GCSE field trip to Norfolk - 29th April to 1st May 2013

We are rapidly approaching the time for the Norfolk Fieldtrip. I will continue to post information up here about the trip as I receive it. At present I cannot tell you about the rooming allocation, but will do so soon. You can prepare by starting conversations with others about who you may wish to share rooms with.
UPDATE: I now have rooming information. Girls need to organise themselves into groups of 4, though there is one room of 6. The Boys dormitories we have been given are quite large this year (ranging from 10 people in a room to 14). If you give me groups of 4-6 I can then put two groups together. Alternatively, if you think you can get enough people together for a whole room then do so and pass either to your class teacher or Mr Spooner as soon as possible, hopefully by the end of the week (19th April)

All food is provided for you, though you will need to have money or a packed lunch for the journey down.

We are due to leave at 9.00am from Upper school on the Monday, so you should be in school at about 8.40am so we can get everything sorted before boarding the bus.

The sort of things you will need to bring are:

Sensible clothing. Layers of clothing are better as they can be taken off or added depending on the weather. The coast can get windy and you should make sure you have enough warm clothing. If you have waterproof clothing that could be useful. Jeans tend not to be the best things to wear as if they get wet they will be uncomfortable.
You will be walking about the coastline, so sensible foootwear is needed. If you have walking boots then bring them.
You should bring toiletries (toothbrush/paste, deodorant, shower gel/soap and a towel etc).
It would be useful if you could take photos, but the school will be providing photos when you return that you can use in your controlled assessment.
If you do take any valuable items then you should be aware that it is at your own risk. The last time we visited the centre there were no locks on dormitory doors.
You should bring pens and pencils.
Remember, that it is vital that you know exactly what is going on during the trip and that you are part of all of the data collection process as you will be examined on these when we return and you will not be given much (if any) help. The 2000 words that you write will be marked and is worth 25% of your final grade.

Ask your teacher if you have any questions.

FIELDTRIPS - Norfolk (GCSE) and Cornwall (AS Level)

AS trip to Cornwall, Constantine Bay

A quick reminder for all Year 10 and Year 12 students and parents - reply slips, payments and medical forms need to be returned need to be returned as soon as possible for these trips.

The final payment for the GCSE trip is 7th December 2012, though earlier payment would be appreciated.
The A-level trip has a deadline of 30th November 2012 for the initial payment.


If you have misplaced your medical form then you can download one by following this link

Year 10 students measuring beach profiles in Norfolk

Both of these trips are essential parts of the course.The data collected on the GCSE trip to Norfolk will be used to write a controlled assessment that is now worth 25% of the final GCSE grade (changes made to the syllabus this year). The information gathered and the experience of different fieldwork techniques for the A-level trip will be helpful when students sit their Unit 2 exam in the summer.

Of course, an additional benefit for both trips is the idea of developing independence and the ability to mix and work with others. Building team skills and confidence is an important part of the fieldtrip experience, as well as learning about Geography.

Norfolk Trip - Rooming information

Don't forget to read the previous post as it tells you about kit-lists and such like. This post is simply about the number of people per room. You should organise yourselves and speak to each other about who you wish to share with. You can share with people from other classes, but just make sure that when you hand me your list of names that (1) everyone on the list has agreed to be in your room (I don't want to have peoples names appearing on more than one list) and that (2) the list is not a list that will make me go "oh no, I don't think that would be a sensible combination of people" - use you judgement and common sense on this matter!

The Girls - one corridor in a building called "Bailey". Not the easiest or best of rooming for you, unfortunately:
Room 14 - 10 girls
Room 12 - 10 girls
Room 10 - 10 girls
Room 9 - 8 girls
Room 2 - 12 girls

The Boys - two different areas (one called "Irwin" and one called "Hope"). Much smaller rooms than the girls.
Irwin Room 2 - 6 boys
Irwin Room 3 - 8 boys
Irwin Room 4 - 4 boys
Irwin Room 5 - 6 boys
Irwin Room 6 - 4 boys
Irwin Room 7  - 4 boys
Irwin Room 8 - 6 boys
Irwin Room 9 - 8 boys
Hope Room 2 - 4 boys
Hope Room 3 - 6 boys
Hope Room 4 - 4 boys
Hope Room 5 - 4 boys
Hope Room 6 - 8 boys

Year 10 Fieldtrip - Norfolk (30th April to 2nd May 2012)

We are rapidly approaching the time for the Norfolk Fieldtrip. I will continue to post information up here about the trip as I receive it. At present I cannot tell you about the rooming allocation, but will do so soon. You can prepare by starting conversations with others about who you may wish to share rooms with.

All food is provided for you, though you will need to have money or a packed lunch for the journey down.

We are due to leave at 9.00am from Upper school on the Monday, so you should be in school at about 8.40am so we can get everything sorted before boarding the bus.

