Why Study Geography?

By the end of their time at Soham Village College, students will have an appreciation of global issues such as climate change and how humans impact the planet. In addition to this, we expect students to have developed a cultural appreciation for countries with different levels of development and ways of life. This ensures that students are leaving the school as well-rounded global citizens with knowledge of topical and sometimes controversial issues. The curriculum allows students to form an opinion on these issues that is well-reasoned and well-evidenced, whilst still considering the views of others.

We begin to teach the foundational knowledge of these global issues from early on in year 7 with a focus on Ocean Plastics. Then in year 8, we dedicate a whole scheme of work to the most prominent global issue of climate change and this is then built on again in Year 10. By the end of year 9, students will have developed a cultural appreciation of different ways of life by exploring how people survive the challenges of living in the desert and the rainforest. This is investigated by considering countries of varying wealth, for example comparing the coping strategies of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to a small tribe in the Danakil Desert, Ethiopia. By building foundational knowledge of these global issues in the younger years, when students reach Year 11 they can apply their knowledge to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues to make judgements. These skills are not just applicable to geography but are also transferable and fundamental to the workplace.

If you would like any further information about the curriculum please contact the Head of Department.

Further information about our geography curriculum can be found in the links to the right, by year group.