The Geography department at Woodham Academy took all Year 10 Geography students to Middlesbrough during the last week of term. The new 1-9 GCSE courses require every student to undertake two field studies away from the school site. The aim of the students’ human Geography investigation was to explore the ‘impact of industrial decline on Middlesbrough’s town centre’.
For many in the North East de-industrialisation is still a real issue e.g. Redcar Steel works closure. This makes up an element of the students’ study at GCSE. The head of Geography at Woodham Academy, Mr Zielinski, stated “Field study is a vital component of Geography. It allows students to experience life outside their normal experiences and learn new skills. We study real issues, which impact real people on a daily basis”.
The students will be asked a number of questions based on their field study experience in their GCSE exam, so the trip provides the opportunity for them to develop the required skills to be successful. The day included data collection activities, for example questionnaires, environmental surveys, traffic and pedestrian counts, along with visits to inner city residential areas which are seeing heavy investment due to the growth of Teesside University and Middlesbrough College. The day concluded with a group photograph in front of one of the most iconic reminders of the North East’s industrial past, the Transporter Bridge.
Woodham Headteacher, Christine Forsyth says “Educational visits are an important part of children’s education, because they make learning real. It is these experiences that students remember for years to come”.