The sort of things you will need to bring are:

• Sensible clothing. Layers of clothing are better as they can be taken off or added depending on the weather. The coast can get windy and you should make sure you have enough warm clothing. If you have waterproof clothing that could be useful. Jeans tend not to be the best things to wear as if they get wet they will be uncomfortable.
• You will be walking about the coastline, so sensible foootwear is needed. If you have walking boots then bring them.
• You should bring toiletries (toothbrush/paste, deodorant, shower gel/soap etc).
• It would be useful if you could take photos, but the school will be providing photos when you return that you can use in your controlled assessment. 
• If you do take any valuable items then you should be aware that it is at your own risk. The last time we visited the centre there were no locks on dormitory doors.
• You should bring pens and pencils.

Remember, that it is vital that you know exactly what is going on during the trip and that you are part of all of the data collection process as you will be examined on these when we return and you will not be given much (if any) help. The 1200 words that you write will be marked and is worth 15% of your final grade.

Ask your teacher if you have any questions.

World population reaches 7 billion.

When this blog started about 2 years ago, I put a population counter clock in the corner of the page. It read 6.2billion. That figure has now officially hit 7 billion and there has been a lotwritten about what this rapidly rising population means for the future of the world. Below are sme links to articles that will be useful for you and your studies.

Click here to be taken to The Guardian site where they have a large number of articles about the issue. You can enter your date of birth and find out the population of the world when you were born. There are some interactive maps and resources to help you understand what has happened and why.

Click here for a podcast about population growth, questioning whether lots of people is necessarily a bad thing

The BBC also has a large section on the world at 7 billion. Agains you can get an estimate of what umber person you are out of the 7 billion and read information about how they have calculated the population of the world and how we could control it.

Pakistan Floods

At least 369 people have died and 700,000 are living in refugee camps because of flooding in southern Pakistan, the country's national disaster authority said Thursday.

The flooding in Sindh province has destroyed 1.5 million homes in 41,000 villages, the government said. About 8.2 million people have been affected. Along with the deaths, more than 740 people have been injured.

About 67 percent of food stocks have been destroyed and nearly 37 percent of the livestock has been lost "or sold to avoid loss," Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said earlier this week.
"At least 5 million surviving animals are at risk, lacking feed and shelter and facing increased exposure to debilitating diseases and worm infestations," Byrs said.
The United Nations' World Food Programme has been distributing food to thousands of people.
More than 6,000 schools have been damaged by the floods and 1,363 education facilities are currently being used as relief distribution sites in Sindh, officials said.


Click on the title to be taken to more details and some video footage from the Telegraph.
Click on the photo to be be taken to more images of the flood.

Over 100 dead and thousands suffering from effects of Cholera in Haiti

It's been 9 months since the devestating earthquake that hit Haiti in January. Although the story might not be in the news headlines as often now, thousands of people are still living in tents in temporary camps.
An outbreak of Cholera has killed 135 people and the fear is that if the disease spreads to these camps, then many more hundreds or thousands will also die. This shows how the effects of earthquakes can be felt for long periods after the actual disaster.

Click on the post title to read the full story and watch the latest video news from Haiti

Typhoon Megi leaves 200,000 homeless in Philippines

Typhoon Megi is gathering strength and heading towards southern China, meteorologists said, after leaving 200,000 Filipinos homeless.

The severe storm left a trail of destruction in its wake after hitting the northern Philippines on Monday.

Officials there said at least 200,000 people remained homeless with the cost to infrastructure still unknown.

The storm is described as the worst in many years, but predictions vary about where it will make next landfall.

People in the Chinese province of Guangdong and Hong Kong are stockpiling food ahead of the storm, which has been gathering strength over the South China Sea.

Ships and fishing boats have been told to stay in harbour, as Hong Kong's weather officials predicted winds of up to more than 185 km/hour(115mph).

The Philippines hit by "super typhoon"

The Philippines declared a state of calamity in a northern province after super typhoon Megi made landfall on Monday, cutting off power, forcing flight cancellations and putting the region's rice crop at risk.

A typhoon is a tropical storm. In the Atlantic ocean they are known as Hurricanes and in South Asia they are called Cyclones.

Forecasters said Megi was probably the most powerful storm in the world this year and the strongest to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Durian unleashed mudslides that buried entire towns and killed more than 1000 people in 2006.


With the storm forecast to sweep into the South China Sea, Chinese authorities have issued a disaster warning across southern coastal areas.

Megi pummelled remote coastal areas of the northern Philippines with gusts of up to 260km/h yesterday morning as it made landfall, tearing roofs off houses and bringing down power lines.

"We are marooned inside our home. We cannot go out. The winds and rain are very strong. Many trees are being uprooted or snapped in half," Ernesto Macadangdang, a resident of Burgos town in Isabela province, told DZBB radio.

Click on the title for a more detailed report or the photo for some footage of the typhoon

Year 10

Thank you for all pupils who worked hard and behaved well on the trip Monday and Tuesday. We now have data that we can use for our controlled assessment which will begin next week. This week your teacher will talk to you about the fieldtrip and how to approach your work.

