Geography

Geography creates and dictates what is around us. Whether we look to the past or to the future, Geography reveals the world that surrounds us and helps us understand how we affect it. Its components – Geopolitics, Geomorphology and Geology – all shape the way we live. We endeavour to enthuse our pupils not just about current affairs, but also three fundamental considerations: People, Place, and Space.

In the Junior Section of the school, children have daily ‘Discovering the World’ lesson (‘Découverte du Monde’), where we aim to build a sound knowledge of the globe, its cultures and countries as well as introducing exciting and accessible areas of study like volcanoes.

From Year 4 we begin to teach Geography as a discrete subject, building at first on making children aware of their surroundings, their experiences of travel and of different cultures and landscapes. In terms of basic geographical knowledge, we are expanding into areas such as continents and oceans. Pupils are encouraged to debate their place in the world and how they interact with themselves and other cultures.

In Year 7 we start to move in to the 13+ Common Entrance curriculum. We look at settlement, for instance through the lens of the London 2012 Olympics. We also move into the exciting realm of plate tectonics to prepare them in later years for the numerous field trips. Geography is much more than a subject of the classroom.

Year 8, 9 & 10 have the opportunity to go on an established fieldtrip to the Bay of Naples, whilst Year 10 and 11 also can go to Madrid and Devon on a separate fieldtrip studying ‘long shore drift’ for coursework.

Geography is a beautiful, holistic subject. Its study should be part of any traditional education within a modern context.