Humanities Faculty

Geography is our unique window on the world, developing a sense of awe and wonder in students that few other subjects can match.

Geography is a popular subject at Sponne, which covers a broad curriculum, enabling students to engage with, explore their place within, challenge perceptions of and develop a passion for the built and natural environment. Knowledge of different processes and concepts are contextualised with studies of places and landscapes from across the world. The vast range of skills that are used to communicate in Geography are well sought after by employers, and with the collection and use of spatial data on the rise, these skills will continue to be in demand. Teaching methods are equally as broad in the department, and is enriched by a wealth of digital resources as well as of out-of-classroom learning experiences from our locality to residential fieldwork trips for both GCSE and A Level courses. Geography is exclusively taught by four specialist teachers across four teaching rooms.

Key Stage 3

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum draws explicitly on the knowledge, skills and experiences developed during Key Stage 1 and 2, and provides greater emphasis on Geography as a unique discipline, whilst building passion for the subject by discovering international locations and physical phenomena in more detail. Fieldwork and Enquiry Skills are built on-site with an investigation in each year. Students are taught in their mixed ability form groups through Year 7 and 8, three times a fortnight.

In Year 7, students study the following topics:

• What is Geography?
• Brazil
• Glaciation
• China
• Weather & Climate

In Year 8, students study the following topics:

• India
• Changing Places
• Tectonics
• Africa
• Middle East

More detail of the key Knowledge, Skills and Threshold Concepts covered in each topic is found on our Learning Journey.

Key Stage 4

Our Key Stage 4 teaching delivers the AQA GCSE Geography specification. Students work through a variety of topics, delivering a balance between Physical and Human Geography, as well as building skills in applying geographical knowledge and skills. Fieldwork experiences across the course culminate in a residential trip in Year 11 to Dorset.

Paper 1 is entitled ‘Living with the Physical Environment’ and is assessed in a 1hr 30min exam, worth 88 marks and 35% of the overall grade. The content covered includes:

• 1A: The Challenge of Natural Hazards
• 1B: The Living World
• 1C: Physical Landscapes in the UK

Paper 2 is entitled ‘Challenges in the Human Environment’ and is assessed in a 1hr 30min exam, worth 88 marks and 35% of the overall grade. The content covered includes:

• 2A: Urban Issues and Challenges
• 2B: The Changing Economic World
• 2C: The Challenge of Resource Management

Paper 3 is entitled ‘Geographical Applications’ and is assessed in a 1hr 15min exam, worth 76 marks and 30% of the overall grade. The content covered includes:

• 3A: Issue Evaluation
• 3B: Unfamiliar Fieldwork
• 3B: Familiar Fieldwork

More detail of the specific Knowledge, Skills and Threshold Concepts covered in each topic is found on our Learning Journey.

Key Stage 5

Our Key Stage 5 teaching delivers the AQA A Level Geography specification. Students dive deeper into a variety of topics, delivering a balance between Physical and Human Geography to be examined on, as well as continuing to build their Geographical Skills through the production of a piece of Non-Examined Assessment, which students tackle independently. The primary fieldwork experience is a 4-day residential to the Lake District, and is supplemented with other short experiences as well as external conferences and talks.

Paper 1 is entitled ‘Physical Geography’ and is assessed in a 2hr 30min exam, worth 120 marks and 40% of the overall grade. The content covered includes:

• 1A: Water and Carbon Cycles
• 1B: Glacial Systems and Landscapes
• 1C: Hazards

Paper 2 is entitled ‘Human Geography’ and is assessed in a 2hr 30min exam, worth 120 marks and 40% of the overall grade. The content covered includes:

• 2A: Global Systems and Global Governance
• 2B: Changing Places
• 2C: Contemporary Urban Environments

The third component is a Non-Examined Assessment worth 20% of the final grade. This is composed by one 3-4,000 word coursework report in the form of an Independent Investigation. Students have to plan their own investigation, that they can then carry out, collecting primary data, then displaying and analysing their data, before concluding and evaluating their work. This provides the ultimate opportunity for students to prove themselves as Independent Geographers, and practice skills that are essential to higher education and Post-18 options.

More detail of the specific Knowledge, Skills and Threshold Concepts covered in each topic is found on our Learning Journey.