KS5 Geography
AS Geography
At AS Geography is about building on the knowledge and understanding gained in GCSE. Students develop their handling of statistics and their command of Geographical terminology to support essay writing and fieldwork skills. AS students are beginning to consolidate their learning and show an ability to use knowledge and case-studies from a range of topics. Students studying AS have 9 contact hours with staff over a period of 2weeks. They also have the opportunity to access further time out of college hours. The AS is assessed by two exams. Paper one is based on knowledge and understanding of topics and paper two is a skills paper where fieldwork is also assessed. Paper 1 is a two hour exam worth 70% of the AS (35% of the A-Level) and paper 2 is a one hour exam worth 30% of the AS (15% of the A-Level).
A2 Geography
A2 Geography helps the students prepare for study of Geography or Environmental and Social sciences in higher education. A2 students are expected to use their skills and knowledge from AS to develop a synoptic approach to issue. The students study a minimum of 3 topics and produce an individual study. The A2 is examined by 2 papers, one on topic knowledge and the other on skills. A2 students are expected to write an extended essay in the examination for paper 3. This paper is two hours and 30 minutes and is 30% of the total A-Level qualification. Paper 4 is one hour and 30 minutes, it assesses skills and the individual study. Paper 4 is worth 20% of the total A-Level grade.
Out of Class Opportunities
Fieldwork is an essential part of the AS and A2 course and is a requirement of the syllabus. Students in year 13 complete an investigation of their choice as part of their assessment process, this requires students to design and complete their own fieldwork.
