Course Description

Geography at Mascalls Academy is a popular subject which encourages students to engage with the relationship between human populations and the physical environment we inhabit.

Course Content

A-Level Years 1 and 2

A-Level Geography content is divided into four areas of study:

  • Area of Study 1: Dynamic Landscapes 
    In this area you will study Tectonic Hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and secondary hazards such as tsunamis that represent a significant risk to humans and the environment in some parts of the world. You will also study Coastal Landscapes, how they develop, how they are threatened from physical processes and the need for them to be holistically and sustainably managed.
  • Area of Study 2: Dynamic Places
    In this area you will study Globalisation and global interdependence, with a focus on the inequalities and cultural changes caused within and between countries as shifts in patterns of wealth occur. You will also study Regenerating Places and how urban and rural regeneration programmes involve a range of players, both place making (regeneration) and place marketing (rebranding).
  • Area of Study 3: Physical Systems and Sustainability
    In this area you will study the Water and Carbon Cycle, with an in depth study on water and energy insecurity.
  • Area of Study 4: Human Systems and Geopolitics
    In this area you will study Superpowers and emerging superpowers. You will investigate how they have a significant impact on the global economy, global politics and the environment. You will also study Global development and how tensions can result from growing levels of environmental, social and economic interdependence among people, economies and nation states.
    In addition to the four areas of study, you will also complete a geographical investigation. You will complete four days of fieldwork, collecting human and physical data on a geographical question or issue defined and developed using any part of the specification content of your choice. This is then summarised and written in the form of a fieldwork report or NEA.

How am I assessed?

The A Level is assessed across two years, with exams being taken at the end of the course.

  • There are three written examinations. Two of these examinations assess students on the four areas of study, they are out of 105 marks each and worth 30% each towards the final grade. The third written examination is a synoptic assessment of geographical skills, knowledge and understanding drawn from any part of the course. It is worth 20% towards the final grade.
  • The final assessment is the Non-Examination Assessment (NEA). This is an independent investigation where you will produce a written report of 3000–4000 words. It is worth 20% of your final grade.

What could I do next?

Being an Art and a Science, Geography graduates have a varied field to go into.

Many choose to go on to careers in business, conservation, the environmental sector, accounting, teaching, journalism, politics, retail and so on.