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Geography
A level
for secondary schools
Developing the skills to succeed
One of the most outstanding locations for fieldwork in the UK provides your AS and A level students with excellent opportunities to develop their investigative skills, with the help of our trained field studies specialists.
Students collect data and use our IT facilities to analyse their results, prepare reports and compare their own findings with online case studies and secondary evidence. Our priority is to provide the geography course which meets your curriculum requirements.
IOL Field Studies Professional Practice Group
PGL is a member of the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL), and supports the Field Studies Professional Practice Group (PPG) – a subgroup of the IOL. The Field Studies PPG is an organisation whose members are engaged in, or have an interest in delivering field studies programmes or environmental education. Its aims are to share good practice and promote field studies and environmental education using the experience and resources at its disposal.
NEW! for 2019/20
Introducing our NEW! comprehensive A level Geography workbooks, written by our team of study course experts. The workbooks cover all the topics you need to meet the fieldwork requirements of the AQA, Edexcel and OCR exam boards.
With a hand-picked selection of topics, carefully chosen locations and the support of the PGL Field Studies Team, our residential courses are sure to set your students on the path to achieving the best exam results!
- Urban Settlements
- Coastal Management
- Coastal Processes and Features
Study modules
Our courses are tailored to meet the requirements of the new geography curriculums in England and Wales (first taught in 2016).
A choice of skills-based modules gives students opportunities to carry out the investigations relevant to the specifications of the examination board they are following.
Human Geography - click to see module information
Urban Settlements AQA, Edexcel, OCR
Producing land use classification maps of town centres allows students to investigate patterns in retail settlements and settlement function. Development of towns over time can be demonstrated through a study of building type and the CBD can be mapped.
Physical Geography - click to see module information
Coastal Management AQA, Edexcel, OCR
Students examine the conflicts that arise from coastal erosion and the options for coastal management. They investigate different types of coastal defences through field sketches and discuss how they should be managed in the future through a decision matrix. Each option is examined through cost benefit analysis and all relevant economic, social, educational and industrial impacts are investigated and discussed.
Coastal Processes and Features AQA, Edexcel, OCR
By working as part of a team students profile a beach, taking accurate measurements which are entered onto a pocket computer. Students discuss beach formation and the reasons why beaches differ in shape and sediment size. They then discuss the results obtained and suggest why sediment size varies in relation to its position on the beach. Simple experiments allow observations of long shore drift and wave refraction.
Locations
We have a selection of fieldwork locations near to our Field Studies centre, for which we have prepared and written course materials. Risk assessments have also been carried out to ensure the safety of your group.
A typical itinerary for this course
Monday - Friday (5 days / 4 nights)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07.00-09.00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 09.00-12.00 | Full day: Coastal Management |
Full day: Urban Settlements |
Full day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Half day: Follow-up session |
|
| 12.00-14.00 | Packed lunch | Packed lunch | Packed lunch | Lunch on centre | |
| 14.00-17.00 | Full day: Coastal Management |
Full day: Urban Settlements |
Full day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Depart centre | |
| 17.00-19.00 | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |
| 19.00-21.00 | Evening Entertainment Quiz Show |
Follow-up session | Follow-up session | Follow-up session |
Monday - Wednesday (3 days / 2 nights)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07.00-09.00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 09.00-12.00 | Full day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Half day: Urban Settlements |
|
| 12.00-14.00 | Arrive and unpack | Packed lunch | Packed lunch |
| 14.00-17.00 | Half day: Coastal Management |
Full day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Depart straight from excursion |
| 17.00-19.00 | Dinner | Dinner and free time | |
| 19.00-21.00 | Follow-up session | Follow-up session |
Wednesday - Friday (3 days / 2 nights)
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07.00-09.00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 09.00-12.00 | Full day: Coastal Management |
Half day: Urban Settlements |
|
| 12.00-14.00 | Arrive and unpack | Packed lunch | Packed lunch |
| 14.00-17.00 | Half day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Full day: Coastal Management |
Depart straight from excursion |
| 17.00-19.00 | Dinner | Dinner and free time | |
| 19.00-21.00 | Follow-up session | Follow-up session |
Friday - Sunday (2 night weekend)
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07.00-09.00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 09.00-12.00 | Full day: Urban Settlements |
Full day: Coastal Management |
|
| 12.00-14.00 | Packed lunch | Packed lunch | |
| 14.00-17.00 | Full day: Urban Settlements |
Full day: Coastal Management |
|
| 17.00-19.00 | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner |
| 19.00-21.00 | Evening Entertainment PGL Sports Night |
Follow-up session | Depart centre |
Friday - Monday (3 night weekend)
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07.00-09.00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 09.00-12.00 | Full day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Full day: Coastal Management |
Half day: Urban Settlements |
|
| 12.00-14.00 | Packed lunch | Packed lunch | Packed lunch | |
| 14.00-17.00 | Full day: Coastal Processes and Features |
Full day: Coastal Management |
Depart straight from excursion | |
| 17.00-19.00 | Dinner and free time | Dinner and free time | Dinner and free time | |
| 19.00-21.00 | Evening Entertainment Disco |
Follow-up session | Follow-up session |
Focus on study or add PGL adventure activities to break up the day.
See our list of activities >
Learning outcomes
Your needs – your choice.
We tailor the focus of fieldwork to meet your requirements, so the outcomes are very much down to what you decide is your focus. Whether it’s a case of introducing a new topic, reinforcing work done in school, or revising a range of topics in preparation for exams – it’s up to you.
We can recommend the best option out of our hand-picked locations to suit the specific requirements of your group.
Learnings and data from fieldwork and research done at PGL will form the basis of solid case studies for future examinations.
Our staff are on-hand to support each student as they make their investigations.
Our experience with many groups at this level means we can help with recommending appropriate project work.
You students will face their exams with more confidence, inspired by their fieldwork and follow-up sessions, which will have consolidated their learning.
Activities
The PGL Adventure Bonus
Choose from our popular on-site adventure activities, such as zip wire, giant swing, trapeze, climbing and abseiling, to complement your study sessions and tailor-make your course to your requirements.
Search for your ideal centre:
Location
Barton Hall, South Devon
Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk
Beam House, North Devon
Boreatton Park, Shropshire
Caythorpe Court, Lincolnshire
Dalguise, Perthshire
Ford Castle, Northumberland (NEW!)
Liddington, Wiltshire
Little Canada, Isle of Wight
Marchants Hill, Surrey
Newby Wiske Hall, North Yorkshire (NEW!)
Osmington Bay, Dorset
Tregoyd House, Brecon Beacons
Windmill Hill, East Sussex
Winmarleigh Hall, Lancashire
Shortcuts
Revision Weekends
Revision the PGL way. Take your group away for a weekend of revision combined with activity breaks keeping them motivated, focussed & engaged.