Geography makes a difference 4 – Geography done differently at The Open University: Choosing when, where and how to study for a Geography and Environmental Studies degree

At the 2025 GA Annual Conference in Oxford I had a great conversation with The Open University team. With my interest in geography making a difference to people from different backgrounds and with different contexts, I was very interested to hear about the flexibility of the OU BA (Hons) Geography course, which has only been available for a couple of years. Below you will find information about the OU offerings for both Geography and Environmental Studies, kindly written by the OU geography team. There are also links to useful resources for teachers.

The Open University’s BA (Hons) Geography and BA (Hons) Environmental Studies pathways enable students to learn about the pressing social and environmental challenges of the moment without the need to attend a campus-based university. With over 50 years of experience as a world leader in open, online and distance education, The Open University has supported over 2.3 million students to achieve their learning goals. Many younger students are choosing The Open University to continue their studies in Geography and the Environment so that they can choose where, when and how they study. This mode of study is particularly relevant because the new lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) for post-18 education will come into effect in the UK from September 2026. LLE funding will broaden access to high-quality, flexible education and training, and the OU’s Geography and Environmental Studies qualifications are perfectly suited to that mode of
study.

Topics
Geography and Environmental Studies qualifications begin with two interdisciplinary modules – Environment: journeys through a changing world and Global Challenges: social science in action – that introduce students to range of ways thinking about the environment, the debates around the climate crisis, who gets to speak and who is silenced.

Moving to second year equivalent studies, students get to choose between Geography and Environmental Studies pathways. Geography students choose Changing Geographies of the United Kingdom focusing on key human geography concepts of place, space and power and expanding these to include more sophisticated geographical ideas of relationality, assemblage, mobility, territory and experiment. The Environmental Studies pathway moves to Environment: Inhabiting a Changing Planet (due to launch in October 2026) to understand the key issues around natural resources and climate change. All students on these pathways will study Environment and Society, an interdisciplinary module that foregrounds the complex connections between nature and humans – through case studies in cultural, economic, social and political geographies – that are key to understanding the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene.

At third year equivalent studies, students will study Environmental Policy in an International
Context, exploring the political responses to the causes of environmental problems and analysing the divisions, inequalities and contentions in policy. Geography students complete their degree with the dissertation module Researching Everyday Geographies. This module equips students with the skills they need for independent research and projects through careful scaffolding throughout the course.

Study Experience
OU students are provided with a study calendar that carefully structures their learning over 25-30 weeks for each module. Geography and Environmental Studies modules include textbooks which provide substantive content each week and allow for study away from the screen in spaces that suit the learner such as breaks at work, commuting on the train or in the park. These books are structured into prepared chapters and feature regular activities to encourage deeper thinking and reflection on the materials. Alongside the books, the module website provides further resources attentive to a variety of learning styles including audio recordings of talks and interviews with key scholars, videos featuring case studies from intensive farming to carnivals, as well as opportunities to collaborate with other students on forums and shared galleries.

Several Geography and Environmental Studies modules develop independent research skills through virtual and blended fieldwork options. Students learn about a range of methodologies, data types and analysis that can be conducted either in-person or at a distance using virtual or digital technologies and resources. This includes our third year equivalent 3 dissertation module that supports students to use resources available online such as databases, archives and articles as well as autoethnographic methods to develop their fieldwork.

OU students get to choose the pace of their study. Full time, a degree can be completed in three years as with many other universities. Many students prefer to go part time spread their studies across more years at a less intensive pace. This can help them care for others or work whilst studying so they can maintain an income. As students do not have to travel to university or live away from home this can further reduce the costs of a degree. The tuition fees are also amongst the lowest (£7784 Full Time Equivalent per year in 25/26). In England students can access Part-Time Tuition Fee Loans through Student Finance England with many students in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland able to access financial support and grants. From September 2026, LLE will make available a tuition fee loan, with new learners able to access up to the full entitlement of £38,140.

The Open University is committed to open learning and so does not ask for prior qualifications at undergraduate level study. It does not require a UCAS application nor personal statement which eliminates anxiety for many learners and means their teachers can use their time, that would be spent supporting UCAS applications, elsewhere. The Open University has over 50 years’ experience and sector-leading support structures for students with additional requirements. Study materials are provided in multiple formats to
suit different learners and their needs. Further information on the support available for disabled students can be found on our webpage and each module description also provides an Accessibility Statement outlining the mode of study, assessment and types of learning material to expect.

Further Resources to support yOU
As well as supporting your students, The Open University can support you as educators as well. Geography and Environmental Studies staff may be able to come to your school or college and deliver a teaching session on subjects from space junk and green cities to migration and climate change (see Projects, Staff and Research pages on the OU website for further details). 

Many teachers have regularly used the OpenLearn catalogue of freely available teaching resources with a mix of courses, badged modules and articles from across the curriculum. Two ArcGIS StoryMap learning resources aimed at post-16 (can also be used for pre-16 students) are also freely available to teachers. Each StoryMap includes teacher guidance notes on how these can be related to different geography curriculums and awarding bodies. 

1.  Virtual Field Trip to Strand-Aldwych uses the recent pedestrianisation project of The Strand, London to explore the social and environmental entanglements of the area using a range of data including quantitative, textual, historical and audio-visual (including both day and night time walkthrough of the area). 

2.   Who tells Stories? Migrant Business Women in Bloomsbury, 1911  is a recent OU research project that brings census data of marginalised communities to life with a virtual walking tour and song.

To find out more information about any of the above resources, please contact
geographyandenvironment@open.ac.uk.

Geography Makes a Difference 3 – Helping all students see the world

Schools offer so many opportunities, but many come at a cost. During a weekend of activities in Wales hosted by Flooglebinder last March I was delighted to hear a presentation about the Turing Scheme, which offers schools the chance to apply for funding to support all students in being able to take part in international visits. I’ve asked Flooglebinder to write about the Turing Scheme for this blog so that more teachers and students can benefit.

International experiences can transform young lives. At Flooglebinder, we believe every student, no matter their background, deserves the chance to explore the world, learn new skills, and grow in confidence. That’s why we’re proudly partnering with schools, colleges, and universities across the UK through the Turing Scheme to offer meaningful, life-changing educational mobility.

What is the Turing Scheme?

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme for study and work abroad. It provides funding to schools, colleges and higher education institutions to give their students international opportunities that build employability, cultural awareness and confidence.

Replacing Erasmus+, the scheme is broader in scope and ambition:

• Global reach: Opportunities in over 150 countries worldwide, not just Europe.
  
• Inclusive focus: A commitment to widening participation so disadvantaged and underrepresented students can take part.
  
• Skills for the future: Placements designed to boost language learning, cultural understanding, independence and employability.
  
