Overview
At JRCS we believe Geography to be an exciting and dynamic subject that affects us all in a rapidly changing world! Here in the Geography department we believe in providing students with a variety of stimulating and interesting lessons including role play, power point presentations, videos, games poster presentations and use of the internet.

Staff List

Key Stage 3

The Key Stage 3 Curriculum develops around contemporary questions, in keeping with the conception of Geography as a vehicle for enabling students to understand and gain the confidence to participate in the world around them.

Common threads feed through the curriculum allowing us to teach key concepts such as place, space and interdependence through ‘traditional’ and contemporary Geographies. A focus was to allow more field work opportunities.

Key Stage 4 follows the WJEC B specification.   The overarching philosophy is that the specification provides students with a highly relevant and exciting programme. It provides a relevant context and philosophy for a 16+ examination in geography by maintaining an approach where teaching, learning and assessment are interdependent. An issue based, investigative approach to geography is at the core of each unit. Students will further develop their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills, they will be able to widen and deepen their own views whist appreciating the complexity and range of views held by others. The emphasis is on problem solving and enquiry throughout the teaching and learning programme through to the assessment phase, the exam and controlled assessment. 

6th Form

Homework Policy
A good, well-managed homework programme helps children and young people to develop the skills and attitudes they will need for successful lifelong learning. In Geography our homework also supports the development of independent learning skills and provides parents with an opportunity to take part in their children's education.

Key Stage 3 - Years 7, 8 and 9
In Years 7, 8 and 9 the geography department will, under normal circumstances, set one homework a week. This homework will be of a varied nature; it will include written, graphical, reading, learning and research tasks. Time spent on homework will vary between 30 and 60 minutes per week.

Key Stage 4 - Years 10 and 11
In line with the school homework policy, a wide variety of tasks will be set and over different time scales. Coursework forms an extended part of the homework programme in Year 10. Student should spend at least 2 hours a week on their geography homework.

Marking Policy
The geography department follows the whole school policy on marking.

Fieldtrips

Fieldtrips are an important aspect of Geography and the department endeavours to provide experiences outside the classroom.  The reason for this is it enables students to connect classwork theory with the real world. Students inevitably enjoy the fieldtrips, often commenting that it is the most enjoyable part of their geographical studies.  Fieldtrips are a fun but more importantly, an essential part of any geographical experience.

In Year 7 the students study the local area, looking at the changes currently underway in Barking.

As part of our GCSE we run a 5 day residential fieldtrip to Trewern, where the students study flooding as part of their controlled assessment. There is a requirement that all GCSE students attend this fieldtrip as it gives them the opportunity to take part in some extended data collection, which is vital for GCSE success.

The Department runs visits to Epping Forest and Walton on the Naze as part of the whole school trips programme but we also run fieldtrips across all Key Stages.