Geography is about the world in which we live, with which we interact, and on which we depend. Few people would dispute that children should be taught about the character and diversity of the world’s environments, places and people; the processes that shape and change them; and how they interact. As responsible citizens we should all understand how the manner in which we chose to live our lives has implications for others and for the environment, both locally and globally. Likewise, our lives and environments are affected by decisions and people far removed. Geography teaches these important lessons about diversity, inequality, change and interdependence, at different scales from community to global.

The discipline is the spatial science, and it provides a unique bridge between the study of the physical environment, and the study of societies and cultures. At Box Hill School geography is taught to all pupils in Key Stage 3 and is one of the most popular subjects at GCSE and within the IB Diploma Programme. The geography department undertake several trips which include local, national and international locations. Due to geography’s unique position in the curriculum many of the trips are twinned with other departments for example; Kew Gardens with the Biology Department, Berlin with the History Department and Tilbury Power Station with the Science Department to name a few.

Key Stage 3

Year 7: Countries, Map skills, Glaciation, Adventure landscapes, Rivers and flooding.

Year 8: Population and resources, Coasts, Economic activities and Kenya or France.

Year 9: Weather and climate, Ecosystems, Development, Tectonics and Tourism.

IGCSE – Population dynamics, Settlement, Structure, Landforms and landscape processes, Weather, Climate and natural vegetation, The interrelationship of physical and human geography, Economic development and the use of resources.

IB Diploma Programme: Population, Development, Resources, Settlement, Hazards, Weather and climate, Globalisation.

For more information about the Geography department please contact Mr James Garside, Head of Geography at: garsidej@boxhillschool.org.uk