Geography curriculum by year
The summaries below set out the main areas of learning in each year, the knowledge and skills pupils will develop, and the intended curriculum end points. They also show how learning builds progressively across the Geography curriculum and prepares pupils for the next stage of their education.
Year 7
What Is My Place in the World? Human Geography
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand their place within local, national and global geographical contexts.
- Explore how people and places are connected.
- Understand why places develop differently.
- Use maps to locate and describe places.
- Apply geographical vocabulary when explaining human features and processes.
What Is My Place in the World? Physical Geography
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the major physical features of the Earth.
- Explore how natural processes shape the Earth’s surface.
- Identify patterns in physical landscapes and environments.
- Use maps, photographs and geographical evidence to describe places.
- Explain basic relationships between physical processes and landscapes.
Migration and Population
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how populations are distributed and how they change.
- Explain why people migrate.
- Explore the effects of migration on people and places.
- Understand how population change can create opportunities and challenges.
- Interpret maps, graphs and population information.
Climate Change
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the causes of climate change.
- Explain how human activity affects the climate.
- Explore the environmental and human consequences of climate change.
- Consider different responses to climate change.
- Use evidence to explain why climate change affects places differently.
Biomes
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand what a biome is and how major biomes are distributed.
- Explain how climate influences vegetation and ecosystems.
- Explore how plants and animals are adapted to different environments.
- Understand how human activity can affect biomes.
- Consider why ecosystems need to be managed sustainably.
Fieldwork: Malham
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Apply classroom knowledge within a real geographical environment.
- Observe and identify physical landscape features.
- Collect and record geographical information.
- Use fieldwork evidence to answer geographical questions.
- Present findings and reach supported conclusions.
How Year 7 builds on previous learning
Year 7 builds on pupils’ primary knowledge of places, environments, weather, population and map skills.
How Year 7 prepares pupils for future learning
The year establishes the knowledge and geographical skills needed to explore hazards, globalisation, urbanisation and contrasting environments in Year 8.
Year 8
Natural Hazards
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the causes of different natural hazards.
- Explain how hazards affect people, places and environments.
- Recognise why some communities are more vulnerable than others.
- Explore how hazards can be monitored, managed and prepared for.
- Compare responses to hazardous events.
Globalisation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how countries and people are increasingly connected.
- Explain how trade, technology and transport contribute to globalisation.
- Explore how globalisation creates opportunities and challenges.
- Examine how decisions made by businesses and governments affect different places.
- Consider the relationship between globalisation and inequality.
Weather and Climate
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Distinguish between weather and climate.
- Understand the processes that create different weather conditions.
- Interpret weather and climate information.
- Explain how weather influences people and places.
- Explore how climate varies between different environments.
Urban Life and Sustainability
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand why cities grow and change.
- Explain how urbanisation affects people’s lives.
- Explore the social, economic and environmental challenges facing cities.
- Examine strategies used to make urban areas more sustainable.
- Evaluate decisions about the future of urban places.
Cold Environments
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the characteristics of cold environments.
- Explain how climate shapes landscapes and ecosystems.
- Explore how people live and work in cold environments.
- Examine the opportunities and challenges associated with these places.
- Consider how cold environments can be managed sustainably.
Local Fieldwork
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Develop a geographical enquiry question.
- Collect primary information within the local area.
- Present and analyse fieldwork findings.
- Identify patterns within geographical data.
- Reach conclusions and evaluate the fieldwork process.
How Year 8 builds on previous learning
Year 8 builds on pupils’ understanding of climate, population, physical processes, ecosystems and geographical evidence.
How Year 8 prepares pupils for future learning
The year prepares pupils to investigate conflict, coastal risk, glaciation, global connections and more complex geographical decision-making in Year 9.
Year 9
Fieldwork: The Water Cycle
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the processes operating within the water cycle.
- Explain how water moves through drainage basins and landscapes.
- Collect and analyse geographical information.
- Apply physical geography to a fieldwork investigation.
- Evaluate evidence and reach supported conclusions.
Clothes and Global Connections
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how the production of clothing connects places around the world.
- Explore global supply chains and patterns of trade.
- Examine working conditions and inequalities within the clothing industry.
- Consider the environmental consequences of production and consumption.
- Evaluate the responsibilities of consumers, businesses and governments.
Life on the Edge: Hazards and Coastal Erosion
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the processes that shape coastal landscapes.
