Across several days, students visited the River Wandle to investigate how the river changes as it moves downstream. After meeting staff at Beddington Park, groups made their way towards the source of the river near Waddon Ponds, where the practical work began. Despite plenty of warnings that this would be a muddy day, a number of students still arrived looking far smarter than the conditions required!

Once in their waders, students entered the river channel and began collecting data. Working in teams, they measured the width and depth of the Wandle at different points along its course. Over the day, students entered the river four times, seeing first-hand how the channel became wider and deeper further downstream.

Alongside the measurements, students also practised field sketching, a traditional geographical skill used long before photography became common. This required them to carefully observe the landscape, sketch what they could see, and annotate the key river features.

The standard of work was excellent throughout the trips. Students worked carefully, supported one another well, and showed impressive teamwork, with many helping classmates beyond their own groups.

For some, this may be their last geography fieldwork experience at Greenshaw, as Year 11 geography takes place in the classroom. However, students who continue the subject into Sixth Form will have plenty more fieldwork opportunities to look forward to, including urban studies in Brick Lane, coastal and urban fieldwork in Wales, and international fieldwork in Iceland and Morocco exploring tectonic, glacial, and cultural processes.

Mr A Barnes, Deputy Head of Geography