This Thursday we’re remembering when the Geography students went on a residential trip to Swanage at the beginning of March. The trip was an opportunity to develop the students fieldwork skills and to reinforce their curriculum concepts and case studies for Coasts and Changing Places, 2 of the units in the A Level course. Despite atrocious weather the group were in great spirits and worked with enthusiasm over the 2 days. Students were challenged to develop their understanding of a place’s characteristics in a study in Boscombe and to reflect on the contrasts between how the media represents the town and the reality for residents that live there. The issues are complex and the students showed great maturity in understanding and identifying a very contrasting place to their local study.
Vice Principal, Louise Henderson, said “Our coastal fieldwork had to be modified as we saw firsthand the impact of the weather and the closure of Swanage beach on the northern side that prevented our fieldwork due to the landslides that had collapsed onto the beach just days prior. This could not have been more topical as we had just studied mass movement in class the week before and the students were keen to view the landslides at a safe distance behind the safety closure tape. This did not prevent us completing beach profiles on the shallower beach section, and there was a constant dash of students moving off the beach between the wave breaks to stay dry. It caused huge amusement when we finally grouped together as Mr Chambers did not see a large wave heading towards him which he didn’t have time to outrun! The trip has now given the students some real insight into the types of techniques they can use for their non-examined assessment that they will be choosing in the summer term.”
