Geography
Geography at Palmers Green High School aims to:
- Tackle the big issues facing the world today such as environmental responsibility, global interdependence and cultural understanding and tolerance.
- Bring about an awareness of various human and physical environments, an understanding of their formation and the impacts they have on people and the world.
- Equip pupils with an array of skills which can further their awareness of the subject and be applied to situations away from the classroom both now and in the future.
- Ensure pupils possess a good knowledge of places across the world.
All pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 study Geography for 105 minutes per week. Units of work are chosen to meet the requirements of the national curriculum as well as departmental aims. The programme of study has been purposely developed to reflect different skills. In Geography we use a variety of resources and stimulus material rather than any one particular set of core texts.
Geography Surgeries are run for Years 7 to 11 for pupils who want to further develop their interest in this subject. In addition, teaching and learning outside of the classroom is considered invaluable by the Geography department. To this end, efforts are made to provide pupils with the opportunity to go on field trips and complete field work. Pupils in KS3 participate in the Royal Geographical Society’s Young Geographer of the Year Competition.
Curriculum
Year 7
In Year 7 Geography is taught largely in a national context (The UK). Topics include:
- What is Geography?/ The Geography of the UK and who we are/ Working with Maps/ Where People Live/ Weather & Climate/ Climate Change
Year 8
In Year 8 pupils develop their Geographical understanding by considering different Geographical themes. Topics include:
- Geography of Crime/ How water shapes the land: rivers, coasts and ice/ The Geography of Food/ International Day Preparations
Year 9
The final year of compulsory Geography is Year 9. Pupils have the opportunity to find out how the subject can be studied on a global level. Topics include:
- Development & Globalisation/ Tectonic Hazards/ Africa Today/ Tropical Rainforests
GCSE Geography
Please click here to view the GCSE curriculum (link takes you to the Geography page of the Options booklet)
Extra-Curricular Activities
Year 7
Working with Ordnance Survey maps in the local area and completing a weather investigation by using Geographical Enquiry methodology.
Year 8
Field work is being developed to support the learning of Rivers and to develop Geographical Enquiry skills. In addition to the many activities taking place during the year, a highlight is the annual International Day. Led by the Geography Department, Year 8 pupils spend time researching and presenting displays on the geography, culture, music and religion of a range of different countries in the world.
Year 9
Workshops on renewable energy and the Green Economy in conjunction with Groundwork London, one of the biggest charities in the UK, have run in 2018 and 2019. A visit to the Natural History Museum to participate in the Rocks the World workshop and to visit the Earth Sciences Galleries was organised to support classroom learning of Tectonic Hazards
