Geography
Head of department | Mr S Zeglam |
s.zeglam@habstrustsouth.org.uk |
Having now become the most popular option subject for Year 9 students, with over 125 students in Year 10 our curriculum is steeped in academic challenge, cultural capital and academic excellence. In 2022, the Geography department at Hatcham College was awarded by The Royal Geographical Society the Award for Excellence in Geographical Learning, the outcome of exceptional performance in geographical examinations.
Having now become the most popular subject option for Year 9 students, with over 125 students in Year 10, our curriculum is steeped in academic challenge, cultural capital, and academic excellence. In 2022, the Geography department at Hatcham College was awarded the Award for Excellence in Geographical Learning by The Royal Geographical Society in recognition of exceptional performance in geographical examinations. Additionally, we are proud to have received the PTI Geography Mark, highlighting our commitment to delivering high-quality geography education that inspires and engages students.
Subject Overview
Geography at Hatcham College aims to inspire students and staff through the study of contemporary geographical issues. These include the identification of endangered species in Year 7, studying colonialism and global commons in Year 8, and exploring the synoptic links between geopolitics and environmental disasters in Year 9. By offering GCSE and A-level Geography, students have a full opportunity to develop as geographers before reaching university.
Curriculum Journey
In Key Stage 3, the curriculum was restructured in 2023 to enable pupils to become knowledge experts while acquiring and practicing geographical skills applicable to education and broader studies. The increased breadth of geographical study is further developed at Key Stage 4, culminating in Key Stage 5 with intellectual challenge, strong cultural capital, and academic excellence.
Geography is a subject that connects all aspects of learning, and there has been clear and targeted planning of the curriculum to enable students to make synoptic links between topics throughout Key Stages 3, 4, and 5. This is facilitated through integrated regular retrieval practice, homework, and revision exercises to help learners perform to the best of their ability.
Embedded in the curriculum are regular opportunities to cultivate a love of Geography beyond the classroom, with consistent signposting of ‘Geography jobs’ and ‘Brilliant Books’ within each unit. In Geography, we prioritize reading and literacy as essential components of being good geographers and actively encourage students to explore the subject more deeply through reading lists shared on the Firefly page and within the Learning Resource Centre.
Key Stage 3 Overview
Beginning in Year 7, students build on their work in primary school Geography and start to ‘learn like geographers’. The topics studied in Year 7 are:
- Creating a Sustainable World
- Ecosystem Interactions
- Place Study: Russia
- Urban Interactions
- Weather Processes
Key Stage 4 Overview
During Year 10, students begin work towards their Edexcel B Geography GCSE and recall their knowledge and skills gained from Key Stage 3. The topics studied by students in Year 10 are:
- Making Geography Decisions; The Challenges of an Urbanising World (Paper 1);
- Hazardous Earth (Paper 1);
- The UK's Physical Landscape (Paper 2); and
- The UK's Human Landscape (Paper 2);
Students will be developing their cartographic, graphical and statistical skills further in combination with the ability to critically evaluate geographical concepts, in order to ‘apply themselves as geographers’ in the future. As students enter Year 11 they continue working towards their Edexcel B Geography GCSE learning what it means to ‘achieve like a geographer’. The topics studied by students in Year 11 are:
- Geographical Investigations (Paper 2);
- Development Dynamics (Paper 1);
- Challenges of an Urbanising World (Paper 1)
Key Stage 5 Overview
During Years 12 and 13, students work towards their Edexcel Geography A Level, recalling their knowledge and skills gained from Key Stages 3 and 4. Students begin to ‘connect like geographers’ before ultimately learning to ‘see the world like geographers’. Understanding of Geography is gained through the study of the following topics:
- Tectonic Processes and Hazards
- Coastal Landscapes and Change
- The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity
- The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security
- Globalisation
- Regenerating Places
- Superpowers
- Migration, Identity, and Sovereignty
Students complete a Non-Examined Assessment through an independent fieldwork investigation.
They further develop their cartographic, graphical, and statistical skills in conjunction with the ability to critically evaluate geographical concepts through a wide variety of case studies. By the end of the course, students should have learned to make synoptic connections between knowledge gained throughout the course, preparing them for an undergraduate degree in Geography.
How is Geography subject assessed?
