Geography PGCE Field trip to Royal Geographical Society

Trainees studying on our Secondary Geography PGCE recently went on a day trip to London during their inter-placement period to develop their fieldwork skills and understanding of how to use data.

Students had just returned to university after successfully completing their first phase of school-based training. The session was part of a two-week programme packed with inputs and workshops around professional and education studies where trainees are able to reflect on their progress so far and explore more complex areas of the curriculum and teaching.

The day included a visit to the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) where trainees attended a talk about the resources and support that the RGS can offer to them and qualified teachers, as well as a chance to explore the archives and experience a collection of historical artefacts from expeditions to the sources of the Nile, the Artic and Everest.

Course leader, Sharon Riley said “The RGS visit provides resources and helps them to understand how the RGS can support their development as trainees, as NQT’s and the development of their students.  The archives provide a unique opportunity to see some of the many artefacts that the RGS has from previous expeditions – it was nice to see some female explorers”.

Trainees also visited the redevelopment of the Kings Cross site, where Google and YouTube offices are based. Working in groups, trainees evaluated the success of the redevelopment and discussed ideas how the area could support fieldwork for KS3,4 and 5. They looked at how the development had changed and how successful it had been as a regeneration project.

One of our trainees thought the visit was “a real opportunity to explore the idea of ‘place and space’ and how urban areas can be used to provide field work. The Google and YouTube offices will really engage pupils and help them to understand how urban landscapes are changing”.

Sharon said “The Kings Cross redevelopment is a really good example of regeneration and the opportunities and barriers that it creates it would be a really good urban fieldwork location”.