Geography
At Sandringham, we aim to provide a contemporary and thought-provoking geography curriculum designed to enhance student’s understanding of the interrelationships between our diverse physical and human environments.
We encourage students to consider the complexity of the major challenges the planet faces through the perspectives of different peoples, as well as consider a range of strategies to help overcome a number of these ‘wicked problems’, such as inequality, climate change and sustainability. We facilitate this through an emphasis on high expectations of geographical literacy, mastery of geographical skills, and the development of decision-making and evaluation, both in the classroom and the field.
The intent of the geography curriculum is:
- To study a knowledge-rich, horizon-widening breadth of content examined through physical, social, economic, environmental, cultural and political contexts to build student’s awareness of locations, places and environments at a range of spatial and temporal scales.
- To emphasise the importance of a deep understanding of both physical and human processes, and on applying this understanding to interrogate people-environment interactions and people-place connections.
- To facilitate a mastery of the application of geographical knowledge, skills and approaches to enable students to investigate a range of important geographical questions and issues.
- To engage students with critical issues and concepts that shape the world we live in. These include, but are not limited to, causality, climate change, development, geopolitics, globalisation, identity, inequality, interdependence, mitigation and adaptation, physical systems and feedback and sustainability.
- To foster the development of students’ character (including ethics and values) and attributes relevant to a world beyond education, providing a platform to develop social and environmental sensitivity and build an innate responsibility in students to become informed and engaged global citizens.
- To provide a platform for students to carry forward transferrable skills and experiential approaches for implementation in their chosen future pathways and careers.
Key Stage 3
The KS3 curriculum is carefully sequenced to enable students to achieve mastery in the subject. The course content is outlined below:
Year 7
- Introduction to Big Concepts in Geography
- The Natural World
- Place and Space
- Physical Systems I – Flood Risk
- Place Study: China
Year 8
- Population and Migration
- Weather and Climate
- Development
- Physical Systems II – Coastal Landscapes
- Place Study: Russia and the Arctic
Year 9
- Global Resource Challenges
- Physical Systems III – Tectonic Activity
- The Nation State
- Geography of Conflict
- Place Study: The Sahel