Unit 1: Physical geography

• Tectonic Processes and Hazards
• The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity
• The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security
• Coastal Landscapes and Change or Glaciated Landscapes

Unit 2: Human geography

• Globalisation
• Superpowers
• Regenerating Places or Diverse Places
• Health, Human Rights and Intervention or Migration, Identity and Sovereignty

Unit 3: Synoptic exam

Unit 1 and 2 contain three synoptic themes

• Players
• Attitudes and actions
• Futures and uncertainties

The synoptic investigation will be based on a geographical issue within a place-based context that links to the three synoptic themes.

Unit 4: Independent Investigation (Coursework)

The student defines a question or issue for investigation. The student’s investigation will incorporate fieldwork data (collected individually or as part of a group) and own research and/or secondary data. It is 3000-4000 words.

Learning strategies

The department uses a full range of strategies from group-work and role-play through to individual work, discussions, debates, written work, note taking, thinking skills, presentations, individual research and group research.

A range of skills will be taught including essay writing, note taking, skills of analysis, evaluation and justification, as well as field work and research skills as integral to the whole course.

We want students to develop a personalised approach to their learning.

Field work is an important skill and provision will be made by the department to cover all the exam elements. There will be a cost to the students for fieldwork that parents should be aware of but this cost is yet to be confirmed.