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How to Get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA

In A-Level by Think Student Editor May 22, 2023 Leave a Comment

An NEA is worth 20% of your overall grade in A-Level Geography. It may not seem like much at first, but that’s 1/5 of your qualification – so you definitely want to make sure it boosts your overall grade! As well as this, there will be hundreds of other students writing A-Level Geography coursework, so yours needs to stand out amongst the others. But, if you were like me, this might be the first time you’ve ever had to complete coursework for an A-Level. So how do you do well?

In this article, I’ll be taking you through (as a former A-Level Geography student) all the dos and don’ts for your geography NEA, and the advice you need to get an A*!

Table of Contents

What is an A-Level Geography NEA?

The geography NEA is the mandatory coursework, that is a part of A-Level Geography. All UK exam boards require A-Level Geography students to produce an NEA. It is also referred to as an “Independent Investigation”.

For an NEA, you will choose a question related to physical or human geography, and then you will collect data to help you answer this question . Most NEAs are around 3,000- 4,000 words. They are essentially research papers!

For inspiration make sure you check out this Think Student article with 75+ NEA ideas!

How is an A-Level Geography NEA structured?

At the front of your geography NEA, you will have to attach a cover sheet provided by your exam board. This will usually have your name, candidate number, centre number, and your title question on it. It must be signed by you and your teachers.

An A-Level Geography NEA typically has around 7 sections :

• Introduction to the investigation
• Methodology/data collection
• Data presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation
• Evaluation of the investigation
• Bibliography

Exam boards are not too strict on formatting, however, so as long as you have all the major areas covered, you can format these how you like.

Your bibliography should contain all the references for any secondary material you used as part of your NEA. When you submit an NEA, you will be asked to declare that the work you have produced is 100% your own, and your NEA will be checked for plagiarism . Make sure to reference properly!

As for the rest of the NEA sections, I’ll be explaining them in more detail later in the article, so don’t worry!

How do you get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

Getting an A* in your A-Level Geography NEA is not easy, but it’s definitely not impossible.

The UK exam boards will have their NEA criteria up on their website. NEA marking criteria is usually broken down into 4 “levels” (with level 1 being the least marks and level 4 being the most marks), for each section of the NEA.

To achieve an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA, you’ll need to meet the level 4 criteria in most if not all sections of your NEA.

As a former A-Level Geography student, below I’ll share with you my advice on how to achieve the top marks in your NEA.

The A-Level Geography NEA introduction

The introduction to your A-Level Geography NEA is one of the most important parts – it sets up the rest of your investigation and shows examiners why they should keep reading!

Your introduction will outline your argument and will vaguely demonstrate what you are going to say and why this is important. Remember, you don’t want to say too much, because you’ve got the rest of the NEA to write!

Your introduction should also link to your title question; how is your argument going to relate to and answer your question?

The key to a good geography NEA introduction is to be concise and keep it simple. You should ask yourself: ‘if someone who doesn’t do A-Level Geography read my introduction, would they know what I’m going to talk about?’

How to write an A* A-Level Geography NEA introduction

Your introduction should break down your purpose for the investigation. It isn’t like your typical essay introductions which are 100-200 words – your NEA introduction should be up to 500 words.

It could be helpful to break down your title question into three or four “key inquiry questions”, which you can answer throughout your NEA.

You should also explain your title question, why you chose it and how your research is useful in thinking about the future of the research your question tackles.

Your introduction is the opportunity to provide the examiner with details about your location; you could use maps (as these count as a form of data presentation), point out key geographical features, etc. You should give some local (relevant to your area) context and global context for the issue your question is answering.

To round off the introduction, include some basic geographical theory. For example, if your NEA investigation focuses on erosion, explain the different theories of erosion and how these apply to your investigation. This is an important demonstration of knowledge!

Remember, you can format your NEA however you like (within reason), so you can put this information in whichever order you like. Just make sure you cover all the key areas of your investigation!

The A-Level Geography NEA methodology

Your NEA methodology is a breakdown of how you collected the data you use and present in your coursework.

