Mrs McPhail (Geography Teacher)

Once again, Year 9 students visited Castleton in Derbyshire for two days of Geography fieldwork last week (19th-20th September). Whilst driving through Sheffield, the girls saw at first hand the way in which the city has been regenerated. The closeness of the Peak District National Park to the buzzing university area is always a surprise for the girls and soon we were witnessing beautiful limestone scenery.

First stop was Ladybower Reservoir, where the girls learnt about the Derwent Valley and the way in which the dam was used to prepare the British in their attack on the German dams in WW2.

Then onward to Castleton, before a long walk around Mam Tor admiring limestone scenery and the beautiful Hope Valley. Learning outside the classroom is fundamental in enabling the girls to be able to appreciate the themes learned in class. The girls sketched and annotated diagrams and walked through the spectacular Winnat’s Pass before heading to the YHA.

Friday was another packed day, starting with Treak Cliff Cavern to see spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. Girls then visited two sites along Peakshole Water and conducted river surveys. Everyone enjoyed the chance to experience new skills and bring back plenty of information to use for the assessment back in the classroom.

We were so lucky with the beautiful weather – the girls saw Castleton at its best and all worked hard.

Jemma Oldroyd said: “Castleton was a fun and educational learning experience. Being able to see things outside of the classroom helped me broaden my understanding of geography’s relationship to real life and its impact on things that we usually see and do without questioning.”

Megan Brook added: “Castleton was an enjoyable trip, we had so much fun. It was great to see and compare the differences with Bedford, which is not hilly and does not have large spaces of greenery compared to the Peak District National Park. I loved walking up the hills, enjoying the beautiful landscape and investigating caves.”