Geography A level

Entry Requirements: 5 in Geography

Course Overview:

Geography offers an exciting and wide-ranging experience. A Level Geography aims to give pupils an understanding of the physical and human processes which affect people and their environment along with an understanding of the vital issues facing society such as sustainability, economic development, and cultural awareness. The subject draws together aspects from both sciences and humanities. It develops intellectual abilities in a wide range of areas including data analysis, literacy and statistics. Students develop skills of enquiry such as analysing, evaluating and interpreting data to reach justified conclusions. The enquiry process uses scientific, statistical, satellite, mapping and computer techniques to analyse geographical phenomena and to process data via hypothesis testing. These transferable skills are much sought after by employers.

Course Content:

Students will follow the AQA A-Level Curriculum. In Year 1, students will cover the three compulsory modules in human and physical geography as set out by the exam board: Changing Places, Global Systems and Governance and Water and Carbon Cycles. They will also study three optional topics - Resource Security in human geography, and Hazards and Coastal Landscapes in physical geography.

In Year 2, students will complete their NEA (non-examined assessment) alongside revising key content from Year 1 in preparation for the summer exams.

For the NEA fieldwork, a four-day residential course takes place at the Cranedale Centre at the edge of the North York Moors where the Changing Places, Water and Carbon Cycles and Coasts modules are explored in more detail using primary data collection methods.