Your methodology will be one of the most detailed parts of your NEA. This may be surprising, but it’s because your methodology is used to show that your data is legitimate and collected properly.

A methodology is included in the majority of research papers, and your A-Level Geography NEA is no exception! Make sure you put time and care into writing your methodology properly, or it could undermine your investigation.

How do you write an A* methodology for an A-Level Geography NEA?

The way you physically present your methodology is up to you, but it should cover all the qualitative data (non-measurable data), and quantitative data (measurable/numerical data).

For example, I presented my methodology as a big table across 2 pages of my NEA. Definitely don’t underestimate the size of your methodology – it’s what verifies that your data is legitimate!

In your methodology, you should include:

• The types of data you collected
• Where you collected this data (collection points)
• The equipment you used to collect your data
• A description of the method
• How often you collected data (intervals)
• The sampling technique (stratified, systematic, etc.)
• A justification for your method

As part of your methodology, you should also include what are called “ethical considerations” and a “risk assessment”.

Ethical considerations essentially means showing awareness of any ethical problems with your data collection methods. As an example, if you used a survey as a data collection, a problem with that may be that the participants’ privacy is not protected. Therefore, an ethical consideration would be to anonymise the survey.

A risk assessment is an awareness of the risks that are involved with data collection (such as getting lost, injured, weather events, etc.), and what you will do to prevent these risks. For example, having an emergency contact.

Data presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation in an A-Level Geography NEA

The data section of your NEA is the longest chunk and is worth the most marks. Now that you’ve set up your investigation, this is the section where you present all of your findings and interpret them, by explaining what they show and why.

Don’t panic if not all of the data you collected can be used – I certainly had a bunch of random data I didn’t need by the end! Try to use as much data as possible, and different types of data.

This section helps establish your argument; it’s essentially the evidence for your conclusion as well as just being the body of your NEA.

Since this is a long section, it’s helpful for you and your examiner to split it up into chunks using subheadings. It’s not a good idea to signpost, for example putting the subheading “Analysis”. Instead, you might divide up your data by the location, or the method you used to collect it.

How do you present data to get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

Data presentation in a geography NEA is probably the most unique part of the process – you get to present your data however you want (in accordance with the exam board guidelines, of course)!

In the data presentation section, you need to display all the data you collected for your investigation. This can be in charts, graphs, tables, photos, and more.

The data needs to be readable, so your graphs should be labelled correctly, and your photos should have captions. If you’re using any data that isn’t yours, remember to reference it correctly.

It’s also a good chance to add a bit of colour, to make your A-Level Geography NEA look great!

How do you analyse and evaluate data to get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

Your data analysis, interpretation, and evaluation section of your geography NEA is the most important section.

You should pick out key elements of the data and explain what they mean with regard to your NEA investigation question. How does the data you collected argue for/against your question?

Where applicable, it’s a good idea to calculate and explain medians, means, modes, and averages, to show that you aren’t just repeating what’s already in your presentation. You need to do something with the raw numbers, you definitely shouldn’t just relay your exact findings.

When you’re analysing, ask yourself the question: what does my data mean?

When you’re evaluating, ask yourself the question: how does my data answer my investigation?

By keeping these questions in mind when you’re interpreting your data, you can show the examiner that you can prove why your data is important and that you have a good understanding of analysis and evaluation.

Should you include statistical tests to get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

The short answer to this question is: absolutely!

By now, you will have practiced a few statistical tests as part of the rest of A-Level Geography, such as Spearman’s Rank, the T-Test, Mann-Whitney U test, and standard deviation.

You should aim to use one or two stats tests when presenting the data, you collected for your geography NEA. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ stats test, so choose whichever is applicable for your data.

Statistical tests are a good demonstration of your analytical, interpretative and evaluative skills . By including a couple, you are showing the examiner that you have a clear knowledge of what the tests mean and why they’re useful!

If you struggle with the calculations, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Obviously other people can’t do it for you (remember that as part of submitting your geography NEA, you will have to testify that your work is entirely your own), but you can always ask to be shown how to do them!

