"Geography is a subject which holds the key to our future."

Michael Palin

The world in which we live is likely to change more in the next 50 years than it has ever done before.  Issues linked to geography are constantly in the news, ranging from climate change, globalisation, energy supply, fighting global poverty and debt, and sustainable use of the Earth’s natural resources and environments.  The subject of geography explains why these events are happening and helps pupils to prepare for these changes.

The main aim of the Geography Department is to instil in pupils the desire to investigate and ask questions about the world in which they live, and to identify their connections at a local, national and global scale.

Enquiry is at the very heart of the subject and this is demonstrated by the extensive fieldwork programme offered to all year groups.  In Year 7 pupils investigate urban regeneration in Cardiff Bay and the environmental impacts of the Cardiff Bay Barrage.  In Year 8 pupils currently study changing landscapes in the Ebbw Vale area.  This once famous coal mining and steel producing town is transforming itself from an industrial to a service-based economy.  Year 8 explore the impacts of such changes through surveys and questionnaires.  In Year 9 pupils start the year with a look at cocoa production in Ghana and fair-trade which then leads to an exciting visit to the Cadbury factory in Bournville, Birmingham.  There are several fieldtrips undertaken by GCSE pupils.  In Year 10 local urban fieldwork in carried out in Newport, focusing on urban land use change and regeneration.  In Year 11 a residential field trip to the South Coast investigates coastal processes, features and coastal protection from Lulworth Cove (Dorset) to Christchurch Bay (Hampshire).  Pupils have the opportunity to explore breathtaking World Heritage coastal landscapes and enjoy the activities at the Osmington Bay PGL Centre.  ‘A’ Level fieldwork is no less exciting with a residential field trip in Year 12 to a field study centre in picturesque north Somerset.  This joint field trip with Monmouth School enables pupils to explore issues linked to rising sea levels, coastal protection and rebranding places in Minehead and villages in Exmoor National Park.

The department has a thriving Geography Club which currently meets on Friday lunchtimes.  Recent issues investigated have been the Amazon River and Rainforest with clips from the excellent Bruce Parry Amazon BBC series.  Equally popular have been our viewings of Bear Grylls, Born Survivor programmes.  The girls love to see this survival expert munch his way through a multitude of creepy crawlies, beetle larvae are their favourite!

The Geography Department is a member of two professional organisations (The Geographical Association and the Royal Geographical Society) to support its teaching and learning programme.  Each autumn the Department takes a trio of keen geographers to the local round of the Geographical Association’s annual Worldwise Quiz – click here for a report on this year’s competition.  In Easter 2007 HMSG took part in and won the national Worldwise Geography Competition held at Malham Tarn Field Studies Centre – click here for a full report.  In August 2008 two sixth form Geographers took part in the 7th International Geography Olympiad which was held in Tunisia – click here for a diary report.

As part of the Royal Geographical Society membership HMSG pupils are able to access the Society’s topical website ‘Geography in the News’ in school and at home.  Click here to access the RGS website.  Then ‘Click’ on the ‘Geography in the News’ link and log in using the password available from Mr Meek and Mr Jones.  This is a fantastic website containing learning resources, together with current geographical news and views.

In 2007 HMSG Geography Department was awarded the Geographical Association’s Secondary Geography Quality Mark Award in recognition of excellence in teaching and learning in Geography – click here for further details of this award.