Geography

Subject Leader
Mrs Private: Stockwell

Aims of the course

  • An engaging and contemporary issues-based approach, 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.
  • Supports progression to undergraduate level geography.
  • The specification content 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.

Course content

Paper 1 (9Geo/01): Physical Geography. Four Physical Geography topics will be chosen from: Tectonic Processes and Hazards, Landscape Systems, Processes and Change, The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity, The Carbon Cycle and Energy Securit.

Paper 2 (9Geo/02): Human Geography. Students will study topics from within the following four units; Globalisation, Shaping Places, Superpowers, Global Development and Connections.

Assessment

A Level Geography (9GE0) consists of three examinations and one Non Examined Assessment (the individual investigation).

  • Paper 1 (9Geo/01): Physical Geography. 30% of qualification. 2 hours and 15 minutes.
  • Paper 2 (9Geo/02): Human Geography. 30% of qualification. 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Both Papers 1 and 2 will include short open, open response and resource-linked questions. The examination includes 12-mark and 20-mark extended writing questions.

  • Paper 3 (9Geo/03): Synoptic themes. 20% of qualification. 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Questions draw synoptically on knowledge and understanding from compulsory content drawn from different parts of the course. The examination will include short, open response and resource-linked questions. The examination includes 6-mark, 16-mark 18-mark and 24-mark extended writing questions.

  • Coursework, Independent Investigation: 20 % of qualification.

This will be undertaken in school, boys will produce a written report of 3000–4000 words based upon a fieldwork project.

There will be a number of field trips and one short residential field trip over the two-year course.

Career opportunities

The skills you use in Geography will support you in a range of careers.  You will use and interpret data using a range of techniques such as mapping, graphs, statistics, ICT, annotated photos as well as detailed verbal and written descriptions.  The ability to ‘think geographically’ enables you to make links between issues and critically analyse and evaluate topics from a small local scale to a global scale.

Statistics show that compared with other subjects, Geographers are among the most employable. Many of those leaving university with a Geography degree enter three fields of employment: administration and management; marketing or financial work. This is presumably because Geographers possess the abilities and skills that employers look for.

The close link between the subject and the world around us makes for a long and varied list of related careers, for example working with development or aid agencies, environmental work, using Geographical Information Systems, working for the census office and in tourism and recreation. However most of these areas involve only one part of the broad subject of Geography.  A Level Geography gives you both the breadth and depth of geographical knowledge to start a range of careers and is well respected by all university courses.