Evaluating your A-Level Geography NEA investigation

Your A-Level Geography NEA investigation evaluation is slightly different to the evaluation of your data. In this section of your NEA, you should evaluate the success of the overall investigation.

You should discuss your locations and the methods you used to collect your data (both primary AND secondary data!). What was good about them? What wasn’t so good? If you had been somewhere else and used different methods, how might the outcome of your investigation have changed?

It’s also important to acknowledge the validity of your conclusions.

For example, you may not have had time or access to the correct resources to collect some really important data, that would’ve affected your outcome and potentially changed it. Showing an awareness of this helps build a more sophisticated and mature argument.

It’s important to note than an evaluation is not the same as a conclusion! You shouldn’t be summarising your research. Instead, explain the positives and negatives of your research choices.

The A-Level Geography NEA conclusion

Your conclusion is crucial because it ties together your methods, research, and analysis. Remember those “key inquiry questions” I mentioned earlier? Well now is the time to answer them!

Your NEA conclusion will answer your title question and provide the examiner with a neat, rounded summary of your investigation. By reading the conclusion, someone should be able to know the key parts of your argument and why they are important.

A conclusion is also a place to propose solutions – what can we do in future that we aren’t doing now? How might future events like climate change impact your research?

If there are relevant questions that could impact the outcome of your investigation, but you don’t have time to consider them in detail, put them in your conclusion. This shows the examiner that you have an awareness of micro- and macro-scale issues!

How do you write an A* A-Level Geography NEA conclusion?

Like most essay conclusions, your geography NEA conclusion will summarise your main arguments, what you found, and what your data means. It can also be a good place to ask any of the questions you still don’t have answers to.

You could start by going through your inquiry questions and writing “sub-conclusions” in response to them. Then, you should move on to the big conclusion: answering your title question.

In your conclusion, you should highlight the key things you found as a result of your research, broadly and specifically. Showing consideration to the “big” and “small” issues is good for showing your critical thinking skills!

Your conclusion should be about the same length as your introduction, give or take. If you start running out of things to say, don’t add things unnecessarily to fill the word count – your conclusion should be the most clear and concise part of your NEA.

Examples of A-Level Geography NEAs

Most, if not all, exam boards will have an “exemplar” coursework on their website. For example, I’ve linked the OCR exemplar coursework for you here , so check your exam board website for their exemplar!

The exemplar coursework is written and submitted by a real student, but it’s important to follow the mark scheme, not just copying someone else’s coursework. Your NEA will be checked for plagiarism!

Similarly, most schools keep exemplar coursework from each year, so if you need some inspiration, ask your teachers for the coursework they have.

If you’re struggling for ideas of what to write on for your Geography NEA, check out this Think Student article with 75+ ideas!

*To learn more about the A-Level Geography NEA, check out the specifications from the main exam boards, AQA , Pearson Edexcel and OCR by clicking on their respective links.

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Edexcel B GCSE Geography – Revision Notes & Study Resources

Edexcel B GCSE Geography mapping file. Download our comprehensive teaching resources and revision toolkit today. Use the mapping table to align with the Edexcel B examination board. Updated and aligned to the new 2020 specification.

Look at you, you’ve almost got your GCSE Geography certificate! Well done, you’re so close. As exam season gets closer, you’re likely to be feeling a bit overwhelmed by how many exams you have to sit in such a short period of time. How are you supposed to regurgitate all that information so quickly? Worry not, help is here! Here is all you need to know about preparing for your Edexcel GCSE Geography exams and how we can help you.

You may have heard that there are many different examination boards – some of your friends might be taking the very same GCSEs but with different exams. The secret is that although there are so many exam boards, the content across them is fairly standardised. After all, a volcano is still a volcano whether you take AQA or Edexcel Geography! However, there are some small differences in the ways that exam boards assess your knowledge and knowing them can go a long way in helping you prepare. The Edexcel exam board particularly emphasises multiple-choice questions as a means of assessment. You should definitely take this into account when writing your revision plan – try and incorporate as many practice quizzes as you can!