I have in my possession one pair of wellington boots and a pair of girls black boots. If you didn't collect these from the coach please come and see me at some point (or they're going to end up in lost property)

Year 10 trip to Wales - weather update

Hopefully you're all packed and ready to go - don't forget to bring a pen and pencil with you. The latest weather report is that it will be dry and a little sunny with some patchy cloud, with top temperatures of around 16 degrees. So that sounds pretty positive and good weather for getting into a river - but be aware that the weather could change suddenly, so still come prepared for rain!

Click on the title to be taken to the local newspapers weather forcast.

Further advice about what to bring is a few posts down.

Year 10 fieldtrip to Wales - October 11th and 12th, 2010

Our fieldtrip is fast approaching and here are some final bits of information:


1. Rooming: Your teacher should have told you about the rooming and how many people there are in each room - get your lost of names to either your teacher or Mr Bains as soon as you can. Make sure the names of those on your list do not appear on other lists, discuss the matter with your friends fully!


2. What you need to bring with you: Bedding and such like are provided. You need to bring the following -
Toiletries (for washing, cleaning and smelling nice - for example a toothbrush or some soap or deoderant)
A towel
Clothes - a long sleeved top (in case we do any evening activities), layers of warm clothing (rather than one big jumper, it is better to have layers that can be removed if you get warm and added to if you get cold). If you have Wellies and waterproofs you should bring them. You are likely to be asked to get into the river to measure it! a change of footwear - you may find one pair get wet. Jeans aren't geat if they get wet as they stick to you, so think about suitable bottoms. Keep the shoes sensible - don't bring high heels for example. If you've got hats and gloves you may wish to bring them (remember, we're going to Wales in October!).
Pencil case, with the proper equipment (pen, pencil, ruler etc)


3. Food - Dinner will be provided (it is essential that tell us of any allergies etc on the medical form so we can warn the centre) on Monday and you will get breakfast and lunch on the Tuesday. You should have a good breakfast on Monday morning to set you up for a day of travel and work!You may wish to bring snacks.


4. Expensive items: If you bring ipods, games, camera's and other expensive items, you do so at your own risk. The school nor the centre will be responsible if anything is damaged or goes missong. My advice is not to bring expensive items......you're only away for one night and I'm sure you can live without such things!


5. Bag search: A reminder that your bags will be searched for items you shouldn't be bringing before we leave (alcohol, drugs and weapons! I'm sure no one will be bringing any of these items, but it's best to be safe and have a quick look!). We expect you to behave well when we're in Wales and remember that you are collecting information for your controlled assessment - work hard and properly!


6. GET TO SCHOOL FOR 7.00AM ON THE MONDAY!
This may seem very early for some of you, but we need to make a quick and early get away in order to get all our data collection done once we're in Wales. We will be back about 7pm on the Tuesday and you are expected to come to school as normal on Wednesday. You will not need a day to recover as it's only a short trip. You must catch up with work missed from other subjects - it is your responsibility to make sure this happens.


If you click on the title, you will be taken to the website of the Kingswood, Colomendy Centre.

Welcome back

Welcome back to school. Hopefully you have had a good rest and are ready to start working again! The blog has had some new information put on it, but will constantly be changing, with the latest Geographical news and advice/tips on how to do well in your studies.

Year 9 will be faced with an entirely new approach to their lessons and should look at the tab at the top of the page for more information.

GCSE students can find out more about their course using the tab at the top of the page as well as looking along the left hand side of the blog. The same applies for A-level students.

There are a collection of podcasts available (see tab at top of page), though these are mainly aimed at A-level students.

If there is anything that you wish to see on the blog, please mention it to your teacher and we'll see what we can do.

Year 10 Controlled Assessment

All Year 10 students are currently undertaking their controlled assessment - writing 1200 words on the question "How and why do coastal features vary along the Dorset coast"

It is vital that you attend all lessons.

There are support materials for you to look at further down the blog, on the left hand side.

Revise thoroughly before each lesson as you will not be allowed to get help from your teacher during the exam conditions. Make sure you know what the answers are, what you have to do and how to do it. Ask your teacher for help outside the exam conditions.

If you miss a lesson you will have to come back Thursday after school to catch up. This is in L13 and will go from 3.40 to 4.40pm.

Year 9 and 10 exams coming up!

Year 9 exam - on the theme of Sustainable development

This link may be of some use (although it is all about Northern Ireland) : http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/11_16/ks3geography/swf/index.shtml
There is more information about Sustainabke development, including a short video clip, further down the blog.

Year 10 exam - a decision making paper on the theme of coastal processes and management

This link may be of some use: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/coastal/

GCSE students

Year 10 - information about May's controlled assessment can be found now on the left hand panel. Please take a look at it.

Year 11 - Two items have been added for your revision. One is a powerpoint, produced by the exam board which is well worth a look. The other is a 47 page document that has revision tips and case studies in it. Some of the case studies are different to the ones you have studied, but some are the same. It is worth getting hold of this document and printing it out.