Geography

Facilities and Resources

The geography curriculum team is a dynamic and progressive one and operates from a well-equipped suite of 5 purpose built classrooms and 2 offices. The team has created a superb positive working environment with excellent displays within both the classrooms, adjacent corridors and approaching communal areas.

Staffing

The geography curriculum team is an experienced and well-established team of 6 geography specialists who adopt a wide variety of innovative teaching and learning styles to promote active learning. This is achieved using different media, photographs, video, role-play, simulation, decision-making and problem solving exercises.

Overall Aims and Objectives

At one time the value of geography was little more than storing in the minds of students facts of a certain type, some of which might prove useful, many of which would not.

Today, knowledge of geography produces a better international understanding and goodwill as well as a clear understanding of the way the world works and the problems it faces. Never before has geography had a more important role in the all round education of students.
"Geography, is the subject which holds the key to the future" Michael Palin

Within all that is geography and at all scales we aim to give students:

  • The people/environment link - an understanding of the relationships, patterns which exist
  • The spatial element - an understanding of the spatial nature of the relationships and processes.
  • The skills - a range of skills which can be used to study, investigate and understand geography.
  • The one planet - an appreciation and tolerance of the other people and the environment.
  • The fun - to stimulate and develop a lasting interest and enthusiasm in the subject.

KS3/KS4/Sixth Form

Geography is an extremely popular subject throughout all the key stages and into the sixth form. At GCSE students study the WJEC/OCR Avery Hill specification. At AS/A2 students study the AQA specification B. Edexcel Travel and Tourism is also available as an AS/A2.

Educational Visits/Extra-curricular Activities

There is a tradition of fieldwork and of using the local area and the school site with its views towards Alderley Edge and the Pennines and its own pond/woodland ecosystem which was re established as a Millennium Project as an outdoor classroom.

What makes us different

The team prides itself in the quality of its teaching and learning. In the team's classrooms there is a calm, supportive working atmosphere supported by a strong system of rewards and incentives such as the Geography Gold Letter which is sent home to parents for outstanding effort and/or achievements in the subject.

Current issues are frequently used as resources whether it is mid latitude depression passing over Wilmslow or the G8 and Live8 events touching upon our lessons in Global economic development.

The team exhibits rigorous professionalism in everything, accepting nothing but the very best in a culture of praise reward and achievement.