GCSE

Students follow the AQA Geography GCSE course

Students will travel the world from their classroom, exploring case studies in the United Kingdom (UK), higher income countries (HICs), newly emerging economies (NEEs) and lower income countries (LICs). Topics of study include climate change, natural hazards, poverty, deprivation, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use. Students are also encouraged to understand their role in society, by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes.

The course will prepare the students to make informed decisions, develop as effective and independent learners and as critical & reflective thinkers with enquiring minds. It will also develop student's knowledge & understanding of geographical concepts and appreciate the relevance of these concepts to the changing world. The course also involves first-hand data collection on a field visit.

The key geographical topics the students will study are:

Living with the physical environment

The challenge of natural hazards
Tectonic hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes)
Weather hazards (climate change and extreme weather in the UK)

The living world
Ecosystems, tropical Rainforests and Hot Deserts

Physical landscapes in the UK
Coastal landscapes in the UK
River landscapes in the UK

Challenges in the human environment

Urban issues and challenges
Problems of shanty towns and possible solutions
Urban changes in UK cities
Sustainable urban living and transport strategies

The changing economic world
The consequences of uneven development
Strategies to reduce the development gap
Changes in the UK economy and its consequences

The challenge of resource management
The distribution and consumption of food, water and energy supplies
Focus on ONE of the above resources in depth.

Geographical applications

Issue evaluation
A problem-solving element based on one topic, using a booklet of information released 12 weeks before the exam.

Fieldwork
Students will attend a fieldtrip to undertake primary data collection in both a physical and human geography setting.

Assessment comprises 3 examinations at the end of the 2 year course.