Year 7-13 Geography Trips

TRIPS & OUTDOOR PURSUITS Geography Postcards From Around the UK!

This year more Geography trips were able to run and pupils (and staff!) welcomed being able to go out “in the field” once again.

Year 7 - Isle of Wight

Year 7 geographers enjoyed a glorious day on the Isle of Wight in the summer. They explored extinct and endangered creatures at Dinosaur Isle and Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown, as well as appreciating the local environment and exploring the human impact on it. Highlights included fantastic views of lions, some even hearing them roar; watching the antics of a potential escapee meerkat and moving a robotic dinosaur. The pupils came away with an even greater love for nature and the importance of conservation and the part they can play in it; and with big smiles!

Year 8 visited Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door after the Easter break to study geomorphic processes such as erosion and deposition. The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site begins in Exmouth and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks. It is England’s only natural World Heritage Site and has been designated as such due to its world famous rocks, fossil and landforms. Alongside learning about the area, pupils learnt valuable fieldwork skills such as sketching and map reading.

Year 10 - Hengistbury Head

The Year 10 geographers visited Hengistbury Head to develop their fieldwork skills and to collect data for their GCSE exams. Pupils found out about the rapid erosion of the cliffs and ways in which the processes operating at the headland are being managed. Coastal defence options were surveyed, questionnaires were carried out, and beach profiles were measured. Pupils also got to travel in style on the Hengistbury Head land train, which was a highlight of the day for many! As with all geography fieldtrips, we experienced all seasons in one day, but that didn’t dampen enthusiasm.

Year 10 Geography pupils went to Lyndhurst and Balmer Lawn, both in the New Forest, for their second full day of fieldwork. The day involved working through human and physical geography fieldwork techniques, including measuring the velocity of the Lymington River, investigating infiltration rates and conducting questionnaires and visitor surveys. Much of the data collected can be mapped using GIS software, enabling spatial patterns to be easily presented and analysed.

On account of being unable to visit Hengistbury Head the previous year, Year 11 visited in October. They were also able to visit Lyndhurst in June 2021, thereby being able to complete all of the fieldwork requirements of the GCSE course.

The Year 12 and 13 A-level and IB geographers visited London in order to study two big human geography case studies: the Olympic Park and the London Docklands. These areas have undergone rebranding and/or regeneration and pupils were able to experience the places first hand. Pupils considered the extent to which the original aims of “sustainability” and “legacy” apply to the Olympic Park and collected data about placemaking success and local microclimate at both sites in order to practice GIS and fieldwork skills, ready for their Independent Investigation. A particular highlight for all was warming up in the Lee Valley VeloPark and being able to see the 42° slopes in action, along with riding the DLR!