The Geography Department at Hydesville Towers School endeavours to introduce students to the natural and human worlds, at many different scales. This will be achieved by making the curriculum accessible to all students within the school. Geography will also be used to engage students in academic studies, to increase their integration into school life.

Aim
Introduce students to the physical and human world.
Teach transferable skills that reach across the syllabus.
Help students to understand the natural and human worlds, at different levels and to view them from different perspectives.
Teach transferable skills especially in English, ICT and Science.
Take students out of the classroom environment to understand Geography in the real world.

Objective
The geography department will achieve these aims by 

• Covering some of the National Curriculum requirements, to provide a balanced range of study from local to global. Builds on pupils' previous geographical experiences. Provides opportunities for pupils to increase their awareness of the global context and interdependence of places
• Provides opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their learning, set a range of tasks that encompass different ICT, English and other key skills.; that contributes to the development of pupils' literacy, numeracy and other key skills; Provides opportunities for progression in pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills in geography;
• Complete all the necessary work as specified by the AQA B specimen, with the use of questions from the last 5 years. To complete the coursework before Christmas each year.
• Start to develop a series of trips to the local area that enhance the learning of the pupils in a safe setting. This will include a river study, a look at Walsall redevelopment around the new gallery. These will be integrated into classroom activities.

Structure

KS3

Year seven will be taught the following units:

Year eight will be taught the following units:

Year nine will be taught the following units:

KS4

In key stage 4 the students are working towards Geography 2008/10 Specification A GCSE 3031. The specification and assessment material are published on the AQA Website (www.aqa.org.uk).

This will be replaced by the new AQA B Specification next year.

Careers and Higher Education
The Royal Geographical society shows that Geography can lead to careers in:

Population and Settlement to analyse crime for the Metropolitan Police

Map work and GIS work as a researcher for Ordnance Survey

Economic Geography  gain a career with DEFRA

Travel and Tourism become a travel writer

Ecosystems and Environment work on biodiversity and climate change 

Weather and Climate become a BBC weather presenter

Land and water Processes work as a Senior Laboratory Technician

Development and Global Issues become a foreign diplomat

General Skills A geography degree provides a variety of skills which can be used in lots of jobs. For instance, Libby, a lawyer, describes how the skills she learnt while studying geography have helped her work. Monish explains how geography helped him to become a Project Manager

http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/CareersAndFurtherStudy/Careers+poster.htm

Trips and Educational visits

KS4

Dovedale a river study in the Peak District National Park.
Urban structure in Walsall
London the influence of the Thames on a Primate city, redevelopment of Isle of Dogs

KS3

Redevelopment of Walsall town centre.
Reurbanisation in Birmingham
River study on the Long Mynd
Woodland study