About the Board

What does Edexcel stand for and where does it come from? Edexcel is actually a play on the beginnings of two words: education and excellence. In 2003 it became the first privately owned examination board in the UK after an agreement between the Edexcel Foundation and Pearson Plc. Both of the Edexcel GCSE Geography courses are linear subjects, so you will only acquire your grade if you take all of your examinations and pass which happens at the end of the course (not throughout it).

How long will the course take to complete?

Edexcel GCSE Geography usually takes two academic years to complete. However, some have managed to complete the course in one year and others have been known to start studying early and take three years.

Is any prior knowledge required?

Edexcel specifies that you are not required to have any prior qualifications in geography in order to take this course. However, they also do state that the subject course has been designed to follow the National Curriculum and that it does assume that basic geographical knowledge has been developed throughout earlier stages which prepares all students for the GCSE.

What will I study?

Edexcel is unique in that it offers two different types of GCSE Geography courses. There is GCSE Geography A which takes a thematic approach and breaks down concepts into human and physical geography (like most other exam boards). But there is also GCSE Geography B which takes an issues-based approach with specification content arranged around the UK vs global geography. It is up to you or your educational institution what version of Edexcel GCSE Geography you take. The subjects you will study do differ.

If you took GCSE Geography A then for physical geography you will study the changing landscapes of the UK; weather hazards and climate change; and ecosystems, biodiversity and management. Meanwhile, for human geography, you will study changing cities; global development; and, resource management. Within resource management, you’ll choose between two sub-topics: energy resource management or water resource management.

However, if you took GCSE Geography B then for global topics you will study hazardous Earth; development dynamics; and, challenges of an urbanising world. Whereas for UK topics you will cover the UK’s evolving physical landscape (inc. subtopics: coastal change and conflict, and, river processes and pressures); the UK’s evolving human landscape (including a case study on UK cities); and, geographical investigations (including one human and one physical fieldwork investigation).

What is the examination process like?

The examinations themselves will also depend on whether you elected to take GCSE Geography A or B. If you took GCSE Geography A, then you will take three exams in total. The first two (The Physical Environment and The Human Environment) will be worth 37.5% each and last 1 hour and 30 minutes each. The third assessment (Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges) will also last 1 hour and 30 minutes but be worth 25% of your final grade.

If you elected to take GCSE Geography B, the structure of your exams will remain largely similar, but the content will of course differ. Similarly, the first two papers (Global Geographical Issues and UK Geographical Issues) will be worth 37.5% each and last 1 hour and 30 minutes each. The second assessment will also cover one physical and one human fieldwork investigation that you are required to complete. Meanwhile, the third assessment (People and Environment Issues – Making Geographical Decisions) will be worth 25% of your GCSE and also last 1 hour and 30 minutes.

To achieve the best possible results, you should revise for your GCSE Geography exams a few hours each day – ideally two to three. Make sure to balance your revision sessions with a healthy lifestyle. Both eating well (vegetables and fruits) and exercising regularly (get out into fresh air!) will help keep you fresh and motivated during the exam season. Meanwhile, if you want to keep revision sessions dynamic and most effective then start engaging with your content actively. Don’t just read for 2-3 hours per day. Instead, take notes, write up some flashcards and draw some mind maps. Not only will you have more fun doing this, but your brain is also more likely to retain the information that way.

As your revision progresses, start working on your time management skills by doing timed practice papers. You can usually use past exam papers for this exercise – it’ll also be useful as you’ll learn about how GCSE Geography exam questions are phrased. At GCSE Geography, we are devoted to helping you succeed in your exams. To do so we’ve got plenty of engaging resources waiting for you, so let’s begin!

