Day 1

Our Year 13 geographers arrived at Greenshaw Sixth Form bright and early, full of excitement despite the pouring rain! After travelling to South Wales, students headed to Newton Beach to investigate coastal processes, before finishing the day with a statistics workshop.

It was a great start to five days of A Level Geography fieldwork.

Day 2

Our student enjoyed another busy day in South Wales, spending the morning exploring the coastal town of Porthcawl.

Students investigated how the town has changed over time, exploring urban regeneration, sustainability and the impacts of tourism on the local economy. They also examined how Porthcawl’s identity has evolved and the challenges facing coastal communities. 

After a busy morning of fieldwork, students returned to the field centre, where they began planning their own independent geographical investigations. They spent the afternoon developing research questions and considering the methods they would use to collect their data over the coming days.

Day 3

Today saw students take charge of their own independent fieldwork investigations in the sand dunes of South Wales. They spent the day collecting data for their A Level Geography investigations, putting their geographical knowledge and practical skills to the test.

They got hands-on with a range of specialist fieldwork equipment, including soil corers to collect soil samples and our brand-new, state-of-the-art soil probes to investigate soil conditions across the dunes! 

Perhaps the most unusual moment of the day came when two students decided to bring an entire cheesecake into the dunes and sit down to eat it! It was certainly a sight to see and not something you encounter on every geography field trip!

It was fantastic to see students working independently, making decisions about their research and developing the skills needed for their Geography NEA.

It was another brilliant day of fieldwork, with plenty of hard work, teamwork and a little bit of cheesecake.

Day 4

It wa another busy day for our Year 13 geographers as they headed out for their final day of independent data collection.

Some students returned to the sand dunes to continue their physical geography investigations, collecting the final pieces of data needed for their NEAs. From measuring dune profiles to investigating soil conditions and vegetation, there was plenty of geographical research taking place!

Meanwhile, others spent the day in Porthcawl conducting human geography fieldwork, investigating the town’s changing character and collecting data to support their own research questions. 

After returning to the field centre, students turned their attention to analysing their findings, exploring statistical techniques and considering how their data could help answer their research questions. 

It was fantastic to see how much confidence and independence students had developed over the past few days, with everyone taking ownership of their investigations.

Mr A Barnes, Deputy Head of Geography