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South Dartmoor
Community College

Sunshine, Coastlines and Fieldwork

Glorious sunshine welcomed our Year 12 geographers to Chesil Beach in Dorset, where they immersed themselves in a range of fieldwork techniques and investigated the coastal processes shaping this incredible landscape. Everything they practised will feed directly into their Non‑Examined Assessment (NEA), with Chesil Beach providing the perfect natural classroom to build confidence, test ideas and deepen understanding — a brilliant start to their coastal fieldwork adventure.

The sunshine continued on their second day, as the group headed to the stunning beaches of Studland and Swanage to explore the processes shaping this low‑energy coastline, including a stop to admire the iconic Old Harry Rocks. From investigating sand dune succession to analysing coastal management techniques, they immersed themselves in hands‑on fieldwork and discovered just how dynamic this landscape really is.

Their learning continued the next day in Boscombe, where they shifted focus to human geography techniques and real‑world enquiry skills. Exploring themes such as regeneration and globalisation, they made strong links between the changing coastal townscape and the concepts studied in the classroom. It was a fantastic opportunity to turn theory into lived experience and deepen their understanding of human geography in action.

Their final day took them straight to some quintessential geography. From the iconic arch of Durdle Door to a sun‑soaked wander down to Man O’ War beach — complete with some essential stone‑skimming practice — it was a perfect blend of learning and landscape. A short hike up and over the cliffs led them to the sublime Lulworth Cove for their final stop, rounding off four days of hard work, big views and brilliant fieldwork. What a weekend!