• Global Britain: Strengthening international connections and equipping the next generation with global perspectives.
  

For institutions, this funding can unlock opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach, expanding curriculum, enriching student experience and delivering on widening access objectives.

How Flooglebinder Helps Institutions Make the Most of Turing

Turing funding can be transformative, but only if it is used effectively. Flooglebinder supports schools, colleges and universities to maximise the impact of their funding by:

• Designing curriculum-aligned programmes with strong sustainability, conservation and community engagement.
  
• Providing specialist support to ensure disadvantaged learners are included and empowered.
  
• Offering streamlined administration and project delivery, reducing complexity for staff.
  
• Embedding personal development and wellbeing at every stage of the journey.
  
• Delivering measurable outcomes through pre- and post-trip evaluation of skills, wellbeing and environmental awareness.

Supporting Disadvantaged Students

A core priority of the Turing Scheme is widening access. Funding covers additional costs, such as passports, visas, travel and equipment, helping disadvantaged students participate.

Flooglebinder’s expertise lies in making international mobility inclusive:

• Removing financial barriers by helping institutions stretch Turing funding further.
  
• Adapting programme design to meet diverse learning needs.
  
• Embedding wellbeing support, so students feel safe, confident and fully able to engage.
  

Beyond Travel: Personal Development, Wellbeing and Accreditation

Flooglebinder programmes are about more than international travel. Each journey is designed to deliver deep personal growth through:

• Pre-departure workshops preparing students emotionally as well as practically.
  
• Mindfulness in nature and structured reflection during the trip.
  
• Leadership and teamwork opportunities to build resilience and adaptability.
  
• Ongoing post-trip support so the benefits extend well beyond the experience itself.
  

To ensure these achievements are recognised, Flooglebinder integrates the AQA Unit Award Scheme (UAS). This allows students to gain accredited recognition for skills such as teamwork, environmental fieldwork, leadership and reflective practice. For disadvantaged learners especially, these awards provide valuable, tangible evidence for CVs, UCAS applications and future careers.

A Leader in Sustainable, Impactful Travel

Flooglebinder is widely recognised as a pioneer in sustainable educational travel:

• The first UK travel provider to become a Certified B Corporation, assessed across governance, community, environment and worker impact.
  
• Among the first globally to declare a climate emergency and set science-based targets.
  
• One of the world’s first organisations to deliver a carbon-positive trip, offsetting more emissions than generated.
  

All programmes are built around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, supporting local NGOs, conservation initiatives and community-driven projects. This ensures that student mobility leaves a positive footprint for both people and the planet.

Real Impact

The combination of Turing Scheme funding and Flooglebinder’s expertise creates a ripple effect. Students return home more resilient, independent and inspired, not just for their own futures, but as role models in their communities. For institutions, it represents a way to deliver on widening access, enrich student development and strengthen global partnerships.

Looking Ahead

As the Turing Scheme continues to expand opportunities for young people across the UK, Flooglebinder is helping schools, colleges and universities make the most of this transformative funding. Together, they are ensuring international mobility is not just a privilege for a few, but a pathway for all.

In simple terms: the Turing Scheme removes barriers that stop disadvantaged students from taking part in international school visits and Flooglebinder makes sure those opportunities are not just accessible, but truly life-changing.

For more information about the Turing Fund see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/turing-scheme-apply-for-funding-for-international-placements – other school travel providers may also support you in applying for the Turing Scheme.

For more information about Flooglebinder see https://flooglebinder.co.uk/

Geography Makes a Difference 2: How does Entry Level Geography make a difference?

Kerry Sage, Subject Advisor for Geography and Natural History at Cambridge OCR, talks all things Entry Level Geography and how Geography can make a difference to all students.

My presidential theme for the Geographical Association in 2025/26 is ‘Geography makes a Difference’. It’s certainly the case that the OCR Entry Level Geography qualification makes a difference to some of my students. In this blog, Kerry will provide the details for Cambridge OCRs Geography ELC and I’ll share my experience of teaching the qualification and how my students benefit.

What is Geography Entry Level Certificate?
Cambridge OCR is the only exam board in England to offer an entry-level qualification in Geography designed for students who are not yet at GCSE level. The Entry Level Certificate (ELC) qualification in Geography encourages students to think like geographers, using an enquiry approach and contemporary topics. Enquiry questions allow students to be inspired and engaged, as well as understanding the topic’s relevance to them. With content similar to GCSE Geography A and GCSE Geography B, the ELC qualification
is designed to be co-taught alongside GCSE qualifications but can equally be taught as a stand-alone course. ELC Geography could also sit within the KS3 curriculum and would help set the foundation for GCSE Geography in the same way that other KS3 programmes of study prepare students for GCSE. The qualification consists of three components, Dynamic World, Fieldwork Notebook and Personal Project.

Catherine teaches in an 11-18 comprehensive school in Somerset with great diversity in terms of students’ socio-economic backgrounds and abilities. Each year she keeps a close eye on GCSE geography classes to see if there are students who are struggling to cope with the course. Most years she identifies a couple of students who may not achieve a grade 1 at GCSE and would benefit from a confidence boost. In these cases, she dual enters students for GCSE and Entry Level.  The examined content for the Entry Level course is covered in the GCSE Geography lessons which students are already attending. There are two non-examined elements of the Entry Level course, which the identified students cover with a learning support assistant (LSA) in 4-6 lessons when they are extracted from the GCSE class.

Component 1: Dynamic World

The Dynamic World topics encourage students to engage with different scales, from investigating how their local area has changed over time, to looking how the world we live in presents hazards to people and places and why tropical rainforests are vital to our planet. The content of the ELC qualification links closely to KS3 geography and GCSE content, making it the perfect stepping stone between the qualifications. The specification has broad key enquiry questions for students to investigate, such as ‘How is the UK changing?’ and ‘How is the world changing?’. There are also more focused questions linked directly to the content such as ‘Who lives in your place?’, ‘Who lives in the UK?’ and ‘Why are cities complex places?’. Like GCSE Geography, the ELC specification includes case studies to help students understand the context of the geography they are studying. For example, in Topic 1 – Our World, there is a case study of one UK city where students can offer a unique perspective as they explore ‘what life is like for teenagers in the city, such as leisure, food and retail activities’.

