WHY SHOULD I STUDY A LEVEL GEOLOGY (EARTH SCIENCE)? Students fascinated by earthquakes, volcanoes, resources, engineering, materials science and fossils will find Geology especially appealing. This course allows students with an interest in The Earth to discover how it formed and how it works. Geology is a subject that can usefully be studied in combination with any of: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or Physics. With the increasing importance of sustainability, it has grown in popularity and The Sixth Form College has taught OCR A Level Geology to the largest cohort of students in the UK for the last two years. Fieldwork is an essential part of a geologist’s experience so four days of fieldwork are required to be completed by the exam board. There is a UK-based residential trip at the end of year one to cover fieldwork requirements; providing important opportunities to practice skills examined by the Practical Skills paper. We have strong links with many universities, including Exeter, Portsmouth, Manchester, Leeds, Hilo (Hawaii), Laurentia (Ontario) and Tucson (Arizona). We have lecturers/speakers visit the college along with ex-students working professionally in fields such as; structural engineering, paleontology, mineral exploration and geochemical engineering to talk about careers and higher education progression. COURSE CONTENT The first year of the course consists of five topics: • The Formation of the Solar System and the Structure of The Earth – including the techniques geologists can use to infer what is inside the planet. • Plate tectonics and Earthquakes - how we study The Earth’s interior, how we can understand earthquakes and use seismographs to locate them, and how they can teach us about plate movements and the creation of mountain ranges. • Minerals - how to recognize them in rocks and in thin sections under the microscope. • Formation of the Main Rock Groups: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic. • Residential four-day field trip to Cornwall.
At least 5 GCSE subjects at grade 4 - 9. Grade 4 GCSE English Language or English Literature. AND Grade 5 GCSE Mathematics. AND Grade 5 Both 1st and 2nd grades in GCSE Combined Science.
There are three written examination papers taken at the end of the second year and a separate practical endorsement that is earned throughout the two years of the course.
About Education Provider
| Region | East of England |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| Address | North Hill, Colchester, CO1 1SN |
WHY SHOULD I STUDY A LEVEL GEOLOGY (EARTH SCIENCE)? Students fascinated by earthquakes, volcanoes, resources, engineering, materials science and fossils will find Geology especially appealing. This course allows students with an interest in The Earth to discover how it formed and how it works. Geology is a subject that can usefully be studied in combination with any of: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or Physics. With the increasing importance of sustainability, it has grown in popularity and The Sixth Form College has taught OCR A Level Geology to the largest cohort of students in the UK for the last two years. Fieldwork is an essential part of a geologist’s experience so four days of fieldwork are required to be completed by the exam board. There is a UK-based residential trip at the end of year one to cover fieldwork requirements; providing important opportunities to practice skills examined by the Practical Skills paper. We have strong links with many universities, including Exeter, Portsmouth, Manchester, Leeds, Hilo (Hawaii), Laurentia (Ontario) and Tucson (Arizona). We have lecturers/speakers visit the college along with ex-students working professionally in fields such as; structural engineering, paleontology, mineral exploration and geochemical engineering to talk about careers and higher education progression. COURSE CONTENT The first year of the course consists of five topics: • The Formation of the Solar System and the Structure of The Earth – including the techniques geologists can use to infer what is inside the planet. • Plate tectonics and Earthquakes - how we study The Earth’s interior, how we can understand earthquakes and use seismographs to locate them, and how they can teach us about plate movements and the creation of mountain ranges. • Minerals - how to recognize them in rocks and in thin sections under the microscope. • Formation of the Main Rock Groups: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic. • Residential four-day field trip to Cornwall.
At least 5 GCSE subjects at grade 4 - 9. Grade 4 GCSE English Language or English Literature. AND Grade 5 GCSE Mathematics. AND Grade 5 Both 1st and 2nd grades in GCSE Combined Science.
There are three written examination papers taken at the end of the second year and a separate practical endorsement that is earned throughout the two years of the course.