1st Year trip to Newquay

The students started with a self-guided tour of the aquarium before experiencing a rock pool encounter and feeding time at the aquarium. This was to further the pupils’ understanding of adaptions and ecosystems which they have been studying during the school year. It was also the perfect opportunity to get up close to some of the rock pool creatures and to ask questions to an aquarist.

The students then put their geographical fieldwork skills to the test with a mapping exercise. This helped to assist with their latest topic ‘settlements’ which they have been studying in the classroom. This allowed students to apply the practical techniques to the real world and draw conclusions from their findings.

Speaking about the trip Head of Biology, Miss Finnegan, said,

“The pupils learn a great deal from this trip as well as having a thoroughly enjoyable day. Both the biological and geographical components enable students to experience how these subjects apply to elements that they can tangibly see. The questions that they pose demonstrate their keen desire to learn more. It is wonderful to have an opportunity to spark their interest in fresh ways outside of the classroom.”

Geography teacher Miss Hargraves added,

“The students were great throughout the fieldtrip and worked well together to collect insightful data that we can take back to the classroom to analyse and draw conclusions from. This was a great opportunity for the students to apply their knowledge and enjoyed it very much”

The trip to the aquarium is a springboard into a ‘Design a Marine Creature’ year group competition in Biology, which all students take part in at the end of the year. In Geography, it leads into a project that the pupils will be working on for the remainder of the year.