Mrs. E. Elliott
Director of Learning: Social Sciences
Examining Board AQA
Reasons For Studying The Subject:
Geography is very topical and it is always in the news. It helps you to understand the environment in which you live and the background to world events and it focuses on important local, national and global problems and issues. It also develops many skills which you will find useful in the future.
What You Will Be Studying:
The course has 2 units with several themes of study in each:
Unit 1: Tectonic hazards, climatic hazards, coastal and river landscapes, tropical rainforests and cold environments.
Unit 2: Urban challenges, the economic world, development, global food, water and energy resources.
You will also learn how to draw and interpret graphs and diagrams, how to collect and analyse data and how to read Ordnance Survey Maps properly. This will be covered through two fieldwork experiences.
How You Will Learn:
You will be asked to take part in group work, discussions, role plays, active learning and decision making techniques. You will use a variety of materials to help you learn, such as maps, diagrams, photographs, videos, newspapers and the internet. You should also be able to read and write clearly. It is important to be able to organise information and present reasoned arguments.
How You Will Be Assessed:
There will be three exam papers; Paper 1 will assess the physical environments covered in Unit 1 and Paper 2 will assess the human environments covered in Unit 2. Paper 3 will be based on a geographical issue exercise and will also feature questions about the candidate’s fieldwork experiences.
Contact:Mrs. S. Chater – Director of Learning: Social Science
Mr. S. Stickley – Head of Geography
Careers In Geography
As a geography student, you will have gained a set of superior skills highly valued by employers. You will also have developed a range of soft skills imperative for the 21st century renaissance worker. Geography is a bridging subject and is an excellent lunch pad to a range of careers including Law, Engineering, Computer Science & Physical Sciences. However, if you are passionate about geography you may wish to explore career opportunities in an area more directly related to geography such as Natural Hazard Analyst, Geomorphologist, Geospatial Advisor, Flood Risk & GIS Analyst, Sustainability Consultant, Transport Planning Consultant, Landscape architect or Cartographer.
Labour Market Information – LMI
It is really useful to look at the labour market when considering a career related to geography. Many sectors related to geography are areas of growth in terms of employment opportunities. For example Boris Johnson recently announced a 10 point plan to boost the green economy which geography is an integral part of. The plan promises 250,000 jobs and emphasises a “green industrial revolution” to stimulate a post pandemic economic recovery.
Pathways Example Post 16 Routes – Level 3 A Level
- A-Level Geography, Government and Politics, Economics, Environmental Science, Maths, Biology, Chemistry
Pathways Example Post 16 – Apprenticeship Ideas
PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT
- Specialising in environmental claims in relation to contaminated land such as oil spills, groundwater and surface water pollution. You might split your time between undertaking field work to assess and the writing of reports in relation to such works.
GIS CONSULTANT
- Geographic information systems (GIS)consultants are responsible for managing digital mapping data and performing analyses to answer geographical questions. The key focus for many GIS consultants is making maps for clients, deduced from analytical data. Your work can be used in a variety of fields.
CLIMATE CHANGE CONSULTANT
- A climate change consultant is responsible for providing advice and research to the government. Specifically you may help policy makers contemplate scenarios they may have to confront in the next 40 years.