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Pearson Edexcel A-level Geography Coursework Workbook: Non-exam assessment: Independent Investigation Paperback – 26 July 2019

Exam board: Pearson Edexcel Level: A-level Subject: Geography First teaching: September 2016 First exams: Summer 2017 (AS); Summer 2018 (A-level) Secure higher marks in Pearson Edexcel A-level Geography coursework, using this step-by-step guide to complete the project with confidence. Providing a clear structure to follow, this write-in workbook contains information and activities that help students to produce a manageable, relevant and interesting independent investigation. - Takes you through every stage of the process, from choosing a topic to conducting research, presenting data and writing up the report - Offers the support that students need to work independently without teacher involvement - Enables students to organise their thinking, record their progress and review their coursework against a self-assessment checklist and example paragraphs - Keeps students on track by breaking the investigation down into chunks, with tasks to undertake at each stage - Increases students' chance of success as they benefit from the expert advice of David Holmes, who has worked closely with exam boards and delivers teacher training on the independent investigation

• ISBN-10 1510468757
• ISBN-13 978-1510468757
• Publisher Hodder Education
• Publication date 26 July 2019
• Language English
• Dimensions 20.4 x 1.2 x 29.2 cm
• Print length 80 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder Education (26 July 2019)
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• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1510468757
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• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.4 x 1.2 x 29.2 cm
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Edexcel AS/A Level GCE 2016 Geography Fieldwork

• AS Level Overview
• Fieldwork Overview
• Fieldwork Skills
• Field Study Options

Our field studies for the new Edexcel 2016 AS and A Level GCE Geography courses cover the Fieldwork and Geographical skills, including data manipulation and statistics, that students need. We support students in the development of their Independent Enquiry Question, choice of methodology and the carrying out of their Primary Data collection. Students will be provided with links to secondary data, including census information, newspaper articles and local websites and blogs.

• a fieldwork methodology student 'tool kit' of sampling and statistical methods and example worksheets tailored to our range of field studies
• detailed background to our studies
• links to census data and other relevant research material
• a list of the syllabus themes that link to the studies.

A typical A Level group will undertake 2/3 human and physical studies that lend themselves to a wide range of hypotheses linked to the syllabus themes. Students then develop their own Individual Investigation titles.

Edexcel AS level (8GE0)

Fieldwork skills will be assessed through one question within the Glaciated or Coastal Landscapes options. The specific elements of fieldwork which are required within AS Level Geography are outlined in the Fieldwork Skills tab.

• investigate geographical questions and issues
• interpret, analyse and evaluate fieldwork data and evidence
• construct arguments and draw conclusions in relation to their own fieldwork experience

Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 2 days including both human and physical geography.

Edexcel A Level (9GE0)

Assessment of fieldwork skills will be within the Investigative Geography component only. The specific elements of fieldwork which are required within A Level Geography are outlined in the Fieldwork Skills tab.

• interpret, analyse and evaluate data and evidence
• construct arguments and draw conclusions.

Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 4 days including both human and physical geography.

The descriptions in the table below specify the level of independence required by students at different stages of their investigation.

Edexcel AS Level Geography requires students to: 1. identify appropriate field research questions, based on their knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of physical and human geography 2. undertake informed and critical questioning of data sources, analytical methodologies, data reporting and presentation, including the ability to identify sources of error in data and to identify the misuse of data 3. understand how to observe and record phenomena in the field and be able to devise and justify practical approaches taken in the field, (including frequency/timing of observation, sampling, and data collection approaches) 4. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to select practical field methodologies (primary) appropriate to their investigation 5. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of implementing chosen methodologies to collect data/information of good quality that is relevant to the topic of investigation 6. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the techniques appropriate for analysing field data and information and for representing results, including GIS, and show ability to select suitable quantitative or qualitative approaches and to apply them 7. apply existing knowledge and concepts to identify, order and understand field observations 8. show the ability to present and write a coherent analysis of fieldwork findings and results in order to justify conclusions as well as to interpret meaning from the investigation, including the significance of any measurement or other errors.

