The main aims of this course are to promote the understanding of environmental issues and processes from a local to a global scale and appreciate the link that human society has.

The course is only studied at Standard Level and is a transdisciplinary* subject ie Group 3 or 4.  The topics are:

•    Systems and Models
•    Human Population, Carrying Capacity and Resource Use
•    Conservation and Biodiversity
•    Pollution Management
•    The Issue of Global Warming
•    Environmental Value Systems

All of the above are compulsory.  

External Assessment is by two written examination papers containing short-answer questions, data-based questions and structured essays (80%) and by Internal Assessment (20%). For this the following skills are tested twice throughout the course in at least 30 hours of practical time.
                                             
                                              1.    Planning
                                              2.    Data collection and processing
                                              3.    Discussion, Evaluation and Conclusion 
                                              4.    Personal Skills

To help with this, Environmental Systems students attend a residential field trip. At present, this is a 5 day trip to Devon in November in Year 13.

*Transdisciplinary
Environmental Systems is  a trans-disciplinary subject in that it fulfils the subject requirements for group 3 and group 4. Students taking this subject can have greater flexibility in their subject choices for their Diploma. e.g. a student may choose: group 1 (English A1), group 2 (languages; 3 levels available), group 3/4 Environment Systems, group 5 Maths(three levels available). Choosing environmental systems then allows the student their remaining choices from any of the other subject groups e.g  two science subjects, two arts subjects, etc.