SCHOOL
Geography Department
Staffing
Dr. Andrew CramptonHead of Department
Miss Sally BrownTeacher of Geography (also Head of Year 10)
Miss Louise WheelerTeacher of Geography (also teaches History)
Geography is taught as a separate subject from key stage 3 through to A Level.
Examinations
Students study Edexcel at AS and A2
Students study OCR B at GCSE
Examination Results
It is compulsory for students to study at least one humanity at KS4 with many studying two. Next year 65 students have opted for Geography. Results are excellent with a high proportion of students gaining A or A*. Last year 100% of students achieved A*- B with 80% of students gaining an A or A*. A Level Geography is a popular option at sixth form. There are currently 22 students studying AS Geography and 16 A2 Geography. Results at sixth form are also consistently excellent. Last year at AS Level all students achieved A – C with 80% of students achieving an A. At A2 last year 73% of students achieved an A or A*.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is seen as an essential part of the curriculum. At Key Stage 3 all pupils have a one-day field trip at some stage during their course and at Key Stages 4 and 5 all pupils participate in a residential field trip. The field trips at Key Stages 4 and 5 are designed to meet the particular syllabus requirements and the department uses Field Studies Council centres to ensure students receive the best tuition available. At GCSE the field trip takes place at the Rhyd – y – creuau Centre in Snowdonia, and at A Level we visit the Blencathra Centre in the Lake District.
Timetable
Accommodation
Most of the department’s lessons are taught in two Geography classrooms that are situated near the departmental office. The teaching rooms are well equipped with projectors, interactive whiteboards, VCR and DVD players, and visualisers. The department also has eight laptops for classroom use and digital cameras. As well as facilities in the Geography department, we have access to five bookable ICT suites each with 32 computers.
Courses Taught
The KS3 schemes of work are designed to develop students’ thinking skills and help prepare them for their future studies. A recent school development has seen a focus on ‘Building Learning Power’ and developing students’ learning habits. Schemes of learning are therefore designed to also encourage deep learning and metacognition as well as delivering a geographical content. The diversity of the subject allows a varied curriculum that draws on a wide range of topics and encourages students to explore the world and make links with their local area. Topics taught include: Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Multicultural Birmingham, Tourism, Rivers, Brazil, Development, Global Fashion, and Global Futures.
At KS4 students study the OCR B syllabus. The curriculum includes units on: Natural Hazards, Economic Development, Rivers and Coasts, and Population and Settlement.
At KS5 students study the Edexcel syllabus. The curriculum includes units on Going Global, CrowdedCoasts, Rebranding Places, Superpowers, Energy, Water, Biodiversity, The Development Gap, Technological Fix.
Further Information
This is a forward thinking and innovative department committed to raising standards in teaching and learning. The successful candidate will be joining a hard-working department that over the last three years has had improving results and option numbers. It is hoped that the colleague who joins us will share our enthusiasm for the subject and inspire us with new ideas and initiatives.
A Crampton
Head of Geography
April 2012