Geography

Geography is the study of the earth’s landscape, people, places and environment. Simply put, it helps us to make sense of the issues affecting people and nature in the world around us.

It is often seen as a unique bridging subject between the natural (physical geography) and the social sciences (human geography) in which students benefit from learning about how physical and human environments interact, how their lives are connected with other people and places, and why and how the world’s landscapes and societies are changing in the early part of the 21st century. The analytical skills it requires and the development of a sense of social and environmental responsibility are transferable to many different contexts, and geographers have a fine reputation of going on to be successful graduates and business leaders.

Geography at Cranleigh is a thriving subject. You will study a diverse range of contemporary issues and the processes that cause them: development and inequalities, the climate crisis and fragile environments, climatological and tectonic hazards, how and why places change, and the issues affecting urban communities in different parts of the world.

Lower School

In Year 9, pupils are introduced to geographical processes and skills through a new curriculum with a focus on geography through enquiry linked to relevant issues of our times. The course includes questions such as ‘Why are some countries rich and others poor?’; ‘Should Antarctica be protected?’; and ‘Is globalisation always for the best?’. In addition, pupils will be introduced to a number of digital skills including GIS which will greatly aid their ability to independently study the geographical world, and help prepare them for GCSE studies. Finally, pupils will be able to express their developing skills through an independent project on a geographical issue of their choice.

In Years 10 and 11, pupils will study the Edexcel IGCSE course. This course retains a core of traditional geographical content, and also offers opportunities for pupils to study contemporary themes and events which will enable them to relate their learning to the world they live in, and to the events they experience. Our aim is for pupils to gain a clear overall view of the world in the 21st century. We also seek to provide a foundation for those who intend to continue to study the subject to a higher level.

The IGCSE course is examined through two exam papers. The Physical Geography paper uses natural hazards and coastal landscapes to examine natural processes, their consequences for people, the impact of people on such landscapes, and the need for this impact to be carefully managed. The Human Geography paper is concerned with themes central to many contemporary issues: changing urban environments, economic change and its effect on resource use, climate change and its impacts on ecosystems and people. Fieldwork is central to geographical understanding and all pupils will visit a range of locations such as Swanage on the South Dorset coast. These visits will develop the ability of pupils to analytically reflect upon fieldwork conducted throughout the course, aiding them to develop evaluative skills through answering questions based on fieldwork experiences in both exam papers.

Upper School

In the Sixth Form, students study the OCR A Level specification. The three examined papers are Physical Systems, Human Interactions, Geographical Debates as well as an assessed Independent Investigation (NEA) worth 20% of the total A Level.

The Physical Systems paper allows the inter-relationships between the land, oceans and atmosphere to be explored, developing an understanding of the processes, characteristics and impacts on these landscapes and cycles, which shape them over time and create a number of issues when attempting to manage them. Learners will develop an understanding and appreciation of Landscape Systems, contextualised through coastal landscapes and Earth’s Life Support Systems, which encompasses the water and carbon cycles vital to our planet.

The Human Interactions component is built around two main topics, Global Connections and Changing Spaces; Making Places. It will examine how the world around us is shaped by humans, starting from the local and moving out to regional, national and international scales. Through examples and case studies learners will explore a variety of contrasting places. The concepts of inequality, interdependence, representation, identity and globalisation are particularly relevant to this component.

The Geographical Debates unit takes some of the most dynamic issues the planet faces in the 21st Century and encourages learners to engage with, reflect on and think critically about them. Chosen topic areas of Disease Dilemmas and Tectonic Hazards mean that the course should appeal to students with various interests. Disease Dilemmas covers the ideas such as that the causes of disease are often complex and the impacts even more so especially when dealing with these at epidemic and pandemic levels. The Hazardous Earth unit explores the movement of the Earth’s land masses, from Pangaea to present day. Examination of hazardous events such as earthquakes and volcanoes demonstrates both the positive aspects of living in proximity to such features but also the increasing hazards as populations have grown and inhabited more of the Earth.

The remaining section of the course is an NEA component. This allows students to undertake an independent investigation linked to any aspect of the specification to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. This component is designed to encourage learners to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their chosen topic whilst developing a number of geographical and study skills. This paper is hugely valuable for preparing students to study in higher education, regardless of the subject.

Trips & Events

Field trips are essential to enhancing student’s geographical understanding of the world and play a large part in the departmental teaching.

GCSE students are required to undertake two days of fieldwork, one related to human geography, studying urban change in Horsham and one related to the management of coastal environments in Swanage, Dorset.

At A-Level fieldwork provision is a little more extensive, with two days in the summer term of the Lower Sixth to West Wittering and Guildford examining a number of fieldwork strategies in order to prepare for a three-day residential course at Slapton Ley Field Study Centre, South Devon in the Michaelmas Term of the Upper Sixth.

The department also offers some very popular, non-compulsory, experiential trips to places all over the world on an annual basis moving forward. In recent years, this has included Morocco (2016), Iceland (2018) and Italy (2022).

Beyond School

Geography is a subject that is highly valued by universities as an A Level choice, combining well with both arts and science subjects. Choosing Geography will keep more options open at the university-level; geography opens doors to other degrees such as business and administrative studies, law, engineering and technology, and the other social and physical sciences.

The benefits of a geography degree continue well beyond graduation. Geography graduates are highly employable as students learn a wide range of transferable skills of value in the world of work, including numeracy, computer coding, data analysis, qualitative research, research design, communication skills, and critical thinking. Recent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies placed Geography among the top subjects for graduate earnings in a wide range of career fields.

Geography is a great subject for any kind of career that involves the environment, planning, or collecting and interpreting data. Popular careers include: urban planning, surveying, conservation, sustainability, waste and water management, environmental planning, tourism, and weather forecasting. The army, police, government, research organisations, law and business world also love the practical skills that geographers develop. It can be useful for jobs with charities and in international relations, too.