Geography
The study of places, the human and physical processes which shape them and the people who live in themMeet the Geography team
Meet the tutors who will share their passion for Geography as you study at Crompton House School.
Mr P. Douglas
Curriculum Team Leader (Humanities) | Head of Subject Geography | Academic Tutor (Sixth Form)
BSc Joint Hons Geography & Geology - University of Manchester
I have had a passion for Geography ever since my GCSE Geography, where I had a fantastic teacher!! I love the outdoors and this means I understand the landscape and people. I love travelling and my favourite location is Iceland. Despite visiting this country so many times there is always somewhere new to explore. I further the interest of Geography for teachers and students by being the Chairman of the Manchester Branch of the Geographical Association, holding lectures at the University of Manchester. I am also a Teacher Tour Guide for Iceland for Discover the World, the company we travel to Iceland with. I support Blackburn Rovers and try to see a few games.
Mr T. Hardman
Second in Geography | D of E Bronze Co-ordinator
B.Sc Geography - Manchester Metropolitan University
Geography Interests: World Cities, Population, Health Issues, Tourism, Settlements, Waste Management, Sustainability
Out of school: Football (Oldham Athletic), Rugby Union (Northampton Saints), Road Running, Reading (current book – "Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice by Matthew Syed"), Travel (23 countries visited….so far). What got me into Geography? Being curious about why the world is the way it is.
Mr K. Newell
Headteacher | Teacher of Geography
University of Coventry – BSc Physical Geography & Geology
Geography has always been my favourite subject. When I studied A level the topics that I enjoyed the most were related to physical geography such as glaciers and coasts. For my degree I specialised in hydrology which is the study of rivers. When I was at school my Geography teacher also ran the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the expeditions often doubled up as field trips. He managed to bring the subject of Geography to life, by showing how the world around us has been shaped over time by the forces of nature. Probably because of this I believe that field trips are an important part of every Geography course and when I joined Crompton House in 1994 my first big job was to organise a residential GCSE Geography field trip to Swanage. This trip is still going strong and has helped inspire many Crompton House students to go on and study Geography in the Sixth Form and then at university.
Mrs A. Smith
BSc Joint Hons Geography and Biology - Chester University
I am a Human Geographer and my favourite topics are Population Issues and Urban Geography. My passion for Geography was developed from an enthusiastic teacher back at school and has continued since! My hobbies include running, walking and fine dining.
Mr R. Smith
Geography Teacher | Head of House - Crompton
BSc Geography - University of Hull
I have had a love of Geography since school. It is such a diverse subject and especially the physical side which allows me to combine my love of the outdoors! I love going to places like the Lake District walking and camping and I also love travelling to other places. In particular I enjoy going on city breaks to European cities, 11 visited so far!
I also have a love of sport (which is useful since I also teach PE!) and I play football every Saturday. I also have an interest in rugby (union), cricket and golf.
Mr J. Banks
Assistant Headteacher | Teacher of Geography
B.A. (Hons) Geography (Human) - University of Bristol.
Interests: Geography: I am interested in the world around me, its people and their impacts, as Geography is happening all around you all the time, it’s dynamic. I have the desire to inspire young people to care for each other and our planet; in other words to create future eco-warriors! Out of school I enjoy mountaineering, travel, climbing, cycling, cricket, rugby, music and reading.
Geography Events, Field Trips and Expeditions
How are students assessed?
Students are assessed every half-term through a key assessment. This could be a range of tasks from a travel article, to creating a newspaper article and/or presentations to the group. Students will also undertake end of unit tests as a more formative assessment.
How are students grouped?
Students are set in line with the other subjects within the Humanities group, from set 1 to set 4. There is constant monitoring of performance and personal targets are set.
What home learning are we expected to do?
Students are given one piece of homework every week, in accordance with the school homework policy. These homework tasks will complement and extend the work completed in class.
How can parents help?
Parents can help by assisting pupils with research, ensuring homework is completed and handed in on time. By informing students of up coming geographical programmes either on the internet or TV. Students should be world-wise and aim to read or watch current affairs programmes such as the news. All key assessments and assessment criteria are uploaded onto the VLE. For examination groups, past papers are also on the appropriate section of the VLE.
Curriculum Breakdown
Autumn Term
- Do you really know where you live?
- Passport to the world
Spring Term
- Passport to the world continued
- How fragile is our planet?
