Geography

Applications Open: - Now

Applications Close: - Friday 13th February 2026 (This is the official deadline, when planning for the new timetable will begin; however, applications may still be accepted after this date.)

Entry Requirements: - 6 GCSE passes at Grade 5+, including a minimum of Grade 5 in Mathematics and English.

How to Apply: - Apply via KentChoices

Why study this subject?

The solutions to future global challenges like climate change will come from those who understand the natural world and the way that humans interact with it; and that is the core strength of Geography. Students taking Geography A level get to study some of the most relevant issues on the curriculum, from climate change and its solutions to the Geopolitics that explains conflict in places like the Ukraine. In addition to its subject matter, Geography develops a range of skills valued by employers, including maths, analytical thinking, ICT and teamwork through regular field trips. The Individual project is a fantastic opportunity for students to research a Geographical issue that interests them and is when we see students become increasingly confident and independent learners, which helps them stand out as they progress to university or employment. With the mix of technical and social skills that they get from their studies, Geography graduates are highly sought after — in fact, according to the Royal Geographical Society, those who study the subject have some of the highest rates of employment. Geography has traditionally been considered a ‘facilitating subject’ by the top universities when considering applicants for a wide range of courses.

Studying geography will give you access to a wide range of higher education options. The subject combines well with many other A Levels. In recent years we have had geography students go on to study related university degrees, which include: Earth Sciences or Geophysics (pure physical geography combined with science) or International Relations (the crossover of geography, history and politics), International Development, as well as more traditional Geography degrees.

Geographers are found in almost all careers; those closely associated with the subject such as planners, meteorologists and environmental scientists; and those where the skills learnt in the subject are important or useful, such as: law, accountancy, management, the civil, and armed services and many, many more. Indeed, it is difficult to find a walk of life where the diverse nature of a geographic education has not made an impact.

Component 1: Physical geography

● We start by studying the way that ice has changed the landscape during past ice ages, as well as how important ice and the frozen landscapes of the world will be as the climate changes. You will have the opportunity to go on a sixth form residential fieldtrip to study the beautiful glaciated landscapes of Switzerland (this is a voluntary trip, and the cost is likely to be between £850 – 950 for the four-day trip).

● Our second topic focuses on the role of both the carbon cycles and water cycles as building blocks for life on earth as well as looking at their vulnerability to change. As our lives and economies have to adapt to climate change, this topic will open up many diverse pathways into University courses related to climate change.

Component 2: Human geography

The human geography topics are wide ranging but focus on global issues and the way that international development, politics and law influence them.

● We get behind the news headlines to study the reality of migration; the major forces that influence how migration we see as well as the national & international laws that attempt to manage it.

● We then focus on a Geopolitics topic in which students will study the changing shape of the world’s political borders such as contemporary conflicts in places as far flung as Ukraine and Mali.

● Our final topic focuses on understanding how local places are shaped by global, national and local forces, making places unique and creating challenges for those wanting to regenerate struggling places. During that topic we will undertake fieldwork in the local area.

Component 3: Geographical debates

There are two longer topics that focus on specific issues and the relationship between the Human & Physical world.

● In Tectonic Hazards topic we will build on knowledge acquired at GCSE to gain a deeper understanding of the role that the moving tectonic plates have on our landscape and lives.

● In the Disease Dilemmas topic, we look at health as an important building block in understanding how countries can develop. We also study the varying health challenges faced in different parts of the world as well as the decisions

that have to be made by organisations like the WHO and pharmaceutical companies when confronting challenges like the containment of Ebola, Malaria or Covid.

Component 4: Individual Project

Students will have the chance to explore a topic of personal interest in their Individual Project. They will be guided by their teachers throughout the process and we will use the residential trip in the UK to prepare the students for collecting their own data.

This Individual Project allows students to show their independence of thought and action, whilst having the safety net of knowing that they can check what they are doing with their teacher. It is during this project that we see students really develop their skills and intellectual confidence. The independence they develop makes A level geographers highly valued.

Unit 1: Physical systems

1 hour 45 minutes; 24% of the A Level qualification

Students will answer questions on the physical geography aspects of what they have studied.

Unit 2: Human interactions

1 hour 45 minutes; 24% of the A Level qualification

Students will answer questions on the human geography aspects of what they have studied.

Unit 3: Geographical debates

2 hours 30 minutes; 32% of the A Level qualification

Students will answer questions about Tectonic Hazards and Disease Dilemmas and interpret different sources of data to show that they can apply their knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios.

Unit 4: Independent investigation

20% of the A Level qualification

There is no exam paper involved. Students will submit their report for marking.

GCSE grade 5 in Geography or 5 in English Language or Literature if not studied previously.