A Level Geography

Geography helps us understand how people and societies relate to changes in the natural environment. You will learn how to evaluate attitudes to geographical and environmental issues and take part in a range of stimulating UK and foreign field trips, as well as a variety of learning activities.

There is an interesting mix of physical and human geography. The course is a contemporary, relevant and thought-provoking course that will be interesting for all students wishing to study A-level Geography.

In Year 12 the following parts of the specification will be taught:

Dynamic Landscapes:
Topic 1- Tectonic Processes and Hazards

Enquiry questions such as “Why are some areas more at risk from tectonic hazards?" will be investigated.

Topic 2 – Landscape Systems. Processes and Change

Option 2B - Coastal Landscapes and Change

Enquiry questions such as “How can coastlines be managed to meet the needs of all players?"

Dynamic Places:
Topic 3 – Globalisation

“What are the causes of globalisation and how has it accelerated in recent years?" will be a question investigated.

Topic 4 – Shaping Places

Option 4B - Diverse Places

Enquiry questions such as “How successfully are cultural and demographic issues managed?"

In Year 13 the following parts of the specification will be taught:

Physical Systems and Sustainability:
Topic 5 – The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity

“How does water insecurity occur?” is a key question to answer.

Topic 6 – The Carbon Cycle and Energy Insecurity

Questions such as “How are the carbon and water cycles linked to the global climate system?" will be looked into.

Human Systems and Geopolitics:
Topic 7 – Superpowers

Important questions such as “What are superpowers and how have they changed over time?” will be answered.

Topic 8 – Global Development and Connections

Option 8A - Health, Human Rights and Intervention

"Why do human rights vary from place to place?" will be addressed.

At the end of the A-level course there will be 3 exam papers – all are of 2 hours and 15 mins duration

9GE0/01 - This paper will assess the physical geography parts of the 2 year course (worth 30%)

9GE0/02 - This paper will assess the human geography parts of the 2 year course (worth 30%)

9GE0/03 – This is a synoptic decision-making style paper, with a resource booklet which will draw together many aspects of the A-level course (worth 20%)

In addition there is 9GE0/04 - This is a piece of coursework (Independent Investigation) and it is worth 20%. For this part of the course, students must go on 4 days of fieldwork. From work carried out, they will complete a geographical investigation.

UMS points are awarded and they are added together to award the A-level Grade.

The minimum requirement is 7 GCSE or equivalent passes at grades 9-4 in an appropriate range of subjects, including Maths and English Language at grade 4 or above.

The college will accept one BTEC at Merit level as one GCSE equivalent.

Subject specific:
It is preferable that you have studied Geography at GCSE level and ideally gained Grade 5 or above in Mathematics, due to the mathematical content of the course.

You could take this course to complement other advanced level courses such as Business and Economics.

An A-level in Geography could lead onto higher education in areas of geography, humanities, science or more general higher education courses. With further training, you could go on to employment related to Geography and work as a town planner, environmental officer or weather forecaster. You could also go straight into employment, as A-level is a recognised qualification that will help you to develop the basic skills, understanding and knowledge that many employers across lots of industries are looking for.