Geography at HBS

We “will be taught that beneath and behind all of the outward beauty of our lowlands, our uplands and our highlands there lies an inner history which when revealed will give beauty a fuller significance and an added dream.” Archibald Geikie, 1905.

We want students to understand and appreciate the world around them and which they inhabit – their home. Geography provokes and answers questions about the physical and human worlds, using different scales of enquiry to view them from different perspectives. At the heart of studying Geography is the desire to find out more about why, and how, various inter-related elements of this complex world work.  In Geography at HBS, we aim to develop geographers with a deep knowledge of key geographical information and concepts to help students understand their world. This geography is taught by building up first systematic, substantive knowledge that studies locations, place and space, physical and human geography. This is then put into practice through disciplinary and procedural knowledge that comes from introducing students to geographical skills each year. Through this, over time, students will be able to use this knowledge and understanding to have more enquiring minds. This will enable students to ‘think like a geographer’ and investigate places and events through social, economic and environmental lenses, while also being able to recognise the links between them.  We do this while also building and refining a multitude of intellectual, literary, mathematical, fieldwork and analytical skills that are transferable across subjects and valued by universities and employers alike. We want them to be able to make reasoned and balanced judgements about an increasingly complex, challenging and ‘messy’ world. We aim to do this with teaching that has an emphasis on making the subject dynamic, contemporary and relevant. We strive to use the most recent information and examples to illustrate the topics being covered. Through this approach, we hope to develop knowledgeable, skilled, aware geographers and students with a passion for the subject that they will want to take further.

“Geography is an interdisciplinary subject that explores the complex interdependence between the physical characteristics of a place and its politics, economics, and culture. It plays a vital role in shaping history, present crises, and the future solution of the most pressing issues facing human civilisation.” 

Key Stage 3

In Years 7 – 9, we seek to get students to ask questions of the world surrounding them while also developing deep knowledge and understanding of key geographical concepts, processes, and places. Students will develop a knowledge and understanding of the physical and human world around them. We look at the interaction between people and their environment and the global issues that the planet faces. They also learn the skills that are required to be a geographer such as writing in a geographical way, reading maps, using statistics, and assessing points of view to come to a supported judgment. As a popular GCSE choice we want them to start developing these as soon as possible so revisit key skills in every year of Key Stage 3.

Key Stage 4

Over two-thirds of students usually opt to take Geography at GCSE.  We follow the AQA syllabus for GCSE. This is a balanced course that builds on the Key Stage 3 experience. Physical processes are explored, along with the human world, and how these two processes interact with the natural environment. The course enables students to see how these impact on a variety of scales: local, national, and international. These are seen first-hand through a residential field trip to Flatford Mill.

Key Stage 5

At A-Level students will study the Edexcel specification, which is a topical and challenging course. Geographers will need to see the interactions between human, physical and environmental processes. Fieldwork and research skills are key features of the course. The modules show how Geography is a key subject that addresses the key ideas and debates of the world today.

In Year 12 the topics studied in Year 12 include Tectonic Processes and Hazards, Globalisation, Glaciated Landscapes and Change, and Regenerating Places. They will also attend a 5-day field trip to the Lake District which will help them prepare for and start collecting data for their Non-examined Assessment (coursework) which allows them great freedom to investigate an area of Geography they have an interest in.

In Year 12 and 13 students finish their Non-examined Assessment (coursework). They also study topics on the Water and Carbon Cycles, Migration, and Superpower Geographies. Finally, they will spend time preparing to bring all their knowledge and understanding together in Paper 3 which asks them to investigate a contemporary geographical issue.