We assess students’ abilities over time, with improvement in mind, to ensure that assessments are seen as celebrations of success rather than daunting experiences in the classroom, as we prioritize maximum effort and deep thinking above all else.
Students complete formal Pre-Public Examinations as part of the whole-school Pre-Public Examination timetable. In addition to these summative assessments, students regularly engage in a wide variety of formative assessments to enhance their ability to recall and apply knowledge, addressing topics from the past, present, and future. This is achieved both inside and outside of lessons through low-stakes quizzes and Seneca retrieval.
Students receive feedback once per half term through the marking of one Quality Marked Piece within their book, in addition to regular in-class live marking and verbal questioning. Students respond to this feedback during ‘Hatcham Improvement Time’. At Key Stages 4 and 5, students also receive written feedback on exam questions as part of their homework.
How does this subject fulfil SMSC needs?
Social: Geography introduces students to the diversity of cultures, societies, and communities around the world. Through a Hatcham curriculum that studies different countries and regions, students develop an understanding and appreciation of social diversity. Furthermore, the use of fieldwork encourages students to engage with their local communities, fostering a sense of social responsibility.
Moral: Moral issues are a vital part of many topics covered in Geography. The Hatcham Geography Curriculum aims to raise awareness of environmental issues and ethical dilemmas related to resource use, climate change, and conservation. It encourages students to reflect on their moral responsibilities toward the planet and future generations. Additionally, our exploration of issues related to social justice, such as inequality, poverty, and human rights violations, encourages students to think critically about these matters.
Spiritual: The study of Geography promotes a sense of wonder and fascination with the physical and human world. Understanding scale is an important aspect of Geography, as small changes in climate can have far-reaching consequences. Students develop an understanding that all life is interconnected, creating the processes that make Earth the only known inhabited planet. They reflect on the long and short-term impacts, noting the rights and wrongs linked to the value of justice. The value of stewardship is also emphasized, focusing on reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Cultural: Geography at Hatcham promotes an understanding of different cultures, traditions, and languages. It encourages students to appreciate and respect cultural diversity, which is essential for their cultural development. Geography often involves studying historical sites, monuments, and the impact of human activities on landscapes, helping students connect with their own cultural heritage and history.
How does the subject challenge more able pupils and High Prior Attainers?
The Geography curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all students so they can develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the subject. Geography teachers at Hatcham utilize a wide range of learning approaches to set suitable learning challenges, respond to students’ diverse needs, and overcome potential barriers to learning.
All teachers within the department are expected to maintain sufficiently high expectations for all learners, with this regularly monitored through Quality Assurance by the Head of Department. This includes lesson scans, half-termly work scrutiny, and termly online student feedback.
Students are regularly challenged and encouraged to consider some of the big geographical ideas through the use of NEXT and THEN tasks in all lessons.
What provision is made for pupils with SEND?
Teaching within the Geography department at Hatcham consistently aims to avoid presenting pupils with SEND with an oversimplified and dull curriculum. Instead, they are provided with a rich Geography curriculum that excites, engages, and includes all students. Unnecessarily complex geographical terminology is stripped back to ensure an understanding that enables SEND students to access the curriculum.
Quality first teaching ensures SEND pupils receive wave one interventions in class. This may include scaffolded work, differentiated delivery, and appropriately challenging targets through visual cues, structured routines, and writing frames. Written and spoken instructions are presented in a manner that enables all pupils to access the curriculum.
Enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities
Students are provided with a range of compulsory and non-compulsory trips. At GCSE, students visit Seaford on the south coast and Stratford as part of two days of fieldwork, while A Level students visit Southwold in Norfolk for three days. Additionally, A Level students at Hatcham visit the Migration Museum, the Museum of London Docklands, and Queen Mary University of London.
At Key Stage 3, on-site fieldwork opportunities have been embedded into the curriculum, while competitions for each unit in each year at this Key Stage aim to foster a passion and love for Geography. Furthermore, the Geography Club at Key Stage 3 engages students outside of lessons during a short lunchtime session.
At Key Stage 4, the GCSE Booster Club occurs weekly at lunchtime, providing an opportunity to recap, revise, or catch up with the GCSE Geography course through a range of subject knowledge-based activities and exam technique practice. These lunchtime sessions involve exam practice, allowing students time to discuss how to approach each question and how to formulate the best answers.