Geography
What is Geography?
'Geography is the study of the earth's landscapes, peoples, places and environments. It is, quite simply, about the world in which we live.'
Royal Geographical Society
Our aim is to provide pupils with a stimulating and enjoyable route to success in Geography. We want every girl to achieve their very best whilst encouraging a lifelong passion for learning about the world around them.
KS3
In Years 7, 8 and 9, girls enjoy a varied and dynamic selection of both Human and Physical Geography topics. Learning activities favour the use of ICT, role playing, pupil presentations and enquiries. Field trips in each year support the work that is done in the classroom.
Year 7: Ordnance Survey maps, Japan, rivers, settlement,
Year 8: Deserts, rainforests, weather and climate, Brazil, population
Year 9: Tourism, industry, differences in wealth, ice worlds, volcanoes and earthquakes.
Year 7 visit Docklands
KS4
Geography is a popular GCSE choice. We follow the AQA A syllabus, 25 % of which is a single piece of coursework, an investigation that the girls write up in the Autumn term of Year 11.
Year 10: Population, coasts, industry, ecosystems
Year 11: Tectonic plates, coursework, development, glaciers
The Sixth Form at Epping Forest
KS5
In addition to Physical and Human topics, our Sixth Formers are also required to study for a Geographical Skills paper in Year 12. This requires them to undertake two days of field studies outside of the classroom. This currently takes place in Epping Forest and Muswell Hill.
Year 12: settlement patterns, population characteristics, population movements, rivers, tectonics, coastal environments
Year 13: economic systems, development processes, glacial environments, ecosystems.
Globetrotters
Come along to the Year 8 Globetrotters Club on Wednesdays in BH10. Ms Bramhall and three Sixth Form helpers turn it into something not to miss. Have fun making rainforest gateaux, sprinkling tropical fruits and decorations on to your cakes... and then eating them.
Show your support and commitment to recycling by designing and making your own costume from recyclable materials. Then take part in a fashion show.
If you prefer a more laid-back lunchtime, you can watch films related to Geography such as Dante's Peak and The Perfect Storm.
There are lots of games and quizzes, often for great prizes. We also learn about Fairtrade and who it affects. There is a chocolate tasting experiment to see what Fairtrade products taste like.
Globetrotters meets every week to enjoy the edible side to Geography
Outside the classroom
To help bring all this Geography to life, girls are taken on a variety of trips and excursions from Year 7 right through to Year 13.
Year 7 study "Urban change" with a day out to the London Docklands. Our annual excursion to this fantastic part of London is fast becoming a firm favourite with the girls. Our tour includes visits to St Katharine Dock, Wapping, Canary Wharf and the Cutty Sark to study land use changes. We enjoy lunch with office workers on the grass outside Canada Square and a fascinating river cruise along the Thames.
Year 9 take a trip to the IMAX cinema and Natural History Museum in early July. After a trip across London on the tube, Year 9 spend the morning at Waterloo's Imax cinema watching a 3D geographical film. The afternoon's activity takes place in the Earth Science area of the Natural History Museum where girls collect facts about Earthquakes and Volcanoes.
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Year 12 carry out fieldwork in Epping Forest and Muswell Hill. They investigate drainage basin changes and shopping patterns and land use.
GCSE and A-level girls are also given the opportunity of an overseas excursion. We are currently very excited about the October 2008 trip to Iceland, when 35 girls will have the chance to see at first hand some of the wonderful geographical features they learn about in class, such as glaciers, lava fields, geysers and tectonic plate boundaries.
RGS membership
The department's membership of the RGS allows our sixth formers to attend some truly inspiring lectures at the society's headquaters in Kensington. This year, our geographers have already listened to a talk on Antartica's fragile environment by Big Cat Diary's Jonathan Scott.
