Students follow the AQA A Level Course which will include a compulsory independent fieldwork study worth 20% of the final grade (NEA). What will I study? Paper 1 – Physical Geography Water & Carbon This unit examines the major stores of water and carbon at or near the Earth’s surface and the dynamic cyclical relationships associated with them. These are major elements in the natural environment and understanding them is fundamental to many aspects of physical geography. Students contemplate the magnitude and significance of both cycles at a variety of scales, their relevance to wider geography and their central importance for human populations. Millook Coastal Systems & Landscapes Students focus on coastal zones which are the dynamic environments in which landscapes develop through the interaction of winds, waves, currents and terrestrial and marine sediments. Students will study geomorphological processes and develop their understanding of how these processes lead to the development of distinctive landscapes. Hazards This topic focuses on the lithosphere and the atmosphere, which intermittently but regularly present natural hazards to human populations, often in dramatic and sometimes catastrophic fashion. By exploring the origin and nature of these hazards and the various ways in which people respond to them, students can explore the nature of the relationship between people and their environment. Paper 2 – Human Geography Global Systems & Global Governance This unit focuses on globalisation – the economic, political and social changes associated with technological and other driving forces which have been a key feature of the global economy and society in recent decades. The concept of increased interdependence is studied through international trade, access to markets and the governance of global commons, such as Antarctica. Londinium Changing Places This module focuses on people's engagement with places, their experience of them and the qualities they ascribe to them, all of which are of fundamental importance in their lives. Students will learn the importance of the idea of place and engage with how places are known and experienced. They will discover the factors and processes which impact upon places and how they change and develop over time. This unit is examined through the study of two contrasting locations, local and distant. Our chosen locations are Bude and London. Students will contrast these two areas in terms of economic development, population density and cultural background. Population & the Environment This unit is designed for students to explore the relationships between key aspects of physical geography and population numbers, population health and well-being, levels of economic development and the role and impact of the natural environment. Engaging with these themes at different scales fosters opportunities for students to contemplate the reciprocating relationships between the physical environment and human populations and the relationships between people in their local, national and international communities. Paper 3 - Geography Fieldwork Investigation (NEA) Brick Lane Students are required to undertake an independent investigation, worth 20% of their final grade. This must incorporate a significant element of fieldwork. The fieldwork undertaken may be based on either human or physical aspects of geography, or a combination of both. Students may incorporate field data and/or evidence from field investigations collected individually or in groups. What is important is that students work on their own on contextualising, analysing and reporting their work to produce an independent investigation with an individual title that demonstrates required fieldwork knowledge, skills and understanding. At Budehaven, we carry out fieldwork in the local area on Coasts, as well as a contrasting study of Brick Lane, London through a residential fieldtrip in Year 12. Students are however, free to choose their own investigation foci within any area of the specification.