- Explain how erosion creates risks for coastal communities.
- Explore how coastlines can be managed.
- Examine why people disagree about coastal-management decisions.
- Evaluate the social, economic and environmental consequences of different strategies.
Conflict
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Explore geographical causes and consequences of conflict.
- Understand how inequality, resources and political decisions can contribute to conflict.
- Examine how conflict affects people and places.
- Consider the roles of governments and global organisations.
- Analyse different perspectives and reach balanced conclusions.
Glaciation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how glaciers form and move.
- Explain the processes of glacial erosion and deposition.
- Identify and explain glacial landforms.
- Explore how glaciated landscapes are used and managed.
- Apply physical-process knowledge to geographical evidence.
Global Futures
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Explore possible environmental, economic and social futures.
- Understand the relationship between climate change, resources and development.
- Consider how decisions made today may affect future generations.
- Evaluate different approaches to sustainability.
- Construct evidence-informed arguments about global challenges.
How Year 9 builds on previous learning
Year 9 brings together pupils’ knowledge of physical processes, globalisation, inequality, sustainability, hazards and geographical enquiry.
How Year 9 prepares pupils for future learning
The year prepares pupils for GCSE study by developing their ability to connect physical and human geography, analyse complex evidence and evaluate competing decisions.
Year 10
Urban Issues and Challenges: Rio de Janeiro
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand patterns of urban growth in a newly emerging economy.
- Explain the opportunities and challenges created by rapid urbanisation.
- Examine how urban change affects different groups.
- Evaluate strategies used to improve urban living.
- Apply detailed place knowledge to unfamiliar questions.
River Landscapes in the UK
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand river processes, including erosion, transportation and deposition.
- Explain the formation of river landforms.
- Explore the causes and consequences of flooding.
- Evaluate approaches to river and flood management.
- Interpret maps, photographs and physical-geography evidence.
Urban Issues and Challenges: London
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how a major UK city has grown and changed.
- Examine the social and economic opportunities associated with urban life.
- Explore inequalities and environmental challenges.
- Evaluate strategies for regeneration and sustainable urban development.
- Compare urban experiences in different national contexts.
Coastal Landscapes in the UK
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand coastal processes and the formation of coastal landforms.
- Explain how geology and human activity influence coastlines.
- Explore the risks facing coastal communities.
- Evaluate different coastal-management strategies.
- Apply knowledge to maps, photographs and unfamiliar settings.
The Living World and Physical Fieldwork
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the structure and functioning of ecosystems.
- Explore the characteristics of contrasting global environments.
- Examine relationships between climate, soil, plants and animals.
- Conduct a physical-geography fieldwork investigation.
- Collect, present, analyse and evaluate fieldwork data.
Resource Management and Human Fieldwork
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the importance of food as a global resource.
- Explore patterns of resource availability and consumption.
- Examine the causes and consequences of food insecurity.
- Evaluate strategies for improving food security.
- Conduct a human-geography fieldwork investigation.
- Analyse evidence and evaluate the reliability of conclusions.
How Year 10 builds on previous learning
Year 10 applies the geographical knowledge and enquiry skills developed at Key Stage 3 to the more detailed study of cities, landscapes, ecosystems and resources.
How Year 10 prepares pupils for future learning
The year provides the physical, human and fieldwork foundations required for the wider GCSE curriculum and final examinations.
Year 11
The Changing Economic World: Nigeria
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand global variations in economic development and quality of life.
- Explain how economic change affects a newly emerging economy.
- Examine Nigeria’s role within the wider world.
- Explore the effects of transnational corporations and international relationships.
- Evaluate how economic development creates opportunities and challenges.
The Challenge of Natural Hazards: Tectonic Hazards
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the causes of earthquakes and volcanic activity.
- Explain why the effects of tectonic hazards vary between places.
- Compare responses to tectonic events.
- Understand how monitoring, prediction, protection and planning reduce risk.
- Apply hazard knowledge to geographical evidence and case studies.
The Changing Economic World: The UK
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how the UK economy has changed.
- Examine changes in employment, industry and infrastructure.
- Explore regional differences within the UK.
- Explain the UK’s connections with the wider world.
- Evaluate the consequences of economic change for people and places.
The Challenge of Natural Hazards: Weather and Climate
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the causes and consequences of weather hazards.
- Explain why extreme weather creates different levels of risk.