The Dynamic World component is assessed through an exam and consists of three topics: 
 Our World 
 Destructive World 
 Resourceful World 

Catherine’s students cover these topics within their GCSE lessons, but they could easily be taught to an Entry Level class in a different setting. For the ‘Our World’ topic students need to consider the population of their local place, characteristics and issues in a chosen UK city and then population and urban issues on a global scale. Starting with the familiar and moving to the unfamiliar, with a change in the scale being studied, is an ideal approach for students who may find the less tangible elements of geography tricky.  The Dynamic World component is assessed by a 1 hour exam which can be taken at any time. There are two alternative exam papers which you can download from Teach Cambridge, the secure OCR website, so you could use one as a mock exam and one for the real thing. In Catherine’s school the LSA also supervises the exam.  Catherine marks all three components of the course on the interactive candidate coversheet and her marking is moderated by a colleague. As her cohort is so small, all work is sent to OCR electronically for moderation, along with supporting paperwork.

Component 2 – Fieldwork Notebook

The Fieldwork Notebook gives students practical experience of fieldwork and a chance to practise a range of skills such as data collection, data presentation and interpretation skills. This adds ‘geographical value’ and enables students to ‘anchor’ their studies with real-world context.

Fieldwork can be completed on any area of the specification but must have a clear geographical location so students can create a notebook based on their own experiences. The Fieldwork Notebook includes key aspects of a fieldwork enquiry, with students collecting data and identifying problems with data collection. Students also get to present data and comment on what it shows, drawing the evidence together to produce a summary statement. This component is also flexible: it can be based on exemplar tasks or can be centre-developed. Students could present their work as a poster, a PowerPoint or a written project, whatever works best for them.

Catherine’s students carry out fieldwork for their GCSE course, so she simplifies the title one of these
fieldwork investigations for the entry level Fieldwork Notebook. The GCSE investigation is ‘Is there evidence of longshore drift on Monmouth beach?’ whereas for entry level it is ‘Are the two ends of Monmouth beach different?’ Catherine provides her students with a template for the Fieldwork Notebook with headings for
introduction, data collection, data presentation, conclusion and evaluation. They then produce their Fieldwork Notebook with support from the LSA (who also takes part in the field visit to Monmouth beach). When Catherine has had students who didn’t participate in the GCSE fieldwork days they have completed a piece of fieldwork on the school site, looking at waste that is produced and how it is dealt with, with support from our wonderful site and kitchen teams.

Component 3 – Personal Project

The Personal Project can be based on any area of the specification. Again students and centres could select an exemplar task or it could be created and developed by the centre or student. Students are assessed on their ability to research geographical facts from various sources and use of a range of presentation methods to answer their project title. They are also awarded credit for their accurate use of geographical vocabulary and logical structure of their projects. The Personal Project, like the Fieldwork Notebook, can be presented in any way that works for the individual, whether it’s a PowerPoint presentation or a written report. 

Catherine’s students love the ‘Destructive World’ topic, so produce a slide presentation answering the question ‘Are all volcanoes the same?’ Again, she provides a template with titles and they are supported by the LSA in completing this project. Students enjoy this project so much that it can be difficult to get them to stop working on it!

How is ELC Geography Assessed?

The three tasks in the qualification are assessed by the centre.
 The Dynamic World component is assessed by a 1-hour test set by Cambridge OCR. This can be taken at any time, and students sit the exam under teacher supervision in the classroom. This is worth 30% of the total qualification.
 The Fieldwork Notebook is internally-assessed and externally moderated by Cambridge OCR. It is worth 30% of the qualification.
 The Personal Project is internally-assessed and externally moderated by Cambridge OCR. It is worth 40% of the qualification.
You should use the interactive candidate coversheet to mark and internally moderate students’ work. Because it’s not a L1/L2 course, you should note that the Entry Level qualification doesn’t attract performance points. But it’s a useful qualification to have as a formal statement for students as part of their record of achievement. 

In summary

To summarise, there are many good reasons why our Entry Level Geography qualification is the perfect course for many types of students in different circumstances:
 Relevant: learners explore contemporary topics through enquiry questions that connect geography to their everyday lives.
 Practical: fieldwork opportunities help students develop practical geographical skills including data collection and presentation.
 Contemporary: exciting content studied in topics and brought to life by engaging enquiry questions.
 Flexible: a variety of assessment types make the course suitable to different learning needs and the Fieldwork Notebook and Personal Project can be based on any area of the specification to suit you and your students.

 Co-teachable: you can teach it together with GCSE Geography

In conclusion

The Entry Level Fieldwork Notebook and Personal Project are great for students’ confidence. When they have always struggled with GCSE content, they find themselves working at a different level, where they can find success. The Fieldwork Notebook also helps those who are also entered for the GCSE prepare for the exam questions on fieldwork.  We celebrate the work produced, showing them to members of the leadership team and phoning home to let parents and carers know how well the students have done. 

The Entry Level course makes a real difference to these geography students. It isn’t only a back-up plan in case they don’t pass the GCSE, it is a course which develops their understanding of the world and gives them a chance to shine.

Where can you find out more about Cambridge OCR qualifications?
You can
 email us at geography@ocr.org.uk
 call us on 01223 553998
 message us on X @OCR_Geography
 Sign up for email updates to receive our Geography newsletters
If you are considering teaching any of our qualifications, please use our online form to let us
know, so that we can help you with more information.

© Cambridge OCR 2025

Geography makes a difference Part 1: Could your students study at Cambridge?

I am delighted to be the President of the Geographical Association for 2025/26. My chosen theme for this year is ‘Geography makes a difference’, which I have blogged about here. One of my aims for this year is to work with different people from the geography community to look at how they are making a difference through geography and how geography has made a difference to them, posting a blog once a month. For my September (posted slightly late) blog I looked close to home and asked Meg to share her experiences. Having attended a secondary school in special measures, where around 25% of students passed both maths and English GCSEs, Meg hadn’t thought about studying at Cambridge. Once at sixth form college, predicted A*s for her geography, sociology and history A levels, Meg watched YouTube videos about applying to Cambridge after being inspired by a student in a nearby school getting into Cambridge a few years earlier. Having been successful in her application to study geography at Emmanuel College, completed her first year and become involved with access work, Meg reflects on her experiences.

In the last year, I’ve had the chance to read many personal statements. It soon became clear that, even with their new structure on UCAS, some students have many more opportunities to engage with “supercurricular” activities, as well as much more support from their schools when writing their personal statements. Supercurricular activities are activities students can do outside of school that takes their learning beyond the curricular. Students with part-time jobs, caring responsibilities, or those living in rural areas, where access to supercurricular opportunities is often limited, may feel at a disadvantage compared to peers with greater access to such resources. However, students who show true love for their project and the ability to think outside the box both in their personal statement and during interviews still have a great chance in moving through the application process. When helping widening participation students with their personal statements, I offer them advice on how to make a competitive application, as well as the University of Cambridge funding a wide range of initiatives for students to experience life at Cambridge and get help with their application which their school may not offer. The great thing about these initiatives is that they often have requirements which ensure all students are from a widening participation background, in addition to most of the students working the initiatives being from access backgrounds. This creates an incredible atmosphere which normalises people from state-school, low income families, caring backgrounds, refugees and travelling communities holding space in higher education.

