From Monday 7 to Friday 11 November, the Year 13 Geography students have been staying at the Preston Montford residential centre near Shrewsbury to undertake their compulsory fieldwork; as a key component of this, students have been collecting primary data for their non-examined assessment (worth 20% of their A Level).
Over the course of the week students have learned a range of physical geography techniques, including how to calculate the amount of carbon stored in trees and soils in order to estimate the effectiveness of forest as carbon stores. They have also learned how to investigate factors affecting flood risk, including how to measure the rate at which rain can infiltrate the ground.
The students have also learned to apply a range of human geography techniques in order to assess the different factors that affect the sense of place for an area; for example they visited Shrewsbury and investigated how the town was portrayed through marketing materials and what the perceptions of local people and visitors were.
In the second half of the trip, students used the skills they had developed to independently plan their fieldwork investigations, including conducting a risk assessment. By the end of the trip they had completed all primary data collection for their coursework, which they will now begin to write up in their Geography lessons.
Well done to Year 13 for being excellent ambassadors for the school and thanks also go to the wonderful team at Preston Montford for looking after us so carefully during our stay and providing expert tuition.
