Geography

“Geography prepares for the world of work - geographers, with their skills of analysis are highly employable!” (Michael Palin)

Department vision

To help all pupils understand the world around them by making geography interesting, up to date, relevant, stimulating and enjoyable.

Department Aims

Our mission is to inspire curiosity about the world, helping students understand physical and human environments, global issues, and sustainable futures. We deliver engaging and dynamic learning across Geography for Years 8–10, CCEA GCSE Geography, and Level 3 Travel and Tourism BTEC.

At GCSE level, we focus on building strong analytical and problem-solving skills, while our BTEC Travel and Tourism program offers practical, industry-relevant knowledge to prepare learners for exciting careers in a global sector.

What sets us apart is our commitment to real-world learning—through interactive lessons, fieldwork opportunities, and projects that connect classroom knowledge to everyday life.

Geography at Key Stage 3

Our Key Stage 3 Geography program builds a strong foundation in geographical knowledge and skills, inspiring students to explore the world around them. Across Years 8–10, learners develop map skills, data analysis, and critical thinking while studying a wide range of physical and human geography topics.

Year 8 –

Focus: Introduction to geography, basic map interpretation, understanding weather patterns, and settlement development.

Term 1: What is Geography? | World Mapwork
Term 2: Geographical Skills (Map Skills) | Weather
Term 3: Settlement

Year 9 –

Focus: Global interconnections, physical processes shaping landscapes, and contemporary world challenges.

Term 1: Economic Activity | Globalisation
Term 2: Weathering | Erosion | Weather
Term 3: Coasts | World Issues

Year 10 –

Focus: Natural hazards, population dynamics, river systems, and regional studies.

Term 1: Volcanoes & Earthquakes
Term 2: Population | Rivers
Term 3: Africa

Geography at GCSE

Why do GCSE Geography?

GCSE Geography is a very popular choice for students in De La Salle. There are a lot of reasons why Geography is a good choice;

It helps develop knowledge and understanding of current events e.g. volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and hurricanes.
It helps us understand the world around us and how we can live in it sustainably.
It helps pupils develop a range of useful skills such as map reading, data collection, ICT and problem solving.
It is a useful and desirable qualification for any university course.
It opens up a wide variety of career pathways e.g. architecture, law, leisure and tourism, estate agency, town planning and many more.

What is the GCSE course like?

The GCSE Geography course is divided into three units:

Unit 1: Understanding Our Natural World (40%)

River Environments
Coastal Environments
Our Changing Weather and Climate
The Restless Earth (Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Plate Tectonics)

Unit 2: Living in Our World (40%)

Population and Migration
Changing Urban Areas
Contrasts in World Development
Managing Our Environment (Climate Change, Tourism, Sustainability)

Unit 3: Fieldwork (20%)

Students plan and carry out a geographical investigation, collect primary and secondary data, and apply analytical skills in a written exam.

Geography at KS5

Travel and Tourism

The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Travel and Tourism, is for learners who want to acquire knowledge and technical skills by exploring the aims of different travel and tourism organisations, the features of tourist destinations, how organisations meet customer requirements, and the influences on global travel and tourism as part of their Key Stage 4 learning.

Key Units and Topics

Year 13

Unit 1: The World of Travel and Tourism (External)

Written examination set and marked by Pearson.

Unit 3: Principles of Marketing in Travel and Tourism (Internal)

Investigate marketing strategies used by travel and tourism

organisations. Design a promotional campaign to meet

customer expectations.

Year 14

Unit 2: Global Destinations (External)

Task set and marked by Pearson under supervised conditions

Research period: 2 weeks prior to assessment

Assessment: 3-hour supervised session

Unit 9: Visitor Attractions (Internal)

Analyse built and natural attractions, their appeal,

commercial success, and visitor experience

Produce a presentation, article, and report.

Progression and Careers

University Degrees: Travel and Tourism Management, Hospitality, Business

Apprenticeships: Customer service, event management, travel consultancy

Employment: Roles in tourism boards, airlines, hospitality, and visitor attractions

Extra-Curricular

KS3 Community Litter Pick / Environmental Workshop

What: A daily practical litter‑picking session followed by discussion

on environmental impact, sustainability,

and local ecosystems—aligned to Geography

Next Event: Everyday after break/lunch

Who’s Invited: Year 8-10 students interested in

environmental action and community service.

How to Sign Up: Different classes will be allocated different days/times.

Participants must wear outdoor clothes and bring gloves;

the school provides litter‑picking kits.

Benefit: Encourages environmental stewardship, raises ecological awareness,

promotes physical activity, teamwork, and civic pride.