A Level
Basic Course Details
Geography teaches us to enquire and Geography teaches us to make informed decisions. Many questions and inquiries in our world do not have a yes or no or right or wrong answer; they require a decision and consideration of the facts.
Geography is a fascinating and popular choice of subject. A-Level geography is engaging and relevant to today’s students. It is a qualification that enables you to engage critically with real world issues and places, apply your own geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to make sense of the world around you and to help prepare you to succeed in their chosen pathway.
A-Level offers an issues-based approach to studying geography, enabling students to explore and evaluate contemporary geographical questions and issues such as the consequences of globalisation, responses to hazards, water insecurity and climate change.
A-Level gives students the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of physical and human geography, the complexity of people and environment questions and issues, and to become critical, reflective and independent learners.
This Geography Specification has four equally-weighted content areas of study, offering both compulsory and optional content, assessed through three external assessments and one piece of non examination assessment.
Assessment
Paper 1 Written examination: 2 hours and 15 minutes
30% of the qualification
- Topic 1: Tectonic Processes and Hazards
- Topic 2: Landscape Systems, Processes and Change: Coastal Landscapes and Change
- Topic 5: The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity
- Topic 6: The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security
Paper 2 Written examination: 2 hours and 15 minutes
30% of the qualification
- Topic 3: Globalisation
- Topic 4: Shaping Places: 4A Regenerating Places
- Topic 7: Superpowers
- Topic 8: Global Development and Connections: 8B Migration, Identity and Sovereignty
Paper 3 Written examination: 2 hours and 15 minutes
20% of the qualification
The specification contains three synoptic themes within the compulsory content areas (Tectonic Processes and Hazards, The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity, The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security, Globalisation, Superpowers):
- Players
- Attitudes and actions
- Futures and uncertainties.
Non-examination assessment: Independent Investigation, Non-examined assessment
20% of the qualification
- The student undertakes an independent investigation, producing a written report of 3000–4000 words.
- The student defines a question or issue relating to the compulsory or optional content.
- The student’s investigation will incorporate fieldwork data (collected individually or as part
- of a group) and own research and/or secondary data.
- The report will evidence independent analysis and evaluation of data, presentation of data
- findings and extended writing.
- The report is internally assessed and externally moderated.
Fieldwork
A Level students must complete a minimum of four days of fieldwork. Fieldwork must be carried out in relation to processes in physical and human geography.
This A Level course will enable students to be inspired by their geographical understanding, to engage critically with real world issues and places, and to apply their geographical knowledge, theory and skills to the world around them. Students will grow as independent thinkers and as informed and engaged citizens, who understand the role and importance of geography as one of the key disciplines relevant to understanding the world’s changing peoples, places and environments.