The department has had a special request this week from Mrs Snowdon, who professed her secret love of rocks, and wanted some interesting facts that she can wow her family, friends and colleagues with. Here are a few to get you going Mrs Snowdon…

The oldest rocks on Earth, called zircons, are about 4.4 billion years old. They were discovered in Western Australia and provide a glimpse into our planet’s early days.

Geologists use the Mohs scale, which was set up in 1812 to measure how hard a rock is. The higher the number, the harder the rock. Diamond, the most famous gem and the hardest material on Earth, is a 10 on the Mohs scale.

Certain types of rocks, like gypsum can grow over time. This happens when mineral-saturated water evaporates, leaving behind mineral deposits that accumulate and form rock.

Some rocks float! Pumice, a type of igneous rock, can float on water. This is due to its unique formation process, which involves rapid cooling and depressurization of gas-rich magma, creating a rock filled with air bubbles.

The colours inside some rocks and minerals have been used by artists for thousands of years. For example, the powder of a mineral rock called cinnabar makes a brilliant red colour that was widely used in art in the Middle Ages.

And finally, to link it back to English, there are slightly different words that we often interchange (and use wrongly!) when talking about this subject…

Mineral – A naturally occurring solid compound with an orderly internal structure.

Rock – An exposed section of the Earth’s crust that is made up of minerals.

Stone – A piece of rock.

Mineraloid – Naturally occurring but non-crystalline solid compound, (e.g. obsidian for all you Minecrafters out there).

Mr Bowles

Curriculum Leader for Geography

Another bumper batch of Bob the Boulder assignments have recently been submitted by Year 8. Although over the years the method for assessing these has evolved, the core of the project has remained the same – the journey of a river from source to mouth as observed by the title character. Starting high in the upland areas of the UK and observing landforms like v-shaped valleys, waterfalls and meanders on the way, rivers are a vital part of our landscapes.

Below is a selection of the work on display on the Humanities corridor. Come along one break or lunchtime if you want a closer look. 

Mr Bowles

Curriculum Leader for Geography

Another bumper batch of Bob the Boulder assignments have recently been submitted by Year 8. Although over the years the method for assessing these has evolved, the core of the project has remained the same – the journey of a river from source to mouth as observed by the title character. Starting high in the upland areas of the UK and observing landforms like v-shaped valleys, waterfalls and meanders on the way, rivers are a vital part of our landscapes.

Below is a selection of the work on display on the Humanities corridor. Come along one break or lunchtime if you want a closer look. 

Mr Bowles

Curriculum Leader for Geography

Another bumper year for models with the Humanities corridor rammed full of amazing entries. Alongside the traditional cakes, Lego and cardboard models, this year saw some very original designs and mediums. Both Mr Ward and I have overseen MANY volcano model competitions over the years, but both of us agree that the standard of skill and Geographical content has never been higher. Well done to everyone that submitted an entry.

Six entries in particular really stood out and as such have been awarded prizes;

Zaakirah M – lots of effort to the landscape surrounding the volcano, plus lots of accurate vocabulary and a great ash cloud.

Renatta C – a very informative model of Cotopaxi volcano.

Leah C – this volcano lit up -what else is there to say!

Cheuk Y and Alisa M (joint entry) – showed off their awesome Minecraft skills to reproduce a Hawaiian eruption style volcano.

Eleanor A – not one volcano but three! Informative and accurate display detailing the different types of volcanoes.

Maisy E – accurate labels and vocabulary and a brilliant ash cloud – very realistic!

Mr Bowles

Curriculum Leader for Geography

The long awaited rescheduled trip to Fleetwood (cancelled during the STEM Festival due to bad weather), happened on Wednesday 28th June. 64 Year 9 Geographers taking the subject next year, carried out a fieldwork investigation along this stretch of coast. The weather was kind, contrary to the forecast, for the majority of our time there. We hypothesised about tourist facilities, the physical processes that shape the beach and the coastal defences to collect data to test our theories. The Geographers were a joy to spend time with. All the staff present got a really good vibe from the students and have been left feeling that they will make a very successful GCSE cohort. Roll on September! 

Another bumper year for models with the Humanities corridor rammed full of amazing entries. Alongside the traditional cakes, Lego and cardboard models, this year saw some very original designs and mediums. A number of excellent Minecraft entries caught my eye and the addition of ash clouds in a range of ingenious ways to a number of the volcanoes, really added a new dimension too. Both Mr Ward and I have overseen MANY volcano model competitions over the years, but both of us agree that the standard of skill and Geographical content has never been higher! Well done to everyone that submitted an entry. Prize winners and highly commended students will be revealed in the end of term newsletter. 

Mr Bowles

Curriculum Leader for Geography

The Geography Department finally made it to Iceland on our long awaited, COVID disrupted trip during the Easter holidays. The experience exceeded the expectations of the staff and students who went. They witnessed some truly breath-taking sights across a jam-packed 4 days. Here is a selection of the MANY photos that the students took, showing the amazing scenery and the good fun that was had!

What a truly amazing trip! When asked, there were lots of highlights that the Geographers suggested, but the glacier walk came up most often. The “Viking Protein Drink” at the ice cream farm perhaps didn’t score so well, but that meant more for me! The Blue Lagoon seems to have been the perfect way for everyone to end their trip too.

A massive thank you to Mrs Singleton for all her organisational skills. Thank you also to Mr Ward, Miss Garlick and Miss Starkey for their help and brilliant company, Mrs Honeyman for being base contact and giving loads of useful advice, the staff at Rayburn for putting on such a great itinerary, the family team at our accommodation (including the dogs!) and to our awesome coach driver, Baddi! A massive thank you also goes from me directly to the students; each and everyone of them was a superstar. They were kind, helpful, polite, enthusiastic and up for some fun. I really enjoyed sharing Iceland with you all.

The 2025 trip is in the planning stages already, so current Year 8 and 9, look out for details coming soon!

Mr Bowles

Curriculum Leader for Geography