University Outreach Initiatives 

The University of Cambridge offers a plethora of outreach schemes which can all be found on the Widening Participation page of their website. This year, I worked at the Sutton Trust Summer School at Churchill College, where year 12 students from a range of subjects spend 5 days experiencing life at Cambridge, including lectures, formals and supervisions. During the summer school, students had multiple lectures on student finance, choosing a university and writing a competitive personal statement. This means that as well as attending supercurricular activities, students can also gain confidence on the application process and how to approach their UCAS. I am also currently involved in Apply: Cambridge, a 6-month scheme where Cambridge mentors are paired with 6 year 12 students and check in with them weekly to help them throughout the application process. As well as routinely messaging through a mentoring messaging service, students also have online meetings with their mentors every month, to talk about their application and practice interview skills. These services are often run by private companies for lots of money, and so I am so grateful that year 12 students have the opportunity to access this amount of support for free, as well as allowing students attending Cambridge University to earn some money to support their time in higher education. 

College Level Outreach Initiatives

The University of Cambridge is not a single building, but an institution made up of 31 colleges which provide students with housing and tutorial systems. Each college has a “link areas” somewhere in the UK, which they work with to provide school visits as well as tours of their college. At Emmanuel, our “link areas” are Sheffield and Essex. Recently, a group of students and our Access team visited schools in these areas and talked to them about Higher Education. We talked to students ranging from Year 9 to Year 13, and answered any questions they had about studying at Cambridge, as well as just university in general. Next year, some of those students will come to Cambridge and be toured around our college, reinforcing that Cambridge is not a far away prospect but a genuine possibility for them. I highly recommend researching what your schools “link areas” are and getting in contact to see what access work they provide. 

Individual colleges also offer a range of schemes that allow students to experience life at Cambridge, or take a deep dive into their favourite subjects. For instance, Emmanuel College runs initiatives especially for widening participation of students, such as the EMMpower summer school, as well as schemes for all students, such as the Thomas Young Physicist Programme and Langevity. You can find more information about these schemes on the Emmanuel College website, under the heading of Outreach.

Helping Students During the Application Process

It is crucial that teachers support all students who are aspiring to attend higher education. Personally, my teachers played a key role in helping me believe I was capable of becoming a Cambridge student, even when my target grades or class groupings limited my access to some of the support available at school. I remember joking with some of my friends at Cambridge, who also come from Widening Participation backgrounds, about how we “weren’t brilliant” because we weren’t in our schools’ Brilliant Clubs. These clubs often had access to exclusive supercurricular activities and university visits. This kind of labelling in schools can be harmful. It is important that all students feel confident in their abilities and are encouraged to engage deeply with their subject, which is essential at a place like Cambridge. When helping students write personal statements, encourage them to explore supercurricular activities from both high and low culture. Students often feel pressure to read the most academic books or journal articles, even if they have no real interest in the topic or struggle with the overly complex language, which I often call “academic snobbery.” But supercurricular exploration does not have to be traditional. It could be a book on the political impact of street art or a documentary on the Whakaari eruption. Emphasise that students do not need to spend money on these experiences. There is a wealth of free resources online. For example, MOOCs are a fantastic way for students to show subject interest beyond the curriculum. I also always recommend the EPQ, as it is not only a great supercurricular project, but it can also help reduce grade offers from many universities, although not for Oxford or Cambridge. A strong personal statement should connect a student’s experiences and show how their supercurricular engagement deepened their interest in their chosen subject. Finally, while it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to track deadlines for personal statements, admission assessments, and interviews, it can be incredibly helpful when teachers offer reminders, especially considering how fast paced Year 13 can be.

Until the end of year 12, I had never planned to study geography. While studying geography, I have always been focused on issues surrounding inequality and how it manifests in contemporary society, so going through the application process, getting in, and then hearing about what other people did to try and get into Cambridge was extremely interesting to me. Geography as a discipline has made more of a difference on my life than I could have ever imagined. It gave me a new lens to view a very confusing world and understand how people interact with each other and their space. Understanding the diversity of these interactions is fundamental to my work in access, and I encourage all teachers to view each student and their potential individually, never labelling them due to their background. 

By changing how we see the world, geography empowers people to change their lives, and that’s why it matters. That is why it makes a difference.

Inter-railing Adventure ’23

Having spent a wonderful fortnight inter-railing around part of Europe I thought it might be helpful to others if I wrote a blog about the logistics behind it.

In 2022 I turned 50 and treated the family to a holiday to Hawaii. The holiday was wonderful, but the impact on our carbon footprint wasn’t, so I decided to avoid flying this year, letting the ‘train take the strain’ instead. I initially thought about heading to Italy, but then my son was successful in his application to study in Bergen for a semester, so I decided to head to Norway instead. This turned out to be a great idea, as Southern Europe faced sweltering heatwaves this summer.

My first step was to do some research and I soon came across ‘The Man in Seat 61’, which is full of useful information and advice – https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm . I used this website to find out about the different Interrail passes – https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes – choosing a pass which included 10 days of travel during a period of 2 months once it was activated. We chose the first class pass, which turned out to be a really good decision.

I divided the holiday into three stages – 5 days to get to Bergen, 5 days in Bergen and 5 days getting back from Bergen. As we live in Taunton, our first step was to get the train to London Paddington, then use the tube to get to St Pancras and Eurostar for our trip to Brussels. I downloaded the Interrail App – https://www.interrail.eu/en/plan-your-trip/tips-and-tricks/rail-planner-app – and started planning our journey. The app is really easy to use to build up a journey – ‘My Trip’ – using train timetables and a map of the network. It also told us when it was necessary or advisable to book seat reservations in advance. The only problem we came across was being unable to book beds for sleeper trains as we left this too late.

Once the journey was planned, I started to look for accommodation using the Airbnb app – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/airbnb/id401626263. We decided that we would book apartments with kitchenettes so that we would only eat out a maximum of once a day – this was partly to keep costs down and partly because I have a nut allergy. It was easy to use the app to search for apartments meeting our requirements – using the map meant I could make sure the accommodation wasn’t too far from the station each time. Airbnb is very flexible; the downside is that hosts can cancel your booking, so you need to be ready to rebook if needed.

