Compiling coursework and creating an individual project can be very challenging for students. This programme is an ideal opportunity for students to experience Field Studies methods and techniques, particularly in preparation for GCSE work. Choose from the broad themes of Rivers, Coasts, Towns and Woodlands and speak to our specialised staff teams to tailor our course to your school requirements.
Students are introduced to the study topic for the day, before being taken to relevant study sites. A range of qualitative and quantitative data can be collected, ready for analysis.
Using our ICT labs with a student computer ratio of 1:1, students are advised on writing styles and presentation formats for their work. Analysis of results and evaluation techniques may also be covered.
"Some great worthwhile data collected for GCSE coursework & lots of fun had with the activities"
— Roger Small, St Joseph's School, Slough
Our Field Studies Centres on the Isle of Wight and Norfolk Coast are in a class of their own. We offer over twenty thematic field studies that have been written to match the requirements of most Key Stage 4 to ‘A’ Level examining boards. Fieldwork modules may be selected in any combination and specialise within geography, geology, biology and environmental science can be adapted to meet the teaching syllabus of your school. An experienced member of our Field Studies team will call you prior to your visit to discuss your specific field study requirements.
Our Field study courses are clustered into five broad themes: coastal, river, urban studies, flora & fauna and ecosystem management. Most studies are delivered as a full-day module, some are half days. A week’s stay would typically allow students to follow three or four of our modules.
Teachers may also choose to specialise within a particular study to meet the requirements of a specific examining board. Thus, for example, whilst one group following the river study might focus on biological processes, another would concentrate on the river's geomorphology.
By and large, our instructors do all the teaching the courses require, but we are happy to switch to team-teaching if this helps to shape your field study course to your school's requirements. Please discuss your teaching preference when you make your booking.
Your arrival day would typically begin with one of our adventure activities to allow students to ‘stretch their legs’ after their journey. This would be followed by dinner and an evening lecture to introduce the module to be studied the following day and discuss methods and objectives. Students will also be supplied with fieldwork study sheets to take out to the field studies. Fieldwork days will be spent making measurements and collecting data. Then students will return to a follow-up session in an ICT lab.
Our Field Study Centres are equipped with all the specialist sampling and measuring equipment required, including flow meters, digital anemometers, quadrats, ranging poles and clinometers. Digital cameras are used during the day & the photos can be downloaded in the labs.
All field study modules include follow-up sessions in the ICT lab, where students may prepare reports about their fieldwork to be illustrated with photos, graphs and charts. Our ICT facilities are up-to-the-minute and student / computer ratio is 1:1. The students’ work is then burnt onto a CD in time for your departure. Students use a variety of software packages to help analyse and present their data. Fieldworks is one of these packages; amongst other things it can be used to plot species distribution with kite graphs, it maps the hydrological features of rivers and streams and contains a statistical package. We also use Excel for urban and coastal work, where landuse maps and beach profiles can be plotted. This part of the course is crucial, for the follow-ups are a powerful way to synthesise information. By turning data into charts and graphs, students are helped to visualise & interpret some of the concepts they encounter
No matter whether students are completing a field study, or in the ICT Lab at the Centre, we always encourage them to work in teams. The experience of operating in close-knit groups is seen as an important part of the personal and social benefits of the trip.
