Geography
The Geography Department allows pupils to develop an understanding of the world by paying particular attention to physical and human processes.
Geography serves vital educational goals: thinking and decision making with Geography helps us to live our lives as knowledgeable citizens, aware of our own local communities in a global setting. In addition Geography deepens our understanding of many contemporary challenges such as climate change,
sustainability, food security, poverty, energy resources and hazard management.
In the first year a range of Geographical skills are taught including OS map interpretation, ICT skills, analysis of aerial photographs and field work techniques. In the second year weather, climate and ecosystems, Brazil and local Geography are studied. The third year course is based largely on the AQA GCSE course and topics include the development gap and plate tectonics and this allows students to get ahead with their GCSE work, and at a later stage provides revision time. Geography is a GCSE option and the AQA course is based on both physical and human topics. At AS and A2 we follow 
the OCR Geography A course which gives students the opportunity to study hazards, ecosystems, energy, tourism and cold environments. The public exam courses allows students acquire deeper understanding of contemporary issues and to apply a variety of skills including numerical and graphical modes of communication and geographic information systems. This makes geographers skilful and employable in the world of work.
The Geography Department is well equipped with an external weather station, Digital Worlds GIS based on industry standard infrastructure, interactive whiteboards, extensive field work equipment together with a well stocked library of textbooks and journals. Field work is built into our programme of study and this varies from local work carried out at Key Stage 3 to more advanced work done in Dorset and Tenerife.
Each year the Department organises a programme of lectures by leading academics on key A-level topics for the Guildford Branch of the Geographical Association. The relevance of the subject is summarised in the following quote from Dr Rita Gardner , Director of the Royal Geographical Society –
‘Geography prepares young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to make sense of their world and to face the challenges that will shape our societies and environments at the local, national and global scales.’