Geography

The WGS Geography curriculum enriches students understanding of the world to help them understand their experiences within local, regional, and global systems; to empower them with geographical knowledge and skills to make informed judgements about the challenges the world currently faces; and to acknowledge their role in securing a sustainable future for the planet for all of humanity. Through their work, the department encourages students to take their place in an ever-increasing technological society. We challenge the students' mindset to 'think, act and speak' as those working in the field.

To meet the needs of our intent, the department have developed the curriculum to include the following opportunities:

• Frequent retrieval opportunities to empower students and develop their confidence
• Authentic contexts in which to learn new key concepts, which are designed to motivate students and model to students how we can use geographical knowledge to answer problems. Through these contexts, we can develop the cultural capital of our students.
• Frequent and timely formative feedback designed to allow students and teachers to check misunderstandings and misconceptions that may have arisen with personalised feedback and rethink opportunities made available
• A focus upon modelling and scaffolding of application questions which increase in challenge
• Analysis tasks which offer students opportunities to use knowledge to interpret, evaluate, make judgements, draw conclusions, develop enquiry-based procedures, and improve enquiry-based procedures.
• Geographical enquiry skills are embedded within the curriculum and integrated with key knowledge.

Knowledge is made powerful in our curriculum by ensuring that students can apply it to a range of contexts, allowing students to become capable of thinking critically from Year 7. The skills required to apply knowledge are taught explicitly. A significant part of the pedagogy we use includes modelling and scaffolding to support students in understanding what excellent work looks like. In this way, we hope to inspire confidence in our students and foster independence.

As a department, we wanted our Geography curriculum to be accessible, dynamic, and engaging. We sat down and created our Department Vision at about the same time as we started with the curriculum intent. We created six “strands” to our vision – that talk about our subject, our approach, and our people:

1. Geography is a subject that explains the world: people, places, and their interactions with the environment. It is a critical part of a learning community that seeks to develop academic excellence and well-rounded individuals.
2. Geography is dynamic, contemporary, and fast-changing. Students want to understand the modern world around them.
3. Students study geography because they want to be able to explore the world and make sense of their place in it. We teach them the skills to investigate, examine and explain what they find.
4. Geographers are passionate about their subject, knowledgeable and flexible. We embrace creativity and technology to show the world to our students.
5. Geography is a real-world subject. We understand it best by being immersed in it: learning takes place in the field, and awe and wonder is vital to what we do.
6. Geographers learn. We never stop asking questions and trying to improve our understanding.

Year 7

Aim

To enrich students’ understanding of the world to help them understand their experiences within local, regional, and global systems; to empower them with geographical knowledge and skills to make informed judgements about the challenges the world currently faces; and to acknowledge their role in securing a sustainable future for the planet for all of humanity.

Topics Covered

Term 1 – Becoming A Geographer - Using a variety of map and atlas skills.

Term 2 – Exploring the UK – An investigation into the UK.

Term 3 – Coasts and Islands – What is happening to our coastline?

Term 4 – Energy and Resources – How are humans using our planet?

Term 5 – Sustainability – What is sustainable development?

Term 6 – Weather and Climate – Including Microclimate Investigation.

Year 8

Aim

To enrich students’ understanding of the world to help them understand their experiences within local, regional, and global systems; to empower them with geographical knowledge and skills to make informed judgements about the challenges the world currently faces; and to acknowledge their role in securing a sustainable future for the planet for all of humanity.

Topics Covered

Term 1 – Ecosystems of the World – An examination of the different ecosystems and their characteristics.

Term 2 – China – A study of population and distribution and migration with a focus on China.

Term 3 – Africa – The danger of a single story? – An exploring of Africa from different perspectives to challenge misconceptions.

Term 4 – River Landscapes – On-site fieldwork into infiltration and flooding.

Term 5 - Travel and Tourism - Using map skills to explore the impact of tourism on places.

Term 6 – India – Exploring the physical and human geography of India.

Year 9

Aim

To enrich students’ understanding of the world to help them understand their experiences within local, regional, and global systems; to empower them with geographical knowledge and skills to make informed judgements about the challenges the world currently faces; and to acknowledge their role in securing a sustainable future for the planet for all of humanity.

Topics Covered

Term 1 – Natural Hazards - A focus upon tectonic activity (volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis) and managing natural hazards.

Term 2 – Global Issues - An investigation into a variety of issues such as trade, globalisation, climate change and the problem with palm oil production.

Term 3 – Desolate Deserts - An investigation into the processes and challenges of living in desert environments.

Term 4 – Conflict in Geography – An investigation into different conflicts at a variety of scales, both within the UK and internationally.

