National Festival of Fieldwork 2024

Throughout the month of June, we supported the Geographical Association’s ‘National Festival of Fieldwork’ event.
The aim of this event is to encourage schools to take part by celebrating their fieldwork experiences.

This year’s theme was ‘Fieldwork for everyone’, highlighting that this essential requirement of the National Curriculum GCSE and A Level should be experienced by all.  Fieldwork creates the opportunity for a dynamic and immersive approach to learning, and it plays a pivotal role in shaping the scientific minds of students in UK schools.

Participation also allows students to put their prior knowledge into practice. By becoming active participants in their learning journey, they innately develop crucial skills such as observation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. Field studies provide a powerful context for learning, making education come alive and igniting a lifelong passion for exploration.

So, what did we get up to this month?

Salt marsh succession at Flatford Mill

The education team at Flatford Mill studied salt marsh succession with Bishop Douglass School.

Mayfield School visit Field Studies Council London

The students of Mayfield School got stuck into GCSE geography fieldwork at our Greenwich Park location.
They took full advantage of the variety of habitats and varied landscapes to help further develop their knowledge and understanding.

Fieldwork in the sunshine

Cranford School had a fantastic time at Margam Discovery Centre and had glorious weather to practice a few fieldwork techniques.

Geography NEA preparation

A group of year 12 geographers from Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys visited Juniper Hall. They gained knowledge, new skills and techniques to enable them to carry out their own investigations over the summer holidays.

Geography fieldwork at Slapton Ley

Francis Holland School visited our centre in South Devon with an A-Level and a GCSE group.

Climate Change Resources

We also launched a new collection of fieldwork resources.

As part of our commitment to teacher CPD, high quality fieldwork and sustainable education, we worked in partnership with Rob Gamesby (Cool Geography) and the Royal Meteorological Society to develop resources for teachers and students to use in schools and the local environment.

All schools in England have to produce a Climate Action Plan, and part of that action plan involves assessing the schools’ vulnerability to extreme weather, such as heatwaves, and taking actions to reduce the risk of extreme heat.

Take a look through our suite of fieldwork resources to succesfully lead your students through this fascinating topic!

Find out more

Geography Fieldwork during June

We have had an incredible month of fieldwork. Thousands of students have visited us to gain hands-on experience in fieldwork techniques and skills to benefit their learning back in school or college. As geographers, we were compelled to create a data table to show just how many students enjoyed experiences with us.

Want to learn more about geography learning experiences with Field Studies Council?

The geography fieldwork courses at our UK centres are tailored to curriculum requirements for GCSE, A Level, National, Higher, IB and lower secondary specifications and packed with relevant content.

Our expert tutors create and deliver geography experiences to suit your requirements.