On Friday 18 May, geographers from our Lower Sixth headed to Nettlecombe in Somerset for their annual field trip. They stayed at a Field Studies Council centre in a stunning location, nestled in a gorgeous valley full of lambs and ewes. Here the boys received tuition on several aspects of geography found in the local area, visiting Bossington beach and Minehead to practice fieldwork techniques.
The first two days allowed pupils to consider what area of Geography they would like to further explore in order to complete their NEA (non-examined assessment), which is worth 20% of their final A-Level. It was fantastic to see pupils rise to the challenge of setting their own titles and creating their own data collection resources; boys seemed to enjoy the level of independence that this allowed and they worked hard to create interesting geographical project plans.
During the remainder of the trip, the boys put their fieldwork techniques into practice and collected data on hydrology and infiltration on the country estate that Nettlecombe is situated in. Some of the boys looked at the land uses found in Minehead and considered the management in evidence along the beach that flanks Butlins.
Once the initial shock of their accommodation not having 3G (let alone 4G) had passed, the pupils enjoyed sunset walks, ball games and rambles around the estate. We look forward to seeing how their projects progress in the coming weeks, and to returning to Somerset next year.
