Exam Board – AQA

Qualification – A Level 7037

Entry requirements – GCSE grade 5 in English and maths, and grade 5 in geography

Course specification

Geography is a dynamic, contemporary subject that can inspire a deep interest in the complex world around us. Students learn a wide range of transferable skills through the course, including collecting, analysing, and interpreting data, problem solving, individual and group research and a variety of forms of communication. The skills are in great demand and are recognised by employers and universities as being of great value.

“I would recommend geography at Tuxford as the course takes you on an interesting and varied adventure, whilst challenging your geographical abilities and skills, plus you get to visit some great places on trips.”

– Student

Many of the world’s current issues – at a global scale and locally – boil down to geography, and need the geographers of the future to help us understand them. Global warming as it affects countries and regions, food and energy security, the degradation of land and soils from over-use and misuse, the spread of disease, the causes and consequences of migration, and the impacts of economic change on places and communities. These are just some of the challenges facing the next generation, which geographers must help solve.

The course is structured into four main elements:

  • physical geography (including water and carbon cycles, coastal systems and landscapes, hazards)
  • human geography (including changing places, global systems and governance, contemporary urban environments)
  • geography fieldwork investigation, which will include 4 days of studies on location within the UK
  • geographical skills using maps, graphs and statistics

There are 5 weekly lessons which are likely to be split between two different teachers. Teaching will be varied with lessons being led by both the teachers and the students. As an inherently enquiry-based subject there will be lessons where students will research topics independently and in groups and students will be expected to support their in-class learning with extensive wider reading of news and current affairs articles suggested by staff. This will enable students to learn through accessing the most up-to-date and relevant geographical issues and information.

What doors will this open up for me?

Geography can be taken at university in many different forms and can lead to either a BA or a BSc graduate degree. In its own right geography can lead to careers in many different areas. It is a subject that helps young people into work. Many employers prize the knowledge and skills that studying geography can provide and geography in higher education is thriving. Geography students are among those gaining greatest satisfaction from their studies, and geography graduates have a relatively low level of unemployment.

It’s no wonder there is a growing demand to study the subject at university. This is underlined by the Russell Group of universities, along with the Minister David Willetts MP, who both recognise geography as one of the key ‘facilitating’ subjects for entry to degree level study. The skills learnt in geography are recognised by employers in all areas such as accountancy, lawyers and education.

Geography does not limit or narrow your choices. It is a superb opportunity to learn about the world as a whole. It is the one subject which links or connects to all others. Anything or anyone that impacts on our world is of concern to a geographer.

Learning journey

Our learning journeys can be used to understand each subject in more detail.

Geography post 16 learning journey