Geography Update

Sixth form Geography Trip to Chelsea Waterfront There are not many schools in the country that have a multi-million pound regeneration project on their front doorstep, but fortunately for us, Chelsea Academy is one of those schools. The sixth form geographers were delighted to accept an invitation to visit the Chelsea Waterfront project, which includes the redevelopment of the Lots Road Power Station. Gilbert Gehrmann, the overall project manager responsible for the management and delivery of the one million square foot development, gave us an insightful and engaging tour that included a history of the area, the need for regeneration, and what they have managed to achieve so far. We were given a guided tour of some of the new…

Sixth form Geography Trip to Chelsea Waterfront

There are not many schools in the country that have a multi-million pound regeneration project on their front doorstep, but fortunately for us, Chelsea Academy is one of those schools. The sixth form geographers were delighted to accept an invitation to visit the Chelsea Waterfront project, which includes the redevelopment of the Lots Road Power Station. Gilbert Gehrmann, the overall project manager responsible for the management and delivery of the one million square foot development, gave us an insightful and engaging tour that included a history of the area, the need for regeneration, and what they have managed to achieve so far. We were given a guided tour of some of the new show apartments, including the penthouse apartment, worth over £12 million! If this doesn’t motivate our students to work hard towards their exams, then I don’t know what will! We also found out about the high percentage of affordable and social housing on offer, and the ways in which the scheme will benefit the wider community, including creating many new jobs, as well as building two community centres and a doctor’s surgery. After unsuccessfully trying to persuade Mr Gehrmann to invest in some property in Somalia, our students returned to the Academy better educated about the local area and certainly inspired to work hard towards their summer exams!

 

Year 11 Geography Trip to Herefordshire

BMX riding, stunning beaches, night-time orienteering and hours of Geography revision – what more could you wish for on a school trip? For four days at the end of January, the Year 11 geographers got the opportunity to do all this and more during a visit to rural Herefordshire, on the England-Wales border. This proved an incredibly useful opportunity for revision as students kick start their preparations for their exams in the summer. Focused workshops studying rivers, international development, coasts and exam techniques took place, with all students working diligently and making clear progress. Students also got the opportunity to visit the stunning South Glamorgan Heritage Coastline and complete their essential coastal fieldwork. We got to examine beach profiles, longshore drift and coastal management strategies in a beautiful setting. In between the hard work, students were able to choose between a range of exciting activities including BMX, an outdoor treasure hunt in the dark, archery, an assault course and many different games. In addition to all this, highlights of the trip included seeing who could get the closest to a horse (from the safety of staying behind a fence) and playing cards to see who had to do the washing up! All students worked hard and made the most of this excellent opportunity. Hopefully this will be the start of great things to come for this cohort of geographers!

Year 12 Geography Trip to the London Docklands

On Wednesday 31st January 2018, our Year 12 geographers visited the London Docklands to explore the impacts of regeneration on the Isle of Dogs. After a museum visit to learn about the history of the area, students carried out questionnaires with business workers and local employees. They also conducted environmental quality surveys and land use surveys amongst other fieldwork strategies. Conclusions were drawn that identified the economic successes of regeneration, whilst also highlighting some of the social inequalities and challenges that are still faced by the area. Getting outside of the classroom and going beyond the textbook brings the subject to life, and should prove invaluable as students prepare for the summer AS Level exams. All our students acquitted themselves brilliantly and were a credit to the Academy.

 

Mr Joshua Coulson