Year 11 Geography students had a very successful and productive three-day field trip to Sheringham, to gather essential primary data for their GCSE Geographical Enquiry component, a crucial part of their Paper 3 exam. The students worked diligently in groups, focusing on two distinct enquiries covering Physical and Human Geography. They were blessed with lovely weather, which made the outdoor data collection all the more enjoyable.
The Physical Geography enquiry focused on the question: "Are the groynes at Sheringham controlling longshore drift?" Sheringham’s coastline and its coastal management structures provided a perfect real-world laboratory. Students were able to apply their classroom knowledge of coastal processes by directly measuring the effect of the groynes. Using methods like systematic sampling, they measured the change in beach material depth on either side of the structures to determine the direction and effectiveness of the groynes in controlling longshore drift.
For their Human Geography enquiry, students investigated the question: "Is transport in Sheringham sustainable?" This required them to apply geographical theory on sustainable communities to an urban setting. They collected quantitative data using various techniques, including surveys of car park occupancy (noting the distribution of electric vehicles, and disabled and coach spaces), and potentially calculating the Retail Diversity Index by classifying and counting shops along the High Street. These methods allowed them to generate data that will be used back in the classroom to analyse the town’s characteristics and reach evidence-based conclusions about its urban sustainability.
The students were engaged, enthusiastic, and demonstrated excellent fieldwork skills throughout the trip. They learned how to apply the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed) to their own research and gained invaluable experience in risk assessment, data collection and working collaboratively.
We are very proud of the hard work and geographical insight shown by our Year 11s. Thank you to Mr Beardmore-Crowther, Mrs Hone, Mrs Parker and Mrs Miller for all your hard work during the trip.
Mr Sutton, Head of Geography
