The week back from half term was a busy one for the Shiplake cohort: having enjoyed a (hopefully) restful break away from school, many pupils came back to an action-packed full schedule. For Year 10 Geography pupils, this meant packing up and heading down to Dorset for a demanding few days of collecting data for Geography coursework. Accompanied by Head of Geography Mr Ross Johnston, Mr Adam Mallins, Mr Jonnie Howorth, Mr Darius Bluck and Mr David Rose, the group of 43 pupils made their way to the beautiful South West coastal county.
The varied landscape makes it an ideal destination for Geographers: broad, elevated chalk downs, steep limestone ridges and low-lying clay valleys are just some of the natural phenomenon that one can witness in the ancient county. In fact, over half of the county is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and three-quarters of its coastline is a World Heritage Site. The trip was specifically so that the GCSE pupils could gather and analyse fieldwork data. Taking in such landmark sites as Hengistbury Head, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, there was plenty for the pupils to sink their teeth into. The trip was not only helpful for collecting data for future coursework, but also to aid the pupils’ understanding of the forces of nature at work in and around Dorset. Coastal processes, landforms and management were amongst the topics discussed and dissected throughout the trip. Lulworth Cove was formed from bands of rock of alternating resistance, running parallel to the shore. Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast.
And it was not just Year 10 heading down to the coast; 30 Year 12 Geographers headed down the following week to collect data, examining the Bradshaw Model characteristics of the River Char. The group also studied coastal features and management at West Bay, Dorset.
The sun shone for both of the short trips, which were incredibly successful. Mr Johnston commented that ‘it was really interesting and the weather was beautiful. The pupils behaved impeccably; it’s not always easy in such a big group but they got along famously and the trip was a real pleasure. The data collected will be essential to producing coursework and I am certain that all groups managed to collect very promising material.’
