For more curricular information contact info@clwacademy.org.uk

“Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic and relevant”

Sir Michael Palin.

Our intention is to develop a geography curriculum which builds an understanding of how physical factors have influenced our lives and how humans have impacted on the environment. Our intention is to offer a broad geography curriculum to give pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding to appreciate the wider subject. We draw on the past experience of our students when choosing fieldwork, case studies and examples so that every child at Carlton le Willows Academy can be led towards gaining expertise in geography.

Today we know more about our world than at any other time in our history but we still know very little. We need to know more. The study of Geography is about understanding how we affect our environment and how our environment affects us. Our philosophy is to inspire students to want to learn more about the interaction of people and places in the world. The department offers GCSE Geography, A Level Geography and A Level Travel and Tourism.

Fieldwork is growing in importance in the department and features in the scheme of work for every year group. Sixth form students spend a week in Iceland where they investigate renewable energies, glaciers and hazard management planning for earthquakes and volcanoes.

Year 7 will cover subjects including map skills, how eco-systems interact and can be managed and forecasting the weather

Year 8 will study topics including earthquakes, how to cope with the world’s increasing population and about managing the coastline.

Year 9 begin the foundation year for GCSE Geography. This covers both physical and human geography and introduces topics like cold environments and urban issues.

At Key Stage 4 students study towards the AQA GCSE, which is delivered by a combination of classroom and practical learning, with river fieldwork in Derbyshire. Assessment is by three exams.

Content includes natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes; the living world (ecosystems, tropical rainforest and cold environments); physical landscapes in the UK; urban issues; the changing economic world and resource management such as changes in energy supply and consumption.

More information can be found on the AQA website by clicking here.

At Key Stage 5 A Level Geography provides the opportunity to study contemporary events which relate to everyday life, with the subject divided into human and physical geography.

Students who are successful in A Level Geography have the ability to formulate opinions based on evidence from a range of sources such as data, maps, images and graphs. They have an enquiring mind and a genuine interest in understanding how natural and human environments interact.

Assessment is by exams and in Year 13, there is the opportunity for students to investigate an issue of their choice. Fieldwork takes place in Derbyshire and Iceland.

The Geography department also offers A Level Travel and Tourism (WJEC) in Sixth Form. This covers the principles of customer services, travel destinations, current issues in travel & tourism, research into how organisations deliver customer service quality and the management of a travel and tourism project