The study of Geography supports the School’s overall aims of encouraging pupils to develop tolerance and respect for others, as well as furthering their own development and preparing them for life and work in a future in which global issues are becoming increasingly relevant. The aims of the Department are to :
- develop knowledge and understanding of a diversity of places and environments ranging from local to global.
- develop a sense of place and a sensitive awareness of the environment and an empathy with people from a wide variety of societies.
- to understand some of the physical processes which shape and affect the environment.
- learn skills of analysis, comparison, mapwork, fieldwork and IT
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Geography at Rishworth
Geography is studied by all students in Years 7 to 9 following National Curriculum guidelines which gives a basic grounding in the subject.
Students are introduced to the local area including use of OS maps, weather studies, settlement and transport patterns before moving on to look at Physical Geography in the shape of river and coastal studies. Other topics covered during this time include recreation, the environment and a variety of world regions.
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At GCSE it is an optional subject which always proves popular. Pupils are not put into sets but individual students are entered at the level which is most appropriate for them. A variety of studies are undertaken, some human (settlement,
agriculture and tourism) and some physical (rocks and their influence on the landscape, as well as coastal and river environments). Each student is also required to produce a project on a topic of their choice which is worth 25% of their final mark.
At AS Level topics include fluvial and glacial environments, population and resources, recent changes in urban areas of the UK and industrial, social and demographic environments.
In the second year of the Sixth Form there is more emphasis on global change which includes studies of climate and vegetation, plate tectonics, hazards and migration as well as social, political and cultural change.
Outside the Classroom
Fieldwork is a vital part of the curriculum, enabling students to build on
what they have learned in the classroom. The build-up of fieldwork experience
gives students a chance to develop their skills so that by the time they
undertake coursework for GCSE, and later for A Level, they are familiar with the
techniques used to collect, present and analyse raw data. Recent destinations
have included Castleton in the Peak District, Malham, Flamborough Head, Halifax
and Leeds. Sixth Form students complete a three-day residential fieldtrip
to the Cranedale Centre in North Yorkshire.
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