Geography

Rational:

Adopting and constructing a curriculum that is highly ambitious and designed to give all learners the knowledge and cultural capital (for example at KS3 with outside speakers from University and visits to Durham) they need to succeed in life.
Having a curriculum that is planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.
Learners studying the full curriculum. Thus allowing them to have a ‘deeper’ knowledge (for detailed subject knowledge see KS3 long term plans and SOW). Students will feel confident to debate and discuss their knowledge and respond to feedback to ensure that they are making progress.

The Geography Department contributes to the whole school curriculum intent by:

Having a curriculum that will engage all pupils and raise their curiosity and fascination of the world around them and their local area. Therefore allowing students to appreciate their own sense of place in the world.
Geography students will have the ability to cope with the demands of the new curriculum and its demands. They will develop social skills that will allow them to work effectively with those around them. Students across KS3 and KS4 will understand how to revise and prepare for examinations.
Geography students will be confident to lead, make informed decisions, communicate effectively, reflect, adapt, and be independent and critical thinkers. They will be global citizens with broad horizons, who can make a valuable contribution to the global society in which we now live. This also involves having a commitment to fieldwork ranging from the local coastal areas to international visits; this will allow students to be global citizens.
Promoting literacy and numeracy across all teaching, where applicable. The department will link to careers and contribute to whole school initiatives and promote staff well-being.

Teachers within the Geography Department have a good knowledge of the subject and courses they teach.
Teachers will present subject matter clearly, promoting appropriate discussion about the subject matter being taught. Teachers check learning and understanding systematically, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback. Teachers will respond and adapt their teaching as necessary.
Over the course of the curriculum, teaching is designed to help learners to remember in the long term the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts.
Teachers and leaders must use assessment well, for example to help learners embed and knowledge fluently, or check understanding and inform teaching. Leaders understand the limitations of assessment and do not use it in a way that creates unnecessary burden to staff or leaners.
Teachers create an environment that allows learners to focus on the learning. Resources and materials that teachers select reflect the teacher’s ambitious intentions for the curriculum and support the planned curriculum, sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.

Learners within the Geography Department at Seaham High School will develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum and, as a result, achieve well.
The impact of the curriculum seen through knowledge expressed in discussion and written work of various types.
Assessments, in time, will indicate that students have a secure grasp of knowledge for units and prior learning.
Learners are ready to move to the next stage in education, employment or training. They will have embodied the school vision statement of ‘engaging minds and broadening horizons.’ Where applicable, they gain a GCSE Geography qualification that allow them to go on to destinations that meet their interests, aspirations and the intention of their course of study.