The three of us (husband, daughter & me) decided to each carry a backpack and a small bag. We aimed to travel light, taking enough clothes for 6 days and washing them during our time in Bergen. M and I took laptops so we could work during long train journeys, whilst G took an iPad. We shared shampoo etc and packed tea bags and a pack of oats for breakfast each day. I also took a stash of Pullin’s mini bars – https://pullinsbakery.co.uk/our-products/mini-bars/ – as sometimes it is hard for me to find nut-free snacks. We invested in neck pillows – https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/easy-inflate-fleece-pillow-p24247.aspx/grey/ comes highly recommended – eye masks and ear plugs. We didn’t need to take towels as they were provided at each Airbnb, but popped microfibre travel towels in – just in case. We forgot adaptors for European plugs, so had to buy them on our travels. I bought trek shoes from Vinted to wear and packed some walking sandals – https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/19358506/peter-storm-women-s-lynmouth-ii-sandal-19358506.

The first section of our journey took us from Brussels to Hamburg, Malmo, Gothenburg, Oslo and Bergen. We only had a short time in each city (except Bergen) but were able to explore the city centres and get a good feeling for them. In Brussels we were staying right next to the Manneken Pis – https://www.brussels.be/manneken-pis – so started our stroll there and took in the sights of the city during its flower festival. We had an afternoon and evening in Hamburg before catching the night train to Malmo at 11pm, so did some sightseeing before heading to Planten un Blomen for the wonderful water and light concert – https://www.hamburg.com/events/11900314/water-light-concerts/. The morning saw us arriving in Malmo, which was in the throes of its annual festival – https://www.malmofestivalen.se/english – meaning we had plenty to see and do, including eating delicious tofu bao buns! The next day we headed to Oslo, stopping in Gothenburg for a few hours to break the journey and have lunch. Our apartment in Oslo was one of the best – really recommend it – https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/928844805753354206?source_impression_id=p3_1693311986_8nJZU27djygcwVc%2B . As we were catching the night train to Bergen we spent the afternoon exploring the Botanical Gardens and waterfront, including the amazing opera house, where you can walk up the roof! I booked a shrimp supper fjord cruise for the evening, which was pretty magical – https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/oslo-l38/oslo-fjord-evening-cruise-with-shrimp-buffet-t40266/ I planned activities a few days in advance using the main tourism websites for each place, meaning we were never left short of things to do and see.

Arriving in Bergen brought us to the second stage of our journey, where we met up with J, who was enjoying freshers week at the University of Bergen. Our apartment had the most incredible views and was in a great location – https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/643484307456892773?_set_bev_on_new_domain=1693312323_NjVjMjE3YzFkZjli&source_impression_id=p3_1693312348_zLCCnFv4YzWo%2F5DO . J showed us the public transport app and we used the bus to travel around Bergen each day. After a day of rest and washing we headed out on a fjord cruise which my Mum treated us to – https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/fjord-cruise-to-sognefjord-fjaerland-and-boyabreen-glacier-p6088353 – the tour was incredible, but we were glad that we took food with us, as there was little on offer. Another day saw us ascend Mt Floyen on the funicular, giving us the opportunity to explore the mountain and even canoe on a lake (for free) – https://www.floyen.no/en . Other days were spent exploring the city, including the Bryggen World Heritage Site. A particular highlight was eating at the Daily Pot – amazing soup – https://www.dailypot.no/.

The final stage of our journey involved a little retracing of our steps as we returned to Oslo, but this time in daylight. The Bergen to Oslo train journey – https://www.vy.no/en/traffic-and-routes/stations-and-network-maps/the-bergen-line – is one of the most beautiful in Europe and is highly recommended. We took the ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen – https://www.dfds.com/en-gb/passenger-ferries/ferry-crossings/ferry-to-denmark/oslo-copenhagen – which was really enjoyable, with restaurants, entertainment and comfortable cabins. On arrival in Copenhagen we found that our Airbnb for the night had been cancelled by the host, so had to find another one – there wasn’t a lot of choice within walking distance of the station, so I opted for one which hadn’t had any reviews yet, which turned out to be a mistake – our only poor quality accommodation during the whole trip. We took a boat trip around Copenhagen’s harbour & canals, then strolled around the city, finding a lovely tote bag for M. From Copenhagen we took the train back to Hamburg, this time staying the night in the city. Again, I had planned our activities a few days in advance, so had booked tickets for Miniatur Wunderland – https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/ – which was pretty impressive! From Hamburg it was only a short hop to Berlin, where we took part in an incredibly informative and moving walking tour – https://www.neweuropetours.eu/sandemans-tours/berlin/free-tour-of-berlin/ . Whilst all of our train journeys (apart from the overnight ones without beds) were really comfortable and enjoyable, the one from Berlin to Amsterdam was really special, with our own first class compartment providing real luxury! We took a canal tour in Amsterdam, followed by a stroll as the sun went down. From Amsterdam it was time to head back to the Eurostar and home.

I can’t really believe how well the trip went! We were so lucky with the weather, especially in Bergen, which is famous for its rain! The trains were reliable and comfortable and made travelling part of the holiday experience. Food worked out well – the equal eats app helped communicate my allergy needs – https://equaleats.uk/collections/app?shpxid=f7474880-1e65-425f-8345-320d8456ff33 – but restaurants also had excellent allergen information. We had porridge with fruit for breakfast each day and made sure to buy lunch to take with us on long train journeys – crackers, hummus and cucumber worked well. At first we explored cities on foot, but after leaving Bergen G became an expert on using public transport, including trams and buses.

We returned via Eurostar on Bank Holiday Monday to find that airports were in chaos, with passengers stranded as flights were cancelled. Another reason to think about inter-railing. Perhaps you could take the train next time? I would love to hear how you get on.

EACOP Role Play

The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a project being developed in Uganda and Tanzania by French and Chinese TNCs, making it an excellent example of globalisation, resource management, a development project and more. Expanding fossil fuel production is controversial in the light of agreements at COP 27, but Uganda and Tanzania are both low income countries (according to the World Bank) and are keen to increase their gross national income. This role play puts students in the place of key players in this development, challenging them to explore why some think the pipeline should be built whilst others are opposed.

To produce this role play I first read around the subject of EACOP, which enabled me to identify key players. I found articles and text from different websites related to each person/group of people, as you can see here.

eacop-role-play-cardsDownloaD

I then condensed each view into a short introduction to be given to a group of students. I created 8 cards so that a class of 30-32 could work in groups of no larger than 4 students. Creating the cards from previously researched text meant that I was referring to real people/groups – I have no time for role plays which are purely made up by teachers and can be very misleading! Here are the final role play cards.

eacop-role-play-cards-2Download

Once groups of students are given their role cards, they will have a lesson to carry out research into their allocated view, producing a set of 3-5 powerpoint slides which will be shared with the class in their next lesson. They will be given the text and links I used for my original role play cards as the starting point for their research. Students will be instructed to include the following in their presentations:

• Who they are representing
• Whethere they think EACOP should be built
• Why they think this
• Why they disagree with the alternative view
• Carefully researched evidence to support points
• Links to any websites and/or books used

Once the class has listened to and discussed the presentations the students will come out of role and discuss their own views of whether EACOP should be built. Key terms used during the discussion will be noted on the board. The teacher will ask groups and individuals questions to encourage students to develop their thinking. There are so many directions this discussion could go – considering climate change, neo-colonialism, closing the development gap and more.