Edexcel A Level Geography requires students to: 1. research relevant literature sources and understand and write up the theoretical or comparative context for a research question 2. define the research questions which underpin field investigations 3. demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of field methodologies appropriate to the investigation of core human and physical processes 4. observe and record phenomena in the field and devise, implement and justify practical approaches taken in the field, including frequency/timing of observation, sampling, and data collection approaches so that good quality data/ information can be collected 5. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the techniques appropriate for analysing field data and information and for representing results, including GIS, and show ability to select suitable quantitative or qualitative approaches and to apply them 6. demonstrate the ability to interrogate and critically examine field data in order to comment on its accuracy and/or the extent to which it is representative, and use the experience to extend geographical understanding 7. show the ability to write up field results clearly and logically, using a range of presentation methods and apply existing knowledge, theory and concepts in order to understand field observations and make a well argued case 8. evaluate and reflect on fieldwork investigations, explain how the results relate to the wider context and show an understanding of the ethical dimensions of field research.

Edexcel A Level Geography Independent Investigation Option A

Edexcel A Level Geography Independent Investigation Option B

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A Level Edexcel Geography Coursework

Subject: Geography

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

2 December 2019

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The Essay This resource contains the entire essay, data presentation and methods table required for the A Level Edexcel Geography coursework. This coursework piece was awarded a final grade of an A.

The title of this essay is ‘How does the risk of coastal erosion vary along the North Beach in Tenby?’. The essay contains 4 sub-sections to structure the report.

Sub-questions:

• What is the background on Tenby’s geology?
• What factors influence erosion rates?
• Compare data results along the North beach?
• Has coastal management affected erosion rates along North beach?

The Data Collection This resource contains data presentation for the coursework piece. The types of data collected are from along a coastline (Tenby, Wales). The data is presented in a variety of forms, including radar graphs, maps, line graphs and charts.

Types of data collected include techniques:

• Cliff profile
• Field sketches
• Chi squared
• photographs

Methods This resource contains the methods document for the coursework. Included in the methods table is:

• Primary or secondary data
• Location, timing, sample size
• Why was this data required?
• How was this data collected?
• Why was data collected in this way?
• Weaknesses with this data collection method
• What risks were present and how were they reduced?

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GCSE Geography B Edexcel – Revision Content

Browse Study Rocket's GCSE Geography B Edexcel free revision notes.

GCSE Geography B Edexcel – Topics

PGCE (Geography)

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one-year course that offers you the opportunity to train to teach the secondary age group in one of the leading educational establishments in the country.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 places the University of Oxford’s PGCE as 1st in the UK for Degrees in Education for the eleventh year running. Over many years, it has consistently received the highest possible designation (Outstanding) from Ofsted in inspections. The University of Oxford’s Department of Education has a long history in initial teacher education, dating back to 1892.

The department works in partnership with over 37 secondary comprehensive schools in Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties, with most being within 30 miles of Oxford. The programme has been developed with colleagues from Oxfordshire partnership schools and covers the key professional skills of:

• lesson planning and preparation
• assessment, recording and reporting
• responding to individual learning needs
• classroom and behaviour management.

The course works on an internship model (the Oxford Internship Scheme) which recognises the different roles of university and schools in teacher education and the need for a truly collaborative partnership. Such collaboration involves joint responsibility within the partnership for the planning, delivery and assessment of the programme. Student teachers are known as interns during the PGCE course.

In addition to being awarded the PGCE qualification, successful interns are also recommended for Qualified Teacher Status, which indicates that they have met the requirements of the Government’s Teachers’ Standards.

Learning to become a geography teacher at Oxford is challenging, stimulating, very rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable. The subject naturally lends itself to a huge range of pupil learning activities, both in the classroom and in the field, and most interns find this diversity one of its attractions.

The main aims of the geography course are to provide the foundations for you to become an inspiring and effective geography teacher of young people who now find themselves living in a fast-changing world, and to quickly become innovative leaders in the field.

Central to the course is the basic tenet that all young people, regardless of social class, race, ethnicity, gender or ability can learn and enjoy geography, and that geography, as a discipline, has a significant contribution to make to the broader aims of education.

The idea of ‘subject’ is central to the design of the course and we encourage you to engage critically with ongoing policy and academic debates about what kinds of geographies are fit for a 21st century education system.

