Geography

In geography at Golborne, we believe our students are geographically blessed to grow up in a community shaped by both its proud mining heritage and the landscapes of the Northwest. Our curriculum helps them to understand the physical and human processes that have shaped not only our town and country, but also the wider world beyond to enable them to feel a sense of place and a pride in their community. 

We aim to inspire students to see the value of their roots while realising that geography gives them the tools to reach far beyond them. Through our teaching, students will develop the confidence to think critically, question the world around them, and communicate their ideas clearly.

Our ambitious spiral curriculum is built around Contextual World Knowledge, Understanding, Enquiry and Skills – goes beyond the National Curriculum. Themes such as sustainability, development, interdependence, inequality, globalisation, and resilience run throughout, helping students to see connections, understand challenges, and imagine solutions.

By the time they leave us, our students will be knowledgeable, curious, and compassionate global citizens. Students will carry forward transferable skills and cultural capital that empower them to succeed in education, employment, and life with the ambition to shape their own futures and the world around them.

 

Key stage 3 

Geography is a dynamic subject which strives to incorporate many different aspects of the vast curriculum experience that students receive at Golborne High School.  We take pride in offering a subject that is ambitious and academically rigorous. Geography connects seamlessly with every subject: it draws on science to understand Earth’s processes, on maths to interpret data, on history and politics to explain change, and on literature and the arts to explore perspectives and culture. This interconnectedness makes geography not only engaging but also one of the most versatile subjects for future careers.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum balances two important aims: helping pupils see themselves reflected in the topics they study, enabling them to make meaningful connections with their own lives to allow them to develop a sense of place and take pride in their community. At the same time, it opens their eyes onto the wider world allowing students to gain new perspectives, explore diverse places and cultures, and develop the curiosity to question and understand what they encounter.

We inspire a sense of awe and wonder by exploring how Earth’s physical processes have created some of the planet’s most iconic landscapes and environments. Our students study our ever-changing coastline, dramatic glaciated landscapes, the diversity of global biomes, and the powerful forces of tectonics. To bring this learning to life, students take part in practical lessons and have the chance to visit coastal and glaciated landscapes across the UK, with further opportunities to experience these phenomena on international trips to Iceland and Italy.

Our KS3 curriculum is dynamic, modern, and constantly evolving to reflect the real-world issues that matter to our students. They explore human geography topics that are fascinating, highly relevant and go above and beyond the breadth and depth of the national curriculum. Through overarching themes such as globalisation, development, and inequality, pupils study population challenges in Year 7, superpower geography in Year 8, and the geography of crime and conflict in Year 9. This allows them to see how human geography shapes the world we live in. These themes and topics not only make geography a living, breathing subject at KS3 but also provide the foundation for GCSE and further study, ensuring students are inspired, confident, and well-prepared for the next stage of their geographical journey.

Above all, we strive to ensure our students develop a sense of place, a deep understanding of the world, challenge it with confidence, and feel empowered to leave it better than they found it!

Key stage 4

Geography at Key Stage 4 is more than just a subject – it’s a way of understanding the world we live in. Our curriculum inspires curiosity about people, places, and the environment, while also equipping students with the skills they need for success in exams and beyond.

Studying geography helps students to:

• Develop a deeper understanding of global challenges such as climate change and resource management
• Build problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills that are highly valued by employers and universities
• Experience learning beyond the classroom through fieldwork investigations
• Make sense of real-world issues that affect their lives, communities, and the wider world

There are three exam papers GCSE geography:

Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment

Content:

• The challenge of natural hazards (tectonic hazards, weather hazards, climate change)
• The living world (ecosystems, tropical rainforests, cold environments)
• Physical landscapes in the UK (rivers and coasts)
• Exam length: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Marks: 88 marks + 3 for spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPaG)
• Weighting: 35% of GCSE

Paper 2: Challenges in the Human Environment

Content:

• Urban issues and challenges
• The changing economic world
• The challenge of resource management (with a focus on water)
• Exam length: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Marks: 88 marks + 3 for SPaG
• Weighting: 35% of GCSE

Paper 3: Geographical Applications

Content:

• Issue Evaluation – a pre-release resource booklet (given in March of Year 11)
• Fieldwork – questions based on students’ own fieldwork (human & physical)
• Exam length: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Marks: 76 marks + 6 for SPaG
• Weighting: 30% of GCSE

 

Curriculum journey