Geography

What we hope to achieve

We believe the geography department at Camden School For Girls should be a place where students...

...feel that their lessons are vivid, real, relevant and current, that they readily see the connections between what they are studying in class and the important factors changing their world; the first-hand experience of fieldtrips is central to making these connections
...really enjoy themselves in lessons, which they actively look forward to, and in which they feel engaged; a department and a subject which every child remembers with affection
...feel that it is good to ask questions, and that the department will help them learn independently
...appreciate the diversity and breadth of geography and are given opportunities to develop their own interests beyond the National Curriculum and exam board syllabuses
...feel stretched and succeed at the highest level

We'd also like parents and carers to feel engaged in their children's learning of geography and feel they have opportunities to question and engage with the curriculum

The department organises a very wide range of after-school masterclasses designed to promote interest in the subject beyond the National Curriculum and exam syllabuses. Speakers come from a very wide range of backgrounds - broadcasters, politicians, academics - and give informal lectures or run workshops for students of different age group. Parents and carers are welcome at these events.

Curriculum summary

Students in Year 7 study Geography for two 40 minutes periods with this rising to three periods in Years 8 and 9. The department follows the national curriculum guidelines for KS3 while aiming to add topics of particular interest. Subjects covered include the development of the London Docklands, weather patterns, earthquakes and volcanoes and a population study of Nicaragua.

In Years 10 and 11, Geography is a popular option subject chosen by students of all abilities, the department teaches the AQA syllabus A. Fieldwork is an important element of the GCSE course and all Year 11 students are taken on a week's residential fieldtrip to Wales to study rivers and post industrial landscapes.

At Key Stage 5 we follow the Edexcel course and again there is an emphasis on fieldwork. The Y12 students undertake 2 days of fieldwork in coastal management in Sussex, and carry out further fieldwork in Camden. Physical topics include tectonics, water and climate change. Human topics include globalisation, geopolitics and diverse places.