Term 5 – Russia: A Prisoner of Geography? – An investigation into the geographical significance of Russia and superpower status.

Term 6 – The Geography of Crime – An investigation into crime within the local area, and the application of fieldwork techniques.

GCSE

Aim

GCSE specifications for the discipline of geography give students the opportunity to understand more about the world, the challenges it faces and their place within it. This GCSE course will deepen understanding of geographical processes, illuminate the impact of change and of complex people-environment interactions, highlight the dynamic links and interrelationships between places and environments at different scales, and develop students’ competence in using a wide range of geographical investigative skills and approaches. Geography enables young people to become globally and environmentally informed and thoughtful, enquiring citizens.

Topics Covered

We follow the Edexcel B specification. There are 9 modules to be covered over two years. Each year there is some flexibility over which units are taught depending on stories in the news and choice of controlled assessment title. Students will be set regular homework allowing them to retrieve prior knowledge, revise key concepts and engage with Geography in the wider world.

The GCSE course does not necessarily follow a ‘term by term’ format due to the varying lengths of topics and the need for different lesson pacing for individual classes, however the below gives an overview of the course as it is taught at WGS.

Year 10

Term 1 – Development Dynamics

Term 2 – Development Dynamics/UK Physical Landscapes

Term 3 – UK Physical Landscapes

Term 4 – UK Physical/Human Landscapes

Term 5 – UK Human Landscapes

Term 6 – Physical Geography Fieldwork and Revision

Year 11

Term 1 – Hazardous Earth/Human Geography Fieldwork

Term 2 – Hazardous Earth

Term 3 – Challenges of an Urbanising World

Term 4 – Paper Three (People and the biosphere/Forests under threat/Consuming energy resources).

Term 5 – Paper Three and Revision

Fieldwork

As part of GCSE Geography, students are required to complete two fieldwork investigations. At Wood Green, we believe that fieldwork is an opportunity both to study Geography in the ‘real world’, but also to expose students to places they may not otherwise visit which brings with it wider benefits both within Geography and students broader lives.

We currently meet this fieldwork requirements with two Geography field trips:

1. Hengistbury Head – a coastal fieldwork investigation, with a trip taking place in the summer of year 10.
2. Birmingham – an urban fieldwork investigation, with a trip taking place in the autumn of year 11.

GCSE Assessment

Paper 1: Global Geographical Issues (37.5%)

Paper 2: UK Geographical Issues (37.5%

Paper 3: People and Environment issues (25%)

GCSE Geography specification

A level

Aim

We follow the Edexcel specification. This A Level course will enable students to be inspired by their geographical understanding, to engage critically with real world issues and places, and to apply their geographical knowledge, theory and skills to the world around them. Students will grow as independent thinkers and as informed and engaged citizens, who understand the role and importance of geography as one of the key disciplines relevant to understanding the world’s changing peoples, places and environments. Students will be set regular study and homework allowing them to retrieve prior knowledge, revise key concepts and engage with Geography in the wider world through their own independent research.

Just like the GCSE, the A-Level course does not necessarily follow a ‘term by term’ format due to the varying lengths of topics and the need for different lesson pacing for individual classes, and students will have two Geography teachers concurrently. However the below gives a rough overview of the course structure:

Year 12

Terms 1-2: Coastal Landscapes/Globalisation

Terms 3-5: Tectonic Processes and Hazards/Regenerating Places

Term 6: Revision

Year 13

Terms 1-2: The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity/Superpowers

Terms 3-4: The Carbon cycle and Energy Security/Migration, Identity and Sovereignty

Term 5: Paper Three and Revision

Fieldwork and the NEA

A-Level Geography is assessed through three exams (making up 80% of the qualification) and one piece of coursework (known as a non-examined assessment, making up 20% of the qualification).

As part of A-level Geography, students must complete four days of fieldwork during which they will collect primary field data which is then used to write up their Non-Examined Assessment, or NEA.

We take students on a week long trip to Nettlecombe Field Studies Centre in North Somerset in the autumn of year 13 to meet this requirement. The trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to ‘live’ the Geography that they learn in the classroom, as well as a chance to design and create their own fieldwork project which will be written up into coursework over the following months. Students select their own topic ideas from any area within the A-level Geography course and, with our support, design a project that meets their own interests and expertise.

A-Level Assessment

Paper 1: Physical Geography (30%)

Paper 2: Human Geography (30%)

Paper 3: Synoptic Themes in Geography (20%)

NEA: Geography Coursework investigation (20%)

A level Geography specification

Updated November 2025