Students will write a paragraph to explain and justify their views about EACOP – having discussed the issues should make it easier to write about it and the key words will remain on the board.

I have designed this activity as part of my Resource Futures scheme of learning for KS3 Geography, but it could be adapted to use with students of different ages or in different contexts.

It would be great feedback on this resource and also how you use role plays in your classroom.

These photographs of forest clearance were taken by Catherine Owen at the edge of Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda in 2018. This clearance was making way for an improved road to the National Park, which would be useful for tourists, but also if oil was to be exploited in the area. The photograph of the petrol station was taken inside Murchinson Falls National Park in 2018 – will this area soon be produing its own fossil fuel resources? Any teacher is welcome to use these images in their resources, but please don’t use them for commercial purposes.

Ideas for a Geography open evening

It’s that time of year again! Here are some of the ideas we used for our open evening last year. Most of them can be led by student helpers, but it is best if a teacher handles the party popper ‘volcanoes’ (thanks to Jacob Profitt for leading this last year)! I found several of these ideas on Twitter – thanks to everyone who shared. I hope these ideas will help others.

1. What connections do you have with places around the world?

2. Can you predict when the ‘volcano’ will erupt?

From https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/90_Party_time_for_volcanoes.pdf

3. We have a link school in Uganda. What can we find out about Uganda by unpacking Mrs Owen’s backpack?

4. How fast can you fold an OS map? A bit of fun!

5. Can you answer these questions? Adapted from https://www.gapminder.org/tag/gapminder-test/

6. Where did these fruits come from?

The impact of linking with schools in Kasubi, Uganda

In 2014 an energetic, innovative teacher called Seb came into my life; little did I know what an impact his appointment as my second in department would have! Seb had taught for 18 months in St Charles Lwanga High School in Kasubi, Kampala, so when I asked him what he wanted to achieve in his new role he said he’d like to bring the headteacher of St Charles to the UK for his first visit and raise awareness of Uganda amongst geography teachers and students.

As I am part of the Geographical Association International Special Interest Group (GAISIG) I was aware of the GA Initiatives Fund and, following a successful application, was able to bring Benedict Ssaazi to the UK in November 2015. Benedict spent time in London, Somerset and Bristol, visiting several schools and speaking to educators in a range of roles. Benedict was particularly impressed by the collaboration achieved through the Somerset Association of Secondary Heads (SASH).

On his return to Kasubi, Benedict was determined to bring schools together to collaborate in the way he had observed in Somerset. He was already highly respected through his role in the Private Schools Assocation (private schools have a very different meaning in Uganda – they often serve the poorest communities and have no government funding, relying on school fees), so quickly found other Headteachers who wished to collaborate, forming the Kasubi UK Link group. This organisation soon grew to 30+ schools, with primaries, secondaries, government and private schools all working together. Initiatives organised by the group in its first few months included a financial advice seminar for school bursars, inter school competitions and a hardship fund for teachers.

With our GCSE specification changing in 2015, we had a great opportunity to review our curriculum to enhance our students’ learning. We decided to study Kampala as an ‘example of a city in a LIC’ and Uganda as an ‘example of a LIC’. This gave our school link a clear curriculum purpose, as recommended by Bourn and Cara (2013).

Seb and I were able to fund a visit to the Kasubi UK Link group in July 2016 using our own money, some funding from our school and an innovative teaching grant from the RGS. Much of this first visit was spent visiting schools in the group, but we also paid a visit to the Head of Education at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), ran two CPD events and visited Queen Elizabeth National Park. Although I was a bit dubious about the value of popping in and out of so many schools at the time, I have since realised why our hosts saw this as important after reflecting on the findings of Borurn and Bain (2011) who found:

• ‘linked schools had, compared with non-linked schools, a strong sense of self
  esteem;
• the link, through formal and informal professional development, had improved the
  quality of teaching and learning, and overall leadership, in the linked schools;
• children, particularly girls, had more enthusiasm and motivation to attend school
  as a result of their school having a link;
• local communities with linked schools had a sense of pride and enthusiasm in their
  school.
• By having a link, the school also benefited from opportunities for the teachers and
  pupils to improve their English language skills. The teachers and pupils tended to
  have a broader vision, to look beyond their own community and to recognise they
  are part of a wider world.’

White people such as me and Seb need to recognise the tension between wanting to support and the danger of being a ‘white saviour‘. Reid (2021) says taking an anti-racist approach ‘… is about working alongside, supporting, accepting you are going to get it wrong and showing up anyway’.  When I reflect on my links with Ugandan schools I often think about this. We also need to be aware of potential issues which could arise through the link with our school, such as misconceptions about lives of partner school’s pupils, dangers of reproducing colonial relationships and difficulties in sharing examples of mutual learning (Bourn and Cara, 2013). We have arranged skype sessions for children to talk to each other to help dispel misconceptions and carried out a mutual fieldwork project to investigate how land is used in our town centres, swapping maps to enable mutual learning.

In October 2017 Seb and I once again visited the Kasubi UK Link group, this time bringing my husband along. In 2016 directors of schools in the group had expressed a desire to introduce observations of teaching in their schools and we had worked together to come up with ideas for a supportive, coaching approach. This became the focus of our 2017 visit; Seb taught a lesson at St Charles whilst I observed (accompanied by around 20 Ugandan teachers), then he left the room whilst we discussed the lesson, returning to recieve feedback from me (again with the other teachers watching). I am fortunate in having been trained to use the GROW model by Chris Moyse, so passed this approach on to my Uganda colleagues. We also fitted in visits to Mabira Forest, Jinja and Lake Mburo and led a CPD day for teachers focussed on questionning.

By 2017 the Kampala and Uganda examples were well embeded in our GCSE course at our school and we also used examples from Uganda to support points related to development, urbanisation and more at KS3. We shared our GCSE schemes of learning and the associated resources via the Geographical Association website (see Uganda SoL and Kampala SoL) and Seb delivered a session at the annual GA conference. However, our plan to spread the benefits of our link across the school had not come to fruition.

