KS5 Geography
Overview
A-Level Geography at UTC Leeds builds on and extends much of the learning that students have undertaken as part of their GCSE; returning to natural hazards, coastal systems and landscapes and urban environments and the challenges faced in them.
It also introduces a number of new themes such as the water and carbon cycles and how they are affected by human activities, how and why places change over time and the global systems that have brought about the much-discussed process of globalisation. These topics draw on students’ expertise from their Science studies and they also provide opportunities for learners to demonstrate the statistical analysis skills that they develop through Maths. Essay writing is a requirement of the Geography A-Level and so the ability to construct discussions and draw informed conclusions is central to the work that we do. These aspects of the Geography A-Level ensure that candidates have a broad range of transferable skills that they can discuss with prospective employers and university admission tutors.
Students will conduct an independent investigation that will be entirely designed, undertaken and written up without direction from members of staff. This investigation, known as the Non-Examined Assessment, is worth 20 per cent of the marks available for A-Level Geography. The NEA encourages self-management in terms of enquiry and analysis, and candidates will therefore be able to refer to their project as evidence of where they have demonstrated these attributes when being interviewed, either for higher education or employment. The remaining 80 per cent of the marks are divided between two terminal papers: Physical Geography (2 hours 30 minutes) and Human Geography (2 hours and 30 minutes).
A-Level Geography is an academic qualification and will sit well with other similar qualifications or provide balance for students that are sitting largely practical subjects here at UTC Leeds. The course requires students to undertake field work as an essential part of their A-Level and plans are being made to ensure that when it is safe to do so, learners get the opportunity to experience fieldwork in an interesting geographical location. Learners also benefit from the links that have been made between the Geography Department and organisations such as Drax Power Station and the University of Leeds, thus gaining important networking opportunities.
Staff and Contact Details
Alastair Chambers, Subject Leader of Geography alastair.chambers@utcleeds.co.uk
