At A-level, students follow the AQA Geography specification, which builds on the foundations laid at GCSE and introduces a more analytical and evaluative approach to both physical and human geography. Year 12 begins with the study of Glacial Systems and Landscapes, where students deepen their understanding of physical processes and landform development, extending their prior knowledge of landscapes into more complex systems thinking. Alongside this, students explore Changing Places, a human geography unit that examines how individuals engage with, experience, and ascribe meaning to places—an exploration that is central to understanding identity, community, and spatial relationships in the modern world.
As the year progresses, students move on to Water and Carbon Cycles, where they investigate the Earth’s global life support systems and their interconnections. This is complemented by the study of Population and the Environment, which encourages students to interrogate the dynamic relationship between natural systems and human populations, considering issues of sustainability, resource management, and environmental impact. Toward the end of Year 12, students begin their Independent Investigation: a self-directed research project based on a geographical question of their choice. This culminates in a written report worth 20% of their final A-level grade and provides an opportunity to apply fieldwork, data analysis, and evaluative skills in a real-world context.
In Year 13, students continue to study a balanced mix of human and physical geography. The Global Systems and Governance unit focuses on the multifaceted impacts of globalisation, exploring the economic, political, and social changes driven by technological advancement and international cooperation. Finally, students examine Hazards, a physical geography unit that investigates the risks posed by natural events in the lithosphere and atmosphere—such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tropical storms. Through this, students engage with the origins, nature, and consequences of these hazards, as well as the varied human responses to them, gaining insight into the complex relationship between people and the environments they inhabit.
At the end of Year 13, students sit two written examinations: one in human geography and one in physical geography, each worth 40% of the final grade.
Geography 7037 A-level Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016
