Between Friday 28th June and Monday 1st July, the year 12 A level Geography students conducted fieldwork in Swanage, Dorset.

After arrival, students went straight to Swanage beach to get familiar with their fieldwork techniques and use the equipment. They investigated the effectiveness of the coastal management at the coast.

On Saturday, the students went to the National Trust area of Studland Bay and investigated sand dune succession. This involved doing a transects along the length of the sand dune, analysis the pH of the soil, infiltration rates, vegetation cover and change in angle. The students then did a 3 hour walk back to the centre and looking at the landforms created by coastal erosion including with the world famous cave, stack and stump formation which was Old Harry and his Wife!

On Sunday the students looked at coastal management the council had implemented to protect the area. Students carried out beach profiles (looking at the angle of the beach and how destructive the waves are), wave count, groyne profiles (to look at the rate of longshore drift) and direction of the waves (which was difficult to measure as a seagull stole the apple which is used as a floating device to measure this!).

In the afternoon, students looked at the land use of the town and conducted questionnaires. It was a fantastic weekend (with superb weather!) which students really enjoyed and will use all the data they have collected to write an individual investigation as part of their A level course.

Miss S Hollis