This document provides information about studying geography at Reigate Grammar School. It discusses the reasons why geography is a popular subject choice, including that it allows students to develop a wide range of transferable skills. Geography graduates are highly employable with above average starting salaries compared to other subjects. The school has been very successful in geography exams in recent years, with over half of students achieving A or A* grades in 2012.

1. Reigate Grammar School
Geography Department
Click on the world!

2. Why study Geography?
There are many reasons why people decide to
study Geography at university. Some of the
following may apply to you:
• You enjoy learning about people and their
societies, economies, cultures and the
environment
• You are keen to learn and develop a wide range
of skills
• You are seeking a broad based academic
degree, offering above average graduate
employability

3. “There has never been a better or more important time to
study geography. With growing interest in issues such as
climate change, migration, environmental degradation and
social cohesion, geography is one of the most relevant
courses you could choose to study. Geographers are also
highly employable.”
“Whatever your passion for the world - fascination with
landscapes or concerns about inequality - geography will
provide you with knowledge and transferable skills that
will reward you personally and advance you
professionally.”
(Dr Rita Gardner, director of the RGS-IBG)

4. ‘Geography students hold the key to the world’s
problems’
a statement not to be underrated in a world continually shaken by
environmental, economic, political and social events.
Well known examples…
• Population growth
• Global migration
• The energy crisis
• Global warming
• Extreme weather events
• Sea level rise
• Resource depletion
• Deforestation Michael Palin, Former president of
• Severe water shortage the Royal Geographical Society
• Soil erosion and
desertification

5. L6th – OCR AS Geography
Timing Physical Human
Autumn Term Coasts Tourism
1st half
Autumn |Term Coasts Urban
2nd half
Spring Term Cold environments Urban
1st half
Spring Term Cold environments Energy
2nd half
Summer Term Rivers Energy
1st half
Summer term Exams: F761 Exams: F762
2nd half Physical AS Human AS
Field trip Field trip

9. U6th – OCR A2 Geography
OCR A2 Geography
Timing Physical Human
Autumn Term Earth hazards Development and
1st half inequality
Autumn |Term Earth hazards Development and
2nd half inequality
Spring Term Ecosystems and Geographical skills
1st half environments
under threat
Spring Term Ecosystems and
2nd half environments Geographical skills
under threat
Summer Term
1st half Revision Revision
Summer term A2 exams A2 exams
2nd half
Global Issues Geographical skills

10. How successful are we?
Year / A* A B C D E
Grade
2000 N/A 42 76 88 100 100
2001 N/A 36 82 91 100 100
2002 N/A 69 88 94 100 100
2003 N/A 29 79 96 100 100
2004 N/A 53 82 94 100 100
2005 N/A 79 96 100 100 100
2006 N/A 56 83 100 100 100
2007 N/A 60 90 100 100 100
2008 N/A 50 92 100 100 100
2009 N/A 67 89 94 94 100
2010 12 50 79 100 100 100
2011 8 60 92 100 100 100
2012 21 78 100 100 100 100
NB: Cumulative Percentages shown here

11. RGS Geography: A2 Results June
A* =
B = 21% 22%
A*
A = 57%
A
B

12. Geography is flourishing at higher education level. Almost all UK higher education institutions, and
all of the leading Universities, are undertaking both teaching and research in geography.
• Popular: geography is a very popular choice of subject studied at higher education. There are more
than 80 universities in the UK, offering over 1400 Geography related degrees and at any time there
are almost 30,000 students studying geography full or part-time. The numbers applying to study
geography as a percentage of the total has increased in 2012 compared with 2011. Numbers
studying geography at postgraduate level has also been increasing (a total of 2864 in 2012 according
to latest figures).
• Good quality: as the annual student satisfaction survey reveals, students studying geography enjoy
some of the highest levels of satisfaction with the quality of their course
• Employable: geography graduates become some of the most sought after graduates by employers.
They are less likely to be unemployed after their degree course than those studying other
subjects and, as the Labour Force Survey (a sample from 2010) reports, are above average in what
they go on to earn (74% of geography graduates earn a starting salary of more than £20,000 per
year, above the overall average of 70%)

13. Student Course
Becky Fry Geography
Emily Bowden Geography
Jack Stimpson Geography
In 2011 & 2012,
Oliver Haine Geography
Geography was the
Immi Adshead Geology
most popular
subject choice for Jamie Alderson Geology
university by RGS Louisa Mamalis Env. Geography / Sustainability
students James Gillespie Geography
Catherine Goddard Geology / Env. Geography
Hannah Measures Geography / Env. Studies
Felix Edge-Partington Geology
Anna Skinner Geography
Nick Gunning Geography

15. Geography in the workplace
Geography in the workplace
Most geography graduates are numerate, literate, good team workers, can think analytically and
critically, have cultural agility, are socially and environmentally aware, and wider experience as a
result of fieldwork. Geographers have ability to integrate ideas effectively, problem solve, and are
highly computer literate.
• Employable: the nature of the discipline combined with the training geography students receive at
university make graduate geographers highly employable, as a result of both these transferable skills
and jobs where the specific knowledge and skills of the subject are utilised. Geography graduates are
(according to the latest HESA survey data) less likely to be unemployed after their degree course
than those studying other subjects. Further details of their employability can be found in the
Society's briefing Demand for Geography (PDF)
• Value of geographers: one example is the Geographical Information System (GIS) industry, valued
world-wide at £1 billion: almost all major companies now recognise that they have a requirement for
geographical information, making geography graduates particularly valuable employees given their
spatial analysis skills and discipline-specific knowledge

16. Unexpected Geographers?
"As a young man, my fondest dream was to
become a geographer. However, while working
in the customs office I thought deeply about the
matter and concluded it was too difficult a
subject.
With some reluctance I then turned to physics as a
substitute"
Einstein:
Wishing he had
continued with
Geography!

17. Visit our new
website:
rgsgeog.wordpress.co
m
For more
information, revision
notes and videos

18. Geography:
Take a different
view