Immersing our students in Geography, in the Swiss Alps

At the end of the Trinity term 2011, the A-level Geography students spent eight days in the Swiss Alps. Complementing and extending the AS curriculum and in preparation for the demands of the A2 course, the students were immersed in Geography - the dramatic and dynamic landscape of the upper Rhone Valley was the classroom for the week.

Centrally based in Saas Grund, the students benefitted hugely from the opportunities to visit contrasting yet equally impressive environments. Some of the highlights included standing on Europe's longest glacier, the Aletsch, and travelling to over 3000m on the Gornergrat Railway to gain impressive views of the Matterhorn. Complementary ‘Human Geography' days in Sion and Zermatt allowed the students to rehearse important data-collection skills, including questionnaires and surveys in multiple languages.

The field work, however, encompassed far more than purely geographical content. Students were challenged to work under pressure, show leadership skills and think creatively. In short, many of the enrichment and broadening opportunities now expected of both employers and of UCAS were included in the involved week.

Geography is fundamentally about people and places. It is our continuing aim to open up the subject to more students and allow them to make better sense of the changing and diverse environments in which we live. The fieldwork programme over the last 12 months (also including Hull city centre and KC Stadium, Castleton, East Coast, Whisby Nature Park and Olympic Park) has played a very important part in helping to achieve this.