Our 2018 visit began with a meeting with directors of several of the schools from the Kasubi UK link group to review the progress of the project. The directors were pleased to report that their schools had seen both numbers on roll and examination results improve. The next day we met as a large group to review the lesson observation element of the link, then our group split into two minibuses full of teachers, with each minibus visiting three schools to carry out lesson observations and give feedback to volunteer teachers. In the first schools Seb and I led the observations and feedback, but then we took a step back, meaning that by the end of the day our colleagues felt confident in the process. The following day Good Times School hosted a one day Geographical Assocation Conference hosted by the Kampala GA Branch, with some funding having been made available by the GA. Speakers included Ugandan geography teachers and a representative from the Education Department of KCCA as well as me and Seb, with topics including ‘Teaching like a Ugandan Champion’ (with ideas from Doug Lemov), teaching about the local area, supporting literacy and using projectors/laptops in the classroom. Students from Good Times entertained us with a fantastic exhibition of traditional and contemporary dance. At then end of the week we headed to Murchison National Park on safari and to see the famous falls.

Later in 2018 Mpagi Ronald, Headteacher of Good Times Primary School, visited us in Somerset and also spent time in London. He was planning to attend an educational conference, but his visa was given to him too late, so he was unable to attend, changing his plans to visit us instead. Our school had joined a Multi Academy Trust, giving new opportunities to share ideas, whilst Seb had been promoted to the school’s leadership team, meaning he had greater experience of cross-school issues to share with Mpagi.

Seb and I were unable to visit Uganda in 2019 due to family and work comittments, then in 2020 the COVID pandemic struck, with Seb and I only able to keep in touch with our Ugandan friends through WhatsApp. Uganda had the longest lockdown in the world, with schools only reopening on 14th January 2022. Benedict had to sell some of his land to pay debts accrued by St Charles during the lockdown and has faced difficulties in attracting both teachers and students to return as they have got used to life without school. Seb is liasing with Benedict, hoping to organise some online CPD, whilst I am asking friends to donate to a fundraiser for St Charles instead of giving me presents for my forthcoming 50th birthday.

So what has the impact of this link been?

• Our students have gained from the school link through studying Kampala and Uganda as part of their GCSE course, benefitting from this clearly planned curriculum focus. We have shared our teaching resources nationally via the GA website and conference.
• As Bourn and Cara (2013) suggest, the greatest benefit of the link with the UK to the Ugandan schools has been the CPD events detailed above and access to resources. We have taken projectors and laptops no longer needed by our school on each visit and have also set up a geography resource centre at St Charles with one off copies of textbooks and fieldwork equipment to borrow
• The Kasubi UK Link group members have seen improvements to school rolls and exam results through their collaborative work, which is only very loosely linked to the UK
• Personally, I’ve benefitted hugely as a teacher through visiting Uganda and being hosted by families, rather than only seeing the country from a tourist perspective. Travelling around the country, I have seen rainforest, waterfalls, tectonic areas, the Equator, the Nile, Lake Victoria and more. I have been given insight into a different way of seeing the world, which has helped me on my journey to decolonise my teaching. I’ve also benefitted greatly from meeting new people and forming some special friendships.

References:

Bourn, D. and Bain, M. (2012) Impact of School Linking on the Global South – Case Study of Uganda, Development Education Research Centre Research Paper no.5 London: Link Community Development/Institute of Education.

Bourn and Cara (2013) ‘School Linking- Where Next?’ – https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1489790/1/bourn%20and%20cara%202013School%20linkingREPORT_ART.pdf

Reid (2021) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/19/no-more-white-saviours-thanks-how-to-be-a-true-anti-racist-ally

Unseen fieldwork at GCSE: Supporting our students

In 2022 GCSE Geography students won’t be assessed on their own fieldwork, but will still be assessed with questions about unseen fieldwork. How can we prepare our students for this element of their exams?

Ideally, students will have carried out fieldwork throughout their geography journey from reception to year 11. Students in my school investigated coastal processes in Watchet in year 7 (see Wonderful Watchet! ) and also carried out local fieldwork in Burnham on Sea in year 10, comparing the environment of areas of the town which have a residential function to those with a tourist function for human geography and then looking at how the sea wall as been designed to be both a coastal defence and a tourist amenity for physical geography. However, students in other schools may have had much less experience of fieldwork.

Sixth formers measure the infiltration rate on different surfaces in the school grounds

It is important that students understand the process of a geographical enquiry. You could go through this with them by carrying out a small scale enquiry on the school site over one or two lessons. You could investigate:

• How infiltration rates vary on different surfaces – cut a 15cm length of pipe, put it into soil so 10cm is showing, fill it with water and time how long it takes to empty. Do this on at least two surfaces – we use our long jump sandpit and a patch of grass (see photography)
• How ecosystems vary in different places – use a quadrat (pull a wire coathanger into a square if you don’t have one) to study the variety of organisms in at least two different places on your school site. We have a small area of trees, areas with hedges and the school field which we can use. How does the % coverage by different plants vary (this will help if you can get hold of one – https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/playing-field-plants-guide/)? How does the range of species vary?
• How sustainable are students’ journeys to school? Carry out a questionnaire survey in your class.
• How many food miles are in your school lunch? Carry out research into the food served in the school canteen and calcuate the food miles. Could also use a questionnaire to find out about packed lunches – do they involve more or fewer food miles?

It is a good idea to talk students through the enquiry process and make links to the sort of exam questions they will need to answer. Here is a ppt presentation linking to the AQA GCSE Geography specification, but it could be adapted for other specifications.

unseen-fieldworkDownload

This presentation includes links to really useful videos from Oak National Academy which you may wish to use with your students. It is also worth looking to see what other organisations have produced in this area and what CPD and advice is being offered by your exam board.

The unseen fieldwork section of the exam is a great opportunity for those students who struggle to remember lists of facts but engage well with practical tasks to shine. We need to reassure all of our students that they CAN do this!

How we do fieldwork

There has been so little fieldwork in the last two years due to the pandemic. New teachers may have very limited experience in this area and those supporting RQTs and ECTs will be thinking about to to support them. I therefore thought it might be useful to share how my department approaches fieldwork.

Planning fieldwork

We are asked to book dates into our school calendar in the summer before the new school year starts. We submit dates, then the admin staff contact us to sort out any issues and clashes. It is important that there aren’t too many staff booked out on one day to make sure cover is manageable.

Our choice of fieldwork dates is affected by our curriculum, seasons and whole school policy. We only take sixth form groups out in Sept/Oct as our school policy is to minimise disruptions to the curriculum during this period so students get a settled start to the year – I think this is a really good approach. We only carry out KS3&4 physical geography fieldwork in the summer to maximise chances of good weather. Our fieldwork is an important part of our curriculum, so the days out are planned as part of our sequence of learning.

