Geography AS / A-level

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Homework/Research/Reading around Topics/New ideas

At least once a week, or where appropriate – when a topic has been covered and the students are able to understand the ideas they need to apply at home. The Homework is to show that students can remember and apply the ideas away from the classroom and it has to be a meaningful task that allows a student to progress. This is in addition to ongoing Coursework.

In addition the Coursework/Fieldwork is ongoing homework from its beginning at the end of the summer term until its completion by the Autumn half Term Holiday. It would be very useful to see the work as sections are completed, this highlights any problems and allows us the time to support students having difficulties. With all due respect a student who hand the work in last minute cannot be given the support that another student gets when sections of the work are regularly checked.

Marking and grading of work

This is done in three ways;
1. If a Task / Test has a distinct mark (e.g. 8/10 or 80%), a grade can be attached to this in the following way, 40%=E, 50%= D, 60%=C, 70%=B, 80%=A, 90%=A*, this is in accordance with the exam regulations.
2. Any Coursework/Fieldwork is marked according to exam board regulations, a copy of this is given to every student when the coursework begins.
3. Essays and longer explanations are graded according to an exam board system, that is based on Factual Knowledge, Relevance of answers and Teachers’ judgement of the quality of the students written response.

How can you help your child?

At A Level there are two critical areas that will really help your child progress :

1. Encouraging them to read a Broadsheet paper at least once a week, or a quality News website, or publications such as The Geographical magazine, the National Geographic - for some articles, The Economist, Newsweek Magazine and to regularly watch the Ten O’Clock news. This gives the students an up to date grounding in current issues that can be applied in the course.

2. To give your child the encouragement, the confidence and the self discipline to research, prepare and work independently. Which in itself is a critical skill for life.

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