Geography is an extremely important part of the school curriculum and is a very cross-curricular subject. The emphasis in lessons is on topicality and relevance.

The Geography Department’s aims are:

  • Develop an understanding of the interactions between human and physical processes.
  • Encourage a sense of community, responsibility and international understanding.
  • Foster an understanding of interdependence and the commonality and diversity of human experience throughout the world.
  • Encourage concern for, and a sense of stewardship of, the environment, and an understanding of the concept of sustainability.
  • Develop skills in graphicacy, enquiry, creativity, analysis, evaluation and problem-solving.
  • Encourage students to develop the ability to work both independently and as part of a group.
  • Help students develop the ability to communicate their ideas and views effectively.

Contact Head of Geography

KS3

The OCR specifications at A Level and GCSE were chosen with the aim of best preparing students for a lifelong interest in the world and university-level study. The KS3 curriculum was then constructed in the form of a spiral curriculum with sequencing designed to provide regular focus on five Key Concepts (Scale, Place, Interconnection, Environment & Space), as well as regularly revisiting important topics, concepts and skills to build a solid foundation of knowledge for students moving through the school. The key concepts were chosen after we reflected upon a number of Geographical Association articles which aimed to identify the “Big Ideas” in Geography.

The content of each unit and when it is studied is designed to build up in scale to allow students to learn the fundamentals in more familiar contexts initially before learning to apply this knowledge to other environments and places in later years. The units in Year 8 allow students to learn about the geography of place on two separate continents, whilst the Year 9 curriculum tests students’ ability to apply their prior learning to a global context before starting the GCSE course. The topics that are currently studied are:

Year 7

  • Earth’s Story
  • The Best of the British Isles
  • UK Coasts
  • UK Weather

Year 8

  • The Climate Crisis
  • The USA
  • The Himalayas

Year 9

  • The Power of the Planet
  • Perceptions of our Planet
  • Sustainable management of the Oceans
  • Extreme Environments
  • The Anthropocene and the Future of Geography

KS4

Specification – AQA – Geography (8035)

 

Students will travel the world from their classroom, exploring case studies in the United Kingdom (UK), higher income countries (HICs), newly emerging economies (NEEs) and lower income countries (LICs). Topics of study include climate change, poverty, deprivation, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use. Students are also encouraged to understand their role in society, by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes.

 

Paper 1: Living with the physical environment (1hr 30 min exam / 35%)

  • The challenge of natural hazards
  • The living world
  • Physical landscapes in the UK
  • Geographical skills

Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment (1hr 30 min exam / 35%)

  • Urban issues and challenges
  • The changing economic world
  • The challenge of resource management
  • Geographical skills

Paper 3: Geographical Applications (1hr 30 min exam / 30%)

  • Issue evaluation
  • Fieldwork
  • Geographical skills

 

Geography provides an important link between the Humanities and the Sciences. It also helps to provide an understanding of current global issues such as sustainability, rainforest destruction, coastal and river management, the growth and impact of tourism, world population growth, resource management, pollution and conservation of the environment.

 

Geography is also a valuable contributor to a broad and balanced curriculum. Employment opportunities where geographical skills will be particularly valued include journalism and media, law, engineering, business management, teaching, economic planning, marketing, civil service, leisure, recreation, tourism and many more.

 

Geography is an optional subject from Year 10 upwards, yet there are many good reasons for taking the subject further.

KS5

Specification – OCR – Geography (H481)

A Level Geography offers an in-depth exploration of new and exciting topics, as well as extending knowledge of key concepts introduced at GCSE level.

The OCR A Level Geography course is ideal for students with a passion for understanding the Earth’s dynamic processes and the impact of human activities on the planet. It suits those who are curious about both scientific processes like climate change and hydrology, as well as societal issues like migration and urban development.

A Level Geography is highly regarded in Higher Education, recognised as a part-STEM subject and often paired with Science, Mathematics, Economics, Business and the Humanities. Geography students develop a broad set of skills, making them attractive to universities and employers in sectors such as environmental science, law, politics, finance, research, and urban planning. Geography offers flexible career pathways, with graduates working in fields as diverse as business and finance, science and the environment, technology, teaching, government and international development.

 

Unit 1: Physical Systems (1hr 30min exam)

Topic 1.1 Landscape Systems including Option A: Coastal landscapes
Topic 1.2 Earth’s Life Support Systems
Geographical Skills

Unit 2: Geographical Skills (1hr 30min exam)

Topic 2.1 Changing Spaces; Making Places
Topic 2.2 Global Connections
Geographical Skills

Unit 3: Geographical Debates (2hr 30mins exam)

Two topics are chosen from: Climate Change, Hazardous Earth, Future of Food, Disease Dilemmas, Exploring Oceans

Unit 4: Investigative Geography (Non-Examined Assessment)

Students conduct an independent research project, allowing them to explore an area of personal interest.

 

Geographers from Sutton Grammar have an outstanding record of examination success and are often later recognised by their universities as being exceptionally rounded students of the discipline. Seven of our students have recently gone to Oxbridge. With hard work, our students have a record of success: Half of our 2024 A Level group went on to pursue Geography (or a Geography-related degree) at university. 2018’s A Level group achieved 2A*s and 7As; 2010’s A Level group of 16 students achieved 6A*s and 10As.