Department overview

The Geography Department aims to inspire curiosity while developing knowledgeable, compassionate and responsible young people who understand the importance of caring for the world and all who live on it. Rooted in the school’s Catholic ethos of stewardship and care for creation, students explore environmental, social and economic issues at local, national and global scales, helping them appreciate the interconnectedness of people and places. We promote sustainability, solidarity and respect for diverse cultures, encouraging pupils to reflect on how their actions impact communities and the environment. Learning focuses on developing enquiry, critical thinking and decision-making skills through topics such as climate change, urbanisation, ecosystems and development. Students are encouraged to become active global citizens who can contribute positively to society, while valuing fairness, equality and environmental responsibility. All pupils will show strong geographical understanding, confidence in fieldwork and the ability to think critically about the future of our planet.

Key Stage 3 curriculum

Our students will develop their ideas and desire to improve our world, through their broad understanding and deepening knowledge of place, process and skills whilst developing their extended writing. Students will leave KS3 with broader perceptions of place, and the processes that exist within them at a variety of scales and scope. Our broad curriculum encourages students to become British Citizens at a global scale.

Students will study human geography, examining settlement, population, and economies through investigating the lives of children and adults in the UK, Asia, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East, and through considering how inequalities of development affect people beyond their own communities. Students link all of this to the physical geography of the world. As well as understanding the processes of landscape formation, they study an understanding of how humans’ impact on place and how places impact on humans. Students leave KS3 with knowledge of how the natural world of ecosystems, coasts, rivers, glaciers, weather, climate, and tectonics can change over time and space. Most importantly, young people will be more aware of the need to step up and become a ‘Global Citizen.’ This is further emphasised by encouraging them to live out their sustainable promises in their local area through our homework programme.

Throughout KS3 students will build on their understanding of the importance of sustainability and know their role to play in the climate change crisis. Students are challenged to consider social, economic, and environmental impacts in a variety of past, current, and future world issues.

Students will be able to use, create and interpret a range of G.I.S maps, graphs, and statistical geographical skills. Fieldwork experiences are built into each year group, allowing pupils to learn outside of the classroom and put their knowledge in to action. Here, data collection, data presentation, analysis and evaluation skills are interwind as a part of the wider geographical skill set. Furthermore, students will develop the following geographical literacy skills; Students will be able to define and use specialist geographical terminology and subject specific vocabulary within verbal and written responses. Students will use reading and comprehension activities from a range of nonfiction texts including news reports, journals, and references texts to develop their knowledge of key elements of the curriculum. Students will develop their ability to note take, summarise, and bullet point key geographical information.

Key Stage 4 curriculum

Our GCSE students study the AQA specification which includes elements of physical and human geography, alongside a range of geographical skills such as interpreting maps and graphs. Students will sit 3 exams to achieve their GCSE grade, each 90 minutes.

• Paper 1 – Living with the physical environment – The Challenge of Natural hazards (Q1), The Living World (Q2) and Physical Landscapes in the UK (Q3 and Q4)
• Paper 2 – Challenges in the Human Environment - Urban Issues and Challenges (Q1), The Changing Economic World (Q2) and The Challenge of Resource Management (Q3 and Q5).
• Paper 3 – Geographical applications and skills – Issue evaluation (Q1, Q2 and Q3), Unfamiliar fieldwork (Q4) and Fieldwork (Q5)

Specification - AQA GCSE Geography specification

Key Stage 5 curriculum

Our A Level students study the AQA specification which includes elements of physical and human geography, alongside this they will conduct their own independent investigation. Students will sit two papers both 2 hours 30 mins each to achieve their A level, as well as their independent investigation that is worth 20% of their A level.

• Paper 1 – Physical Geography – Water and Carbon Cycles (Q1), Coastal Systems and Landscapes (Q3) and Hazards (Q5).
• Paper 2 – Human Geography – Global Systems and Global Governance (Q1), Changing Places (Q2) and Contemporary Urban Environments (Q3).
• Geography Fieldwork Investigation - Students complete an individual investigation which must include data collected in the field. The individual investigation must be based on a question or issue defined and developed by the student relating to any part of the specification content.

Specification - AQA A Level Geography specification

Catholic Social Teaching

In Geography, Christ strengthens us to live sustainably through instilling care and responsibility for our environment, and populations around the world. Through stewardship, we demonstrate catholic social teaching; embedding faith, hope and love for the human and physical world. We explore the common good and show solidarity and empathy with the vulnerable, those affected by natural or human events and those in need of justice through human rights. Geography promotes; responsible resource management, local and global environmental protection, fostering respect for diverse cultures, low income countries and changing places. Compassion and dignity is developed when exploring all aspects of geography.

Enrichment opportunities

At GCSE students’ complete compulsory fieldwork at Formby Beach and the local area of Leigh and Astley. At A Level students’ complete compulsory fieldwork in Liverpool City Centre, Salford Quays, Morecombe and Formby Beach.

The Geography department also offers trips in the UK and abroad, visiting places like North Wales (KS3), Iceland and Naples (Y9-11). In 2026, Y9 attended an engaging workshop led by the team at "Another Way" to promote local action on recycling and waste management.

Curriculum road map

Year 7

Amazing Earth

Map Skills

The UK

Weather and Climate

Urban Environments

Glaciation

Asia

GIS

Year 8

Climate Change

Development

Coasts

Plate Tectonics

Russia & The Middle East

Rivers

Fieldwork

World Issues

Year 9

Sustainability

Ecosystems

Impossible Places

Globalisation

Places

Year 10

The Changing Economic World

The Challenge of Natural Hazards

Physical Landscapes in the UK

The Challenge of Resource Management

Year 11

Fieldwork

The Living World

Urban Issues and Challenges

Issue Evaluation

Revision

Year 12

Water and Carbon Cycles

Global Systems and Global Governance

Coastal Systems and Landscapes

Changing Places

Year 13

NEA

Hazards

Contemporary Urban Environments

Useful websites

• BBC Bitesize Geography
• Seneca
• Internet Geography
• Time for Geography
• Ordnance Survey Mapzone

Careers