It follows that, by the end of the course, you should:

• be competent in the skills of teaching geography, as specified in the Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status;
• understand the contribution that you as a geography teacher can make to the education of pupils in the widest sense; and
• be able to take responsibility for your continuing professional development.

The course consists of an integrated programme of lesson observations, school-based activities, teaching and reflection in school and university workshops, lectures, tutorials and fieldwork. In school you will begin by working with teachers and small groups of pupils. As your confidence grows, you will plan and teach lessons with a class teacher and with other interns, sometimes working with a group of pupils, sometimes with a whole class.

In the University, you will work with the other geography interns, and with the geography education tutors. You will be expected to read and to think about teaching in a critical and theoretical way, taking account of your own ideas about the sort of teacher you would like to be.

You will be able to make a real difference to pupils, fostering their learning of the important issues which shape the future.

All geography interns gain fieldwork experience in their schools and during a weekend residential course at a Field Studies Council Centre; the practicalities of organising such trips are explored in departmental sessions.

Course structure

The course begins with an orientation experience in September in a primary school of your choice.

This is followed by the first week in the University of Oxford’s Department of Education. The rest of the autumn term is made up of ‘joint weeks’ with two days spent in the University and three days in school. You will be attached to the same state secondary school for the majority of the year, which makes it possible for you to get to know teachers and pupils in the school and to understand the school’s policies and practices.

The spring term consists primarily of school experience and for the summer term, interns move to a second school so that they have the opportunity to consolidate and extend their understanding and experience of learning and teaching.

This course structure reflects the internship model in that it is designed to:

• enable interns to become fully integrated into one school over a long period;
• enable interns to learn about their own teaching in the context of the wider school, rather than focusing initially on their own classroom and only later widening their view;
• allow schools to offer coherent and challenging professional development programmes over the course of the long placement, and in the short placement focus on preparation for continuing professional development;
• enable school-based mentors to see interns’ development from the start of the course to a position of competence; and
• offer interns the opportunity to encounter a new school context at a time of the course when they are ready to make critical comparisons.

Course components

There are two interrelated course components: curriculum subject work and the professional development programme.

Curriculum work includes a range of activities related to the teaching of a specific subject in the secondary school. These activities include seminars and workshops in the University, as well as collaborative teaching, solo teaching, observation and discussion in school. The activities are aimed at giving interns competence in teaching their subject, the opportunity to develop a range of teaching strategies, an understanding of wider issues affecting the teaching of those subjects within the whole school curriculum. The work in each subject is organised by the Curriculum Tutor and school mentor for that subject. Part of the work in each subject area is planned for all interns, and part develops from the progress of individual interns.

An experienced teacher (or mentor) co-ordinates the subject related classroom-based activities of the intern. The mentor provides guidance and support and, as the year goes by, judges when and how to increase an intern’s experience and responsibilities. The school-based mentor liaises with the Curriculum Tutor from the University to plan tasks and activities for the interns.

Interns complete two written assignments related to their subject teaching. These all involve school-based investigation and the critical analysis of relevant research and professional literature.

The professional development programme (PDP) involves a range of activities related to important educational issues. These activities include lectures in the University, weekly seminars in school and a school-led project in the second placement, researching an aspect of the school’s provision. These activities are aimed at giving interns an understanding of whole-school and cross-curricular issues, and an appreciation of the contribution which they can make to developing these issues through teaching their own subjects.

The Professional Tutor responsible for interns at the school co-ordinates school-based activities related to general educational issues, called the school professional development programme.

Some aspects of the PDP are planned and organised for all interns by university tutors, who take responsibility for particular issues. The detailed programme for the interns in each school, however, is organised by the Professional Tutor and General Tutor for that school.

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.

This course will involve travel to your placement school, although most partnership schools do lie within the Oxfordshire county boundaries.

Resources to support your study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.

