Aims of the Department
- To develop an understanding of the human and physical world in which we live, in order to instil global responsibility and citizenship
- To develop an understanding of different cultures, levels of development and ways of life
- To develop cross-curricular themes, thus relating geography to other disciplines in terms of knowledge, expertise and skills
- To encourage field study skills in order to experience geography first hand
A-Level Geography:
Studying Geography at A Level Geography encourages learners to develop a range of essential skills for Higher Education and the world of work through content which is relevant to any citizen of the planet in the 21st century. Through studying exciting topics learners will understand the nature of physical and human geography whilst unpicking the debates surrounding contemporary challenges facing the world today.
The OCR course is followed which has four sections.
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Content overview |
Assessment overview |
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Paper 1- Landscape systems
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1 hour 30 minute exam paper 22% of the A-Level |
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Paper 2- Human interactions
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1 hour 30 minute paper 22% of the A-Level |
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Paper 3- Geographical debates
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2 hour 30 minute paper 36% of the A-Level |
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Independent investigation |
60 marks Non examined assessment 20% of the A-Level |
Resources
The department is housed in its own specialist area with access to computers, projector (in all rooms), and interactive whiteboards. Girls have access to resources on Firefly and the library is well-stocked with geography resources including textbooks, periodicals and DVDs. Through the library, the girls can also access the online Geography Review magazine. At A-Level the girls are issued with the Hodder OCR approved textbook.
Clubs
The department engages in activities outside of school and we often take 6th form students to local universities for relevant lectures. The GeoSoc club offers students the opportunity to discuss current debates, new research findings and geography in the news.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is an integral part of the geography curriculum, fieldwork allows pupils to see in reality what they have learnt in the classroom, build teamwork skills and learn valuable data-collection techniques.
Year 12: One fieldwork day takes students to Liverpool to study rebranding and inequalities and a second fieldwork day takes students to North Wales to study coastal landforms and coastal processes
Year 13: Time is spent conducting 2 days of independent fieldwork on a topic of your choice