- Explore evidence for climate change.
- Understand natural and human causes of climate change.
- Evaluate strategies for mitigation and adaptation.
Geographical Applications and Examination Preparation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Apply knowledge to a geographical issue presented through pre-release material.
- Interpret maps, graphs, photographs, statistics and written evidence.
- Consider different perspectives and possible courses of action.
- Construct reasoned and balanced judgements.
- Retrieve and connect knowledge from across the GCSE curriculum.
How Year 11 builds on previous learning
Year 11 brings together physical and human geography through the study of development, economic change, natural hazards and climate.
How Year 11 prepares pupils for future learning
The year prepares pupils for final GCSE assessment and provides a strong foundation for post-16 geographical study.
Year 12
Coastal Landscapes and Change
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Develop detailed knowledge of coastal systems and processes.
- Understand how landscapes change over different timescales.
- Analyse the influence of geology, climate and human activity.
- Evaluate approaches to coastal management.
- Apply systems thinking to complex physical environments.
Regenerating Places
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand why places need regeneration.
- Explore how economic and social change affects communities.
- Examine the roles of different groups in shaping places.
- Analyse contrasting experiences and perceptions of place.
- Evaluate the success of regeneration strategies.
The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the water cycle as a global system.
- Explain how physical and human processes affect water availability.
- Explore the causes and consequences of water insecurity.
- Examine tensions surrounding water use.
- Evaluate strategies for managing water sustainably.
Globalisation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the causes and processes of globalisation.
- Explain how globalisation creates connections between places.
- Analyse the roles of governments, businesses and global organisations.
- Explore the social, economic and environmental consequences of globalisation.
- Evaluate different perspectives on global change.
Independent Investigation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Develop an independent geographical enquiry.
- Formulate a focused and appropriate investigation question.
- Select suitable methods for collecting primary and secondary information.
- Present and analyse geographical evidence.
- Reach supported conclusions and evaluate the investigation.
Synoptic Geographical Issues
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Connect knowledge from across physical and human geography.
- Analyse a contemporary geographical issue.
- Interpret a range of evidence and perspectives.
- Assess possible decisions and responses.
- Construct reasoned and evidence-informed judgements.
How Year 12 builds on previous learning
Year 12 develops GCSE knowledge through greater conceptual depth, more detailed place study and increasingly independent geographical enquiry.
How Year 12 prepares pupils for future learning
The year provides the knowledge and analytical skills needed to study global power, carbon, hazards, inequality and intervention in Year 13.
Year 13
Independent Investigation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Complete a sustained independent geographical investigation.
- Apply appropriate data-collection and analytical methods.
- Interpret findings accurately.
- Reach evidence-informed conclusions.
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the investigation.
The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the carbon cycle as a global system.
- Explain how natural and human processes influence carbon stores and flows.
- Explore the relationship between carbon, climate and energy.
- Examine the causes and consequences of energy insecurity.
- Evaluate approaches to managing carbon and energy sustainably.
Health, Human Rights and Intervention
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand global variations in health and human rights.
- Explore how development and inequality influence people’s lives.
- Examine the roles of governments and international organisations.
- Consider the reasons for and consequences of intervention.
- Evaluate contrasting perspectives using appropriate evidence.
Superpowers
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how global power is defined and distributed.
- Examine the economic, political, military and cultural influence of superpowers.
- Explore changing patterns of global power.
- Analyse relationships between states and global organisations.
- Evaluate possible future geopolitical developments.
Tectonic Hazards
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Develop a detailed understanding of tectonic processes.
- Explain patterns of tectonic activity and hazard.
- Analyse why vulnerability and resilience vary between places.
- Evaluate approaches to hazard management.
- Apply geographical models and evidence to complex situations.
Synoptic Geographical Issues and Examination Preparation
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Bring together knowledge from across the A-Level curriculum.
- Analyse complex geographical problems using multiple perspectives.
- Interpret a wide range of quantitative and qualitative evidence.
- Evaluate possible responses and future scenarios.
- Present balanced and well-supported geographical arguments.
How Year 13 builds on previous learning
Year 13 brings together pupils’ understanding of physical systems, global power, inequality, sustainability, risk and geographical decision-making.
How Year 13 prepares pupils for future learning
The year prepares pupils for higher education, employment and informed participation in debates about some of the most significant challenges facing the world.
