We are delighted to announce that Environmental Science will be added to the Queen Anne's Sixth Form curriculum for September 2022.
A Level Environmental Science
Ready to change the world? Environmental Science is the study of how physical, chemical, and biological processes maintain and interact with life, and includes the study of how humans affect nature. As a society we are at an interesting period in Earth’s history, with increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, a climate that is warming up at a rate that has never been seen before, more extreme weather, increasing pollution and a decrease in biodiversity. There is therefore the need for a better, holistic understanding of Earth’s systems to learn from the past, understand the present and influence the future; so, an interest in biology, geography and chemistry would be a benefit to students looking at the study of Environmental Science.
Aims
To develop essential understanding of different areas of environmental science and how they relate to each other and to develop and demonstrate a deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of the scientific methods used to investigate the environment.
Syllabus - AQA 7447
The AQA specification involves six units, which are all examined at the end of Upper 6.
Year One
- The living environment
- Biological resources
- Sustainability
Year Two
- The physical environment
- Energy resources
- Pollution
Research Methods is a module covered throughout the entire two-year course. A field study is run at the end of the Trinity Term, giving the students the opportunity to get some hands-on experience of sampling techniques and data collection in a live environment.
Examinations
Two written examination papers test students’ knowledge and understanding of the subject content. These two papers will be taken at the end of the Upper Sixth. The internally assessed ‘practical endorsement’ also forms part of the A Level. This does not contribute to the overall grade that students achieve but is mentioned on their certificate if students reach the required standard minimum to include 2 days of fieldwork plus 12 laboratory-based activities, carried out over the two years of the course. Students must undertake experimental and investigative activities, including appropriate risk management, in a range of environmental contexts. They must also know how to safely and correctly use a range of practical equipment and materials, for example specialist techniques including motion sensitive cameras and auditory monitoring of species such as bats or birds.