A couple of months before the fieldwork date we will swing into action on the admin side of the planning, with Karen taking the lead and teachers who are new to fieldwork shadowing and assisting to develop their confidence. The only cost involved in our fieldwork is transport, so we find out how much this will cost, ringing around for quotes if we are using coach companies (we sometimes use the school minibus or the train), then make bookings through our Trust finance team. The finance team also set up a payment option on our school site (we invite carers to make a voluntary contribution); we also speak to our pupil premium coordiantor to check arrangements for this funding. Letters go out to students with information about the visit and teachers talk through the information with their classes, answering questions they have. Spare copies of letters are left in student reception as some students will inevitably lose theirs and the letter is put on the school website. We also fill in the online booking sheets to request cover for our classes. To minimise teacher cover we often take a schools direct trainee or a non-teaching member of staff alongside geography teachers.

Some students may be particularly anxious about fieldwork. Teachers identify students and we also talk to our learning support department, then we can do ‘talk about’ sessions with small groups of students to go through the plans and answer their questions. We often call parents of students with specific needs to discuss how we can best meet the student’s needs and how we can make the day a really good one for them. Our learning support department is fantastic and when needed we are able to take learning support assistants out to support specific students.

Our schemes of learning are written with the fieldwork embedded – here is the example of our yr 10 Urban Challenges scheme of learning, which ends with fieldwork in Bristol investigating ‘Is the regeneration of Temple Quarter sustainable?’. We test this using some of the elements of the Egan Wheel – https://www.ihbc.org.uk/recent_papers/docs/Egan%20Review%20Skills%20for%20sustainable%20Communities.pdf (see page 19 for diagram of the wheel).

urban-challenges-solDownload

It is important to make the process of geographical enquiry really explicit to students – this document is targetted at A level students, but is a great overview for teachers https://www.geography.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Support%20and%20guidance/Geographical_investigations_split_to_A4.01.pdf

As the fieldwork date approaches we check who has permission to go on the visit and liase with pastoral teams and parents/carers to get as many students to participate in the visit as possible. This involves making a lot of phone calls, so we split them between our whole team, not just the teachers of the classes. We also put details of the visit in our school’s daily brief e-newsletter in advance so teachers know who will be out of lessons and when. We contact our school kitchen to make sure free school meals will be available for students entitled to them to pick up on the morning of the visit – students bring their own containers to put them in. We give our safeguarding deputy a list of students going on the visit and she emails back with a list of things to look out for – she will speak to us about any particularly serious concerns. We also check the medical conditions of the students (and photo permissions) and book first aid boxes and a school mobile phone to take with us. The sheets for the visit are put in for photocopying – it is a good idea to keep these really simple – here is the one for our year 10 Bristol visit. We have also used mobile phones for collecting data using Google Forms at times.

data-collection-a4-bookletDownload

On the day

It is fine to feel nervous as well as excited on the day of the fieldwork! We always meet our students in a designated place (often the lecture theatre) after tutor time so that we can see our own tutor groups as normal. We start by reminding them of the purpose of the day – our enquiry questions – and of expectations, then head to our transport. Our students are given the choice of wearing their usual school uniform or their PE uniform for geography fieldwork. We register the students again, making a photocopy to drop into the attendance office and taking the other list with us.

I advise being really positive with students when you talk to them at the start of the day – don’t go through a big list of don’ts and let your own enthusiasm for fieldwork shine through! You can remind students of expectations in a positive way i.e. ‘I know you are going to be a pleasure to spend the day with. We are likely to come across members of the public, so make sure you always move out of the way for them and are friendly – I know you are lovely, but others might be intimidated by a big group of teens.’

Although we ask students to bring a pen there will be some who don’t, so I always have a supply in my backpack. It is also a good idea to take sheets for those that ‘lose’ them! When we have a trainee or a non-teaching staff member with us I often ask them to fill out a sheet as we go along so we have a master copy to use if students miss the fieldwork or lose their own.

Whilst on the fieldvisit it is important to do what you can to make students day as productive and enjoyable as possible. Make sure you flag up opportunities for students to use the toilets, buy drinks etc (info on supporting students on periods etc can be found here – https://geogmum.wordpress.com/2022/01/03/how-can-we-make-geography-fieldwork-more-inclusive-part-1/ On recent fieldwork I noticed that our students were much less confident when we gave them free time for breaks and lunch – they needed guidance about where to go and what to go, whereas pre-COVID students would just vanish off. Give students clear instructions about tasks, meeting times etc and ask them to repeat them back to you to check they have taken them in. It is a good idea to get them to set alarms on their phones for important meeting times.

We think ahead about which students are at risk of being left out on visits and try to put them with friends, but it is also important to look out for this on the day. We keep circulating among the students all day, praising their work and chatting about allsorts – it is a great opportunity to build positive relationships. Encourage students to take photographs of the memories they are making with their friends. We always take photographs to share on our department Twitter. Fieldwork is also an amazing opportunity to get students to apply what they have learnt in lessons to the real world – keep talking to them and asking questions. It is also good to ask them to evaluate their fieldwork methods whilst out and about – it will make more sense then.

It is also important to work with new members of staff to develop their confidence during fieldwork. Talk about what you do and why you are doing it. Give them opportunities to lead parts of the day as their confidence grows. Have reflective conversations about what has gone well and what could be even better.

At the end of the day we take the fieldwork sheets in and keep them safe for our students. We thank them for their excellent behaviour (rare incidents of poor behaviour are dealth with privately using the usual school sanctions system). Students who have been a particular pleasure to spend time with are rewarded with ClassCharts points and phone calls home to parents/carers. We always tell the pastoral team and our Principal about how the visit has gone.

After the day

We work as a team to resource lessons for our fieldwork write up. An example is this activity designed by Peter to enable yr 10 students to plot their bi-polar survey results as radial diagrams, so allowing them to judge if the regeneration of Temple Quater has improved the environment.

radial-diagram-data-presentation-technique-1Download

We make sure that we use the correct geographical terminology right from the start of year 7 and keep checking that students understand concepts such as the difference between primary and secondary research. Secondary research is carried out using computers – an example of the research task our yr 10 students do as part of their Bristol fieldwork is here.

secondary-research-worksheetDownload

Students tackle specific areas in each write up lesson, with the link between the enquiry question, their results and their analysis made clear. We encourage them to analyse findings as they go, then use these to inform an overall conclusion which answers the main enquiry question. It is important to spend time on the evaluation as students are likely to find this most tricky. We evaluate the methods used throughout the write up phase, then pull the evaluation together at the end, reflecting on the limitations of methods, the reliability of conclusions and how the fieldwork could be improved. Students are encouraged to use self and peer assessment against success criteria to improve their work, then teachers check the final piece.

I’ve used our year 10 Bristol fieldwork to illustrate my points, but details of our yr 7 Watchet fieldwork can be found here – https://wordpress.com/view/geogmum.wordpress.com and you can see more about our fieldwork via my Twitter account – @geogmum