GEOGRAPHY

Why choose Geography?

The A Level Geography course will cover both the physical and human environments and the complex interaction of processes that shape our world. It will also, importantly, show the applied side of the subject — how human intervention affects the environment and how people adapt and mitigate the effects of processes on their environment. Geography is highly valued by universities due to its interdisciplinary nature and can lead to diverse and exciting careers from urban planning and environmental management to international relations. 

Exam Board: AQA

Course details

Students will cover Physical Geography in Component 1 (40%), looking at Water and Carbon, Coasts and Natural Hazards. Component 2 (40%) covers Human Geography and students will investigate the topics of Global Systems and Governance, Contemporary Urban Issues and Changing Places. The final 20% of the course is assessed via the NEA (Non-Examined Assessment). You will learn in a wide variety of ways such as by using maps, GIS skills and data analysis and be encouraged to present your ideas on Powerpoint presentations to the rest of the group. You will frame your own questions using higher level thinking skills and show your grasp of complex issues through report and essay writing. 

Course Requirements

You need to achieve at least a 6 at GCSE in Geography. 

The flexibility and expertise which we have as a department enables us to arrange trips to accommodate individual students’ interests when planning and carrying out fieldwork for the NEA. Students will experience four days field work throughout the A Level course. This includes a coastal study of the management of erosion at Morecambe and an evaluation of the regeneration of Leeds Waterfront. The Geography department has also run several very popular trips abroad, with recent destinations including China, Iceland, Italy (Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples), Sicily, Switzerland and the USA’s West Coast. These enrichment opportunities develop students’ depth and breadth of understanding and foster a love of the subject. 

The Geography department also participates in the Lancashire branch of the Geographical Association lecture programme to enrich the students’ subject knowledge, often hosting the lectures at Westholme School. Many of our students go onto study Geography or geography related degrees, such as Environmental Science, at good universities. Geography is a well respected academic A Level and one of the top facilitating A Level subjects. 

Students who have studied A Level Geography have acquired the skills necessary to progress to a wide range of degree courses which include Medicine, Law, Economics and Veterinary Science, as well as the more obvious options of Geography and Geology. 

Geography combines well with both arts and science subjects. You may already be thinking ahead to potential university and career choices, so it is worth bearing in mind that Geography is a broad-based, ‘facilitating’ subject that really fits well for your future progression.