The Cheadle Academy

SUBJECT INTENT

Geography

The Geography curriculum at the Cheadle Academy is designed to give all students the confidence and experience to help inform and shape ideas; investigating human and physical strands of this multi-faceted and dynamic subject. This will enable students to fluently move between the small market town of Cheadle, in the Staffordshire Moorlands, and their status as global citizens. We aim to develop the cultural literacy in our school community, in order to become role models for the future and set a trail for others to emulate. Considering themes such as sustainability, development and climate change in their everyday lives, students will be exposed to a diversity of themes from the full range of spaces and places.

Overall these are the aims of Geography teaching at TCA:

·         develop an understanding of physical and human environments and processes;

·         develop an understanding of the diverse character of places and landscapes;

·         develop an understanding of interactions and interrelationships on the Earth’s surface;

·         demonstrate knowledge of locations, places, processes, environments and different scales;

·       given access to a range Geographical concepts within context that can be understood at various levels of sophistication. Understanding concepts and how they are used in relation to places, environments and processes; the interrelationships between places, environments and processes;

       apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues to make judgements, this allows students to show breadth of understanding and evaluate appreciation of the interrelationships between different aspects of geographical study;

·       develop and demonstrate a range of geographical skills, including cartographic, graphical, numerical and statistical;

·       use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to view analyse and interpret places and data;

·       complete programmes of fieldwork; enquiries which include the use of primary data taking place outside the classroom and school grounds. 

·       develop a rich and deep subject knowledge, SoW’s cover a sequence of topics over the course, which stimulates interest as well as extends their knowledge, understanding and skills.

·       The curriculum has space to be paused at KS3 to reflect real time examples relevant to that topic.

Our geography curriculum enriches the lives of our students through the provision of fieldwork opportunities in all year groups – whether it is in understanding ecosystems in our broadleaved deciduous woodlands, recognising the importance of water at Tittesworth Reservoir, or engaging in coastal and glaciated environments of the North Wales coast. We recognise the importance of lived experience for our students – especially as many won’t have these opportunities outside of the educational setting. The broadening of our students is something that we’ve consistently excelled in and many TCA alumni have gone onto degrees, masters and doctorates in the field and work in geographically specific careers across the country. 

Our teaching equips students with the ability to act on their curiosity – to ask questions and enquire. The breadth and depth of our curriculum, from the local area, to the Middle East, from Stoke-on-Trent to Russia, we are confident that our students can ask meaningful questions and formulate enquiries into the processes that occur in the world around them.

Our homework opportunities aim to extend students and develop their global understanding and awareness, via “Geography in the News” tasks. We collaborate with parents, by giving them opportunities to be involved with their sons and daughters with the “Postcards to a teacher” activities. Finally, we support the culture of the school through the promotion of creative House activities and Geography competitions.

Geography bridges the curriculum from the physical process in Science, creativity in English to the quantitate skills of Mathematics. Students are able to use these connections to excel in the wider world.

Whether students leave us at the end of KS3, KS4 or KS5, we are confident that they have developed a transferable skill set which is relevant and applicable in whatever career or vocation they chose to follow.

SUBJECT LONG TERM PLAN

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 7

What is a Geographer?

How do we use our planet as a natural resource?

Is it safe to live near a plate boundary?

What is an economy?

What is an ecosystem?

Amazing places!

 Year 8

Is the Geography of Russia a benefit or a curse?

What is development?

What is weather and climate?

How are populations changing?

Why are rivers so important?

Urban growth in Asia?

Year 9

What are the challenges facing Africa?

Fast fashion; an ecological disaster?

The Middle East – why is it an important world region?

How does ice change the world?

How can we manage climate change in a sustainable way?

What is coastal management?

Year 10

Coastal Processes

Resources – how can we find water, food and energy security?

Ecosystems – what are the opportunities and challenges of hot deserts and TRF?

Development gap – how can we achieve the millennium development goals?

Changing UK economy

River processes – Summer transition pack Nigeria.

Year 11

Hazards – tectonic or climatic – which is worse?

Climate change – can it be managed sustainably?

What are the opportunities and challenges in a changing urban world? Rio and Manchester

Paper 3 – pre-release material and review of fieldwork techniques.