The Bodleian Education Library , located at the centre of the Department of Education , specialises in material on Education and related fields. As well as a print collection of books and journals, the library provides access to a wide range of online resources. The library also houses a collection of teaching resources in support of subjects covered by the department's secondary PGCE courses. All main teaching rooms are equipped with a range of IT facilities and interns are able to practice teaching with interactive touch screens in some rooms. 

Supervision

Interns are supported in their professional development as teachers by both a university curriculum tutor and a general tutor as well as by a mentor and a professional tutor in each school placement. Academic guidance for assignments is given by curriculum and general tutors. 

Assessment of your progress and achievements are jointly carried out by your schools and the university, and you take part in informal and formal discussions about this. Continuous assessment is used throughout the course and there are no examinations.

Interns’ developing practice as a teacher is reviewed at regular intervals, in three-way meetings between the curriculum tutor, mentor and intern, informed by a wide range of evidence. At the end of the course, interns’ professional knowledge, understanding, skills and personal attributes are assessed in relation to the standards for Qualified Teacher Status. Interns also complete two examined assignments, within which they are expected to examine practical issues of teaching and learning from different perspectives – drawing on their own teaching, classroom observation and school-based investigation alongside critical reading of research, policy and professional literature.

Successful completion of these written assignments at master's level carries 60 M-level credits, which may be built upon to achieve a full master's degree. All assignments must be passed at master's level for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), provided that your practice also meets QTS requirements. Those who pass the assignments at Honours level will be awarded a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education with QTS - provided, again, that your practice meets the required QTS standards.

Graduate destinations

The numbers of interns going into teaching at the end of the course is high with most interns having secured a teaching post in a state-maintained school. As of August 2024, 90% of our 2023-24 student cohort have accepted positions as teachers or are seeking teaching roles; of those who had specified their destination 85% are working as a teacher in the state sector and 40% are working in a partnership school.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Your tutors/mentors are likely to change over the course of the year in line with your change of placements from school one to school two. It may also be necessary to assign new tutors/mentors during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on  changes to courses  and the  provisions of the student contract  regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26

Applications are welcomed from candidates who have not studied Geography but have completed a degree in a related area, such as Geology. Applications from those who may need to complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course are also welcome. If you are uncertain about the appropriateness of your degree then please contact the PGCE Office.

The full PGCE entry requirements can be found on the University's Department of Education website. Please read them carefully before applying.

Oxford has been a major contributor to the field of education for over 100 years and today the University’s Department of Education has a world class reputation for research, for teacher education and for its graduate courses.

The department combines international standing as a research-intensive department with the highest quality teaching. It’s masters' courses are delivered by academics and research experts, the majority of whom are permanent staff engaged in their fields of research. The DPhil in Education has excellent facilities for the large number of full-time research students who are well integrated into the research of the department.

The department has an outstanding research profile. In the 2021 evaluation of research quality in UK universities, the Research Excellence Framework (REF), Oxford University’s Department of Education had the highest overall percentage of research judged to be 4* (ie world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour) in Education in the UK.

The department has ESRC recognition for its graduate training, and its teacher training was rated ‘outstanding’ by the Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED) in its most recent inspection in 2024. A wide range of funded research projects are based in the department and many of these projects have had a major impact on national policy.

View all courses   View taught courses View research courses

The Department of Education website provides details about the funding opportunities for this course .

Annual fees for entry in 2025-26

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

The course involves travelling to placement schools for approximately 120 days and reasonable school travel costs of around £1,048 should be budgeted.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

Living costs for full-time study

For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the  costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).

Further information about living costs

The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs , which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . 

If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide. 

The following colleges accept students on the PGCE (Geography):

• To be confirmed

How to apply

Applications for all PGCE courses are made via the UK Government's GOV.UK website. You do not need to contact an academic member of staff in the department prior to submitting your application.

Application procedure Apply via GOV.UK

ADMISSION STATUS

Admission via UK Government's Department for Education

See PGCE webpage for vacancies and deadlines

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2022-23 to 2024-25)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Department of Education

• Course page on the department's website
• Partnership schools and funding information from the department
• Academic and research staff
• Social Sciences Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 274020