The Whitstable
School

Geography

In geography at TWS we address many of the world’s urgent concerns that we currently face and teach a diverse range of topics including urban development issues and challenges, climate change, migration and conflict and natural hazards.

We always look to ensure that students have a sense of awe and wonder of the world we live in through relevant, engaging and purposeful topics studied at both KS3 and KS4. As Michael Palin once said “geography is a subject which holds the key to our future”. We look to make full use of our location along the North Kent Coastline with a range of field trips we run including to Whitstable and Reculver to study coastline management and to Margate to study regeneration and tourism.

We support our students in achieving their full potential.

Director of Humanities Mr J. Brewster (james.brewster@swale.at)

KS3 Geography

In Year 7 and 8 students our aim is to make the subject as relevant and stimulating as possible. We constantly relate our topics to real world examples and refer to current news, issues and events taking place around the world. We cover a wide range of topics and embed geographical and GCSE skills into these topics in preparation for those students who want to go on to study the subject at GCSE.

GCSE Geography

Assessment Objectives:

  • AO1: Demonstrate knowledge of locations, places, processes, environments and different scales (15%).
  • AO2: Demonstrate geographical understanding of: concepts and how they are used in relation to places, environments and processes; the interrelationships between places, environments and processes (15%).
  • AO3: Apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues to make judgements (35%, including 10% applied to fieldwork contexts).
  • AO4: Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings (25%, including 5% used to respond to fieldwork data and contexts).

Examination board and course:  AQA GCSE Geography (8035)

Assessment: 100% examination based

  • Paper 1: Living with the physical environment – 35% of overall GCSE
  • Paper 2: Challenging in the human environment – 35% of overall GCSE
  • Paper 3: Geography skills and application – 30% of overall GCSE

Topics studied:

  • Paper 1: Natural and tectonic hazards, weather hazards, climate change, ecosystems, tropical rainforests, hot deserts, costal landscapes and processes and river landscapes and processes.
  • Paper 2: Urban issues and challenges, Nigeria as a newly emerging economy, changing economic world and challenges of resource management.
  • Paper 3: Geographical skills, human field work, physical field work and pre-release material (issued 6 weeks prior to Paper 3 exam).

Revision websites:

BBC Bitesize for GCSE: https://www.bbc.com/education/examspecs/zy3ptyc

S-Cool: https://s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography

Revision World: https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/geography

Student testimonials:

“Geography is great because you learn new skills and new facts every lesson.”  Will, year 7.

“I look forward to my geography lessons because my teacher helps me learn about the world around me.”  Molly, year 8.

“I really enjoyed learning about natural hazards and the impacts that they have had on people and the environment.”- Millie, year 10.

 “My teacher makes the learning relevant and uses current trends to put into context what is going on in our everyday lives” – Tenecia, year 11.

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