources to ensure maximum benefit.

Knowledge & Skills

Knowledge and understanding of human behaviour, its consequences for other humans and the world they inhabit are important to all students in understanding the world in which we live.

Geography allows you to develop key world information and to develop a variety of skills. A successful Geographer will be able to:

• Understand what motivates people, what they think and feel.
• Gather and read different kinds of information.
• Read maps, graphs and other diagrams.
• Communicate clearly and learn to express yourself verbally and on paper.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, displaying a good standard of written English.
• Present arguments and consider viewpoints.
• Work safely in different locations whilst undertaking fieldwork.
• Use specialised fieldwork equipment to gather information about the locations your visit.
• Develop the use of subject specialist equipment and ICT.

Resources & Facilities

At Louth Academy we have a strong team of dedicated and professional Geography teachers who are passionate about teaching the subject.

We offer dedicated, well equipped and comfortable classrooms, with interactive facilities; we also offer a wide range of quality resources and subject specific software.

Courses & Qualifications

All students study Geography at Key Stage 3 in line with the National Curriculum.

Students study the Geography of the United Kingdom. This includes a map skills-based introduction, an investigation into our natural landscapes formed through the work of rivers, the sea and also ice. Later in the year we study British weather and climate, before switching our focus to UK cities, our changing population and our major cities as well as a look at the challenges faced by the UK's more deprived areas. Each unit is completed with a different skills-based enquiry. The topics are carefully sequenced to illustrate the links between our natural and human environments.

Following from the Geography of the UK students study the Geography of the Wider World. This encompasses Plate Tectonics, Extreme Weather and Global Ecosystems before moving on to investigations into disparities in global wealth. We have a detailed focus on Africa before completing the year by investigating a range of contemporary global issues, from plastic in the oceans and climate change through to the problem of threats to our wilderness areas and the geography of conflict zones. As with previous work, the topics have been carefully sequenced to allow students to better appreciate the forces that shape our planet's natural environments and then how human activities can change these environments in negative or positive ways.

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, students complete a full GCSE qualification in Geography, with examinations taking place at the end of Year 11; students are also required to take part in fieldwork. They will sit three examinations at the end of Year 11:

• Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment (35% of GCSE);
• Paper 2: Challenges in the Human Environment (35% of GCSE);
• Paper 3: Geographical Applications (30% of GCSE).

Students studying this GCSE will also undertake fieldwork, practicing different methods of data collection for both Human and Physical Geography; these skills along with all additional content will be tested in examination papers at the end of Year 11.

In Year 9 students begin with a sequence of lessons looking at a range of geographical skills that will be required on the course. We then study units on Rivers, The Changing Economic World and Natural Hazards.

In Year 10 we study Urbanisation with a detailed focus on Rio de Janeiro and Hull, Coastal Environments. These two units also incorporate fieldwork days – one out visiting various sites along the Lincolnshire Coast focusing on different management techniques and their efficacy, the other is a day in Hull focusing on differences in the quality of housing/local environment between two contrasting neighbourhoods.

Learning Outside The Classroom

At Key Stage 4, GCSE students undertake two fieldtrips to contrasting environments, enabling them to develop their knowledge and understanding of both physical and human geography. Examples of past fieldtrips include a visit to the Lincolnshire Coast to investigate the impact of coastal management, and a visit to Hull to study urban regeneration in the Marina area as well as differing environmental quality in Avenue v Myton wards

Where Does This Take Me In The Future?

The study of Geography lets you develop skills which could lead to many different career choices. Many people who have studied Geography have gone into the following fields:

Accountancy, Administration, Archaeology, Architecture, Barrister, Broadcasting, Civil Service, Diplomatic Service, Drama Theatre and the Performing Arts, Education, Environment and Conservation, Finance, Information Management, Media, Teaching, Public Relations, Journalist, Legal Executive, Police, Politics, Publishing, Sales and Marketing, Solicitor, Tourism, Town Planning, TV Researchers, Lawyers

Geography is highly regarded by many employers and universities due to the wide range of skills and knowledge that students acquire.