Across Years 7–9, students at Weavers develop a strong foundation in geographical knowledge and skills through a structured progression. They learn to interpret maps, use latitude and longitude, and apply Ordnance Survey skills while asking geographical questions and conducting enquiries. As they move through KS3, students deepen their understanding of physical and human processes, exploring topics such as climate change, ecosystems, coastal landscapes, population patterns, and globalisation. Fieldwork and data analysis are embedded to strengthen enquiry skills, alongside decision-making and critical thinking about sustainability and real-world challenges. By the end of KS3, learners can confidently use geographical terminology, analyse spatial patterns, and explain the interconnections between people, places, and environments at local, national, and global scales. 

Year 7: By the end of the year… students will be able to identify human and physical features, locate and name oceans and continents, locate places using latitude and longitude co-ordinates, ask geographical questions, conduct geographical enquiries, make geographical decisions and use geographical data. Students should be able to use OS maps; to interpret grid references, height and direction. To explore the geography of the UK and the importance of natural resources. To have an understanding of weather and climate and explore the geography of Africa. To have an opportunity to experience local fieldwork.

Year 8: By the end of the year… students will be able to further develop skills and knowledge acquired from year 7. By the end of year 8 students will be able to consider the issues surrounding climate change and how polar regions are impacted. To understand key features of the coast and identify patterns of population distribution. To explore the geography of Asia. To have an opportunity to experience local fieldwork.

Year 9: By the end of the year… Continued and further development of skills and knowledge from year 8. By the end of year 9 students will be able to explore the geography of The Middle East. To consider the issues surrounding globalisation and sustainability. To have an understanding of our violent planet, including the role of earthquakes, volcanoes and tropical storms.

Exam board: AQA

Specification: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035/specification

At the end of KS4, students will have built upon the knowledge and skills developed at KS3, applying them to more complex geographical concepts and global contexts. They will deepen their understanding of physical and human processes by exploring the UK’s diverse landscapes, global climate systems, and the causes and impacts of climate change. Students will investigate threats to ecosystems, evaluate strategies for sustainable management, and justify their importance for people and the planet. They will also analyse patterns of urbanisation, globalisation, and economic development, considering social, economic, and environmental challenges and opportunities. Key themes include resource security, global inequalities, and strategies for sustainability. 

Alongside this, students will refine advanced geographical skills and enquiry processes. These include interpreting and constructing maps at different scales, analysing climate graphs, choropleth maps, and population data, and using GIS and thematic mapping. Students will apply statistical techniques, critically evaluate sources, and present structured arguments supported by evidence. Extended written responses will incorporate precise geographical terminology and decision-making skills. They will also prepare for issue-based evaluations by synthesising information from resource booklets and applying knowledge to real-world problems, ensuring they can justify conclusions and propose sustainable solutions. 

Year 10: By the end of the year… Continued and further development of skills and knowledge from year 9. To understand causes and effects of climate change. To identify some of the UK’s diverse physical landscapes. To understand climate systems and their influence on the world’s biomes. To know how and why these environments are being threatened, how they are being sustainably managed and why they are important. To know that the UK’s landscapes are shaped by a range of physical processes. To identify the global pattern of urban change and the factors that affect the rate of urbanisation.

Year 11: By the end of the year… Continued and further development of skills and knowledge from year 10. To know the features of sustainable urban living. To identify the global variations in economic development and quality of life using a range of economic and social measures. To know the impact of aid and economic development on the environment and quality of life. To identify and explain changes to the UK’s economy over time and the UK’s place within the wider world. To know that food, water and energy are fundamental to human development and that global inequalities exist in the supply and consumption of resources. To identify different strategies that can be used to increase resource supply. The issues evaluation will provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate geographical skills and applied knowledge and understanding by looking at a particular issue(s) derived from the specification using secondary sources. A resource booklet will be available twelve weeks before the date of the exam so that students can work through the resources, enabling them to become familiar with the material

Exam board: AQA

Specification: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/a-level/geography-7037/specification

A-Level Geography equips students with advanced analytical, investigative, and evaluative skills through the study of both Physical and Human Geography, fostering a deep understanding of the interactions between people and environments. 

Physical Geography (Paper 1) develops the ability to interpret complex natural systems through topics such as the Water and Carbon Cycles, where students analyse major global stores and dynamic processes, and Coastal Systems and Landscapes, which require observation and explanation of geomorphological processes and interactions between marine and terrestrial factors. The Hazards unit strengthens critical thinking and decision-making by examining tectonic and atmospheric hazards and human responses. Across these topics, students refine geospatial mapping skills, data manipulation, and statistical analysis, alongside fieldwork techniques such as observation, measurement, and interpretation of primary and secondary data. 

Human Geography (Paper 2) focuses on global and local processes, developing skills in interpreting interconnections and assessing impacts on development and inequality through Global Systems and Global Governance. The Changing Places unit builds competence in qualitative and quantitative methods, including the use of census data, interviews, and GIS mapping, to investigate how places are experienced and represented. In Population and the Environment, students critically examine relationships between physical geography, population dynamics, health, and development at multiple scales. These topics enhance data analysis, statistical interpretation, and critical evaluation of sources, while encouraging students to construct evidence-based arguments and apply geographical theory to real-world challenges. 

Across both papers and the NEA, students develop transferable skills such as synthesising information, structured argumentation, and decision-making, preparing them for higher education and careers where analytical thinking and problem-solving are essential.