Summer Term
- Water on the land
- River Medlock field study
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbook:
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Autumn Term
- Tourism
Spring Term
- Population
Summer Term
- Migration and Trade
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbook:
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Autumn Term
- Challenges for the Planet
- Population
Spring Term
- Population continued
- The Wasteful World
Summer Term
- The Wasteful World
- A Tourist’s World
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbook:
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Autumn Term
- Challenges for the Planet
- Population Change
Spring Term
- Wasteful World
- Settlement Change
Summer Term
- River Landscapes
- A Tourist’s World
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbook:
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Autumn Term
- Coastal Landscapes
- Controlled Assessment
- Tectonic Landscapes
Spring Term
- Tectonic Landscapes (continued)
- Economic Change
- Consolidation, Revision and Skills
Summer Term
- Consolidation, Revision and Skills
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbook:
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Autumn Term
- Population Change (Human)
- Rivers, Floods and Management (Physical)
Spring Term
- Population Change (Settlement Studies-Human)
- Health Issues (Human)
- Rivers, Floods and Management (Physical)
- Coastal Environments (Physical)
Summer Term
- Introduction to A2 World Cities (Human)
- Coastal Environments (Physical)
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbooks:
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Autumn Term
- World Cities (Human)
- Plate Tectonics & Associated Hazards (Physical)
Spring Term
- Geog4A Fieldwork Investigation (Human)
- Plate Tectonics & Associated Hazards cont. (Physical)
- Ecosystems: Change and Challenge (Physical)
Summer Term
- N/A (Human)
- Ecosystems: Change and Challenge (Physical)
To view more detail about the subjects and what assessments take place view the flipbooks:
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Iceland Field Trip February 2015
Option choice: GCSE Geography
Course highlights:
GCSE Geography: you will enjoy this course if you want to study a subject that:
- is relevant to the world you live in, and to your future
- encourages you to discuss current affairs and issues
- focuses on the environment
- involves practical work outdoors
- is studied through investigation, not just listening and reading
develops a range of skills that will be useful in other subjects and in employment.
How you are going to learn on this course:
Geography at GCSE builds on the background knowledge learnt at KS3. You will learn in a variety of ways – from independent study to ICT skills, from group work to fieldwork. The department has placed a variety of different resources and activities onto the school’s VLE so the learning experience is more personalised.
Fieldwork: An essential part of Geography is fieldwork. To help understand the physical and human world we do fieldwork in a beautiful part of the country – Swanage in Dorset. You will learn on a 4 day residential where you will complete all the necessary data collection. There is also the opportunity to participate on the fantastic 5 day fieldtrip to Iceland to see this wonderful country and to experience
How it is assessed:
| UNIT 1 | 25% of marks | 1 hr exam | All papers have short answer data response questions. The emphasis is on skills |
| UNIT 2 | 25% of marks | 1.25 hr exam | |
| UNIT 3 | 25% of marks | 1.25 hr exam | |
| CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT | 25% of marks | coursework | Swanage, Dorset residential fieldwork write-up. |
All examinations take place at the end of Year 11.
Controlled Assessment: This follows on from the fieldwork carried out on the Swanage fieldtrip. It comprises of a write up of about 2000 words from a task question set by the examination board; this changes every year. The write up is similar to those from fieldwork at KS3. The fieldwork write up will take place in the Autumn term of Year 11, approximately 20 hours of lessons and homework.
Pathways and careers leading from this subject:
A GCSE in Geography is a stepping-stone to a whole range of future opportunities. The skills you develop will support you in further studies and employment.
The close link between the subject and the world around us makes for a long and varied list of related careers. Professional Geographers can be teachers, lecturers, those working in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and environmental and development areas. Employment opportunities where your geographical skills will be particularly valued include journalism and media, the law, engineering, business management, ICT, environmental management, teaching, economic planning, marketing, leisure, recreation and tourism.
Course combinations:
A good grade at GCSE will help you move on to any post 16 course. If you enjoyed your Geography GCSE, you might want to continue with this subject, or study a related subject. Biology, Geology, Environmental Science, Government & Politics, Economics, Travel & Tourism and Leisure & Recreation all have close links with some of the material you studied for this GCSE.
Other information:
Visit these websites for further information
www.edexcel.com/gcse2009, www.rgs.org/careers
http://www.vle.cromptonhouse.org/course/view.php?id=50 [CHS pupils/parents only]
Who to see for more information:
Head of Subject – Geography: Mr P. Douglas
Course teachers – Mr A. Hardman, Mr A. Smith and Mr J. Banks
You can speak to your Form Tutor, Head of House and Assistant Head of House for more advice.
GCSE Planner
GCSE Specification
Useful Geography Resources Links
Iceland weather / seismic / volcanic activity
http://en.vedur.is/
BBC pictures of the day or week
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-