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Year 12 boys got to grips with ethnography – the systematic study of people and cultures – and used modern mobile technology to help their research during a Geography field trip to East London.

The two days were arranged to help the sixth-formers prepare for their A-level independent investigation, which must be based on an issue related to Regenerating Places or Globalisation. The investigation makes up 20% of the A-level qualification.

Head of Geography Emily Parry said: “These two guided fieldwork days are carefully structured to assist the boys in selecting their chosen topic for investigation.”

The first day was spent in Stratford in Newham, where they explored how the area has changed since the 2012 Olympic Games. Day two was led by Kate Amis, Widening Participation Officer at Queen Mary University of London’s School of Geography. It began with a lecture about changes in East London, before the boys went out to conduct fieldwork around Brick Lane and Spitalfields, basing their research on investigating the question, Is life in Tower Hamlets getting better?

It was a lively day, with the boys engaging in discussions about some of Brick Lane’s most famous locations, said Miss Parry. These included “the Cereal Killer Café, a well-known site for anti-gentrification protests, the Old Truman Brewery, the Jamme Masjid Mosque and the two famous beigel shops”. As well as trialling techniques new to them, such as ethnographies, they used apps such as Skitch to help them annotate field sketches.

The previous day in Stratford was led by Carlo Roberts from Urban Geography East London, an organisation offering Geography fieldwork programmes. Comparisons were made between the postcodes of E15 and E20 (the new postcode for East Village, which was the Athletes’ Village during the Olympics). Qualitative fieldwork techniques including environmental quality surveys, questionnaires and land-use mapping were conducted.

“The boys had the opportunity to explore how this area has rapidly changed and consider who has lost out, and who has benefitted, from these changes,” said Miss Parry.

For the independent investigation, A-level students are required to collect fieldwork data and write an independent report which features independent analysis and evaluation of data, the presentation of the data findings and extended writing. The written report must be 3000–4000 words long.

Boys experienced both the awe-inspiring power of nature and the man-made glories of Ancient Rome during a Geography trip to Italy.

Highlights included a walk up Mount Vesuvius – mainland Europe’s only active volcano – and a day in Rome, taking in the Forum and the Colosseum. The four-day visit also included plenty of opportunity for the boys to sample Italian cuisine in the shape of giant ice-creams and equally large helpings of pizza and pasta!

Geography teacher Natasha Cottingham said: “Overall it was a very enjoyable experience for all the boys involved. The weather was fabulous all week, which allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty of the volcanic landscape.”

The trip began with a boat ride to the scenic island of Capri, where many of the rich and famous own holiday homes. (“Unfortunately, we didn’t meet George Clooney,” said Miss Cottingham.) On their walk around the island, the boys had a close-up view of an old sea arch which has risen more than 30m because of tectonic uplift and now stands suspended high above the sea.

The following morning brought an early start as the group set off up Vesuvius before the sun became too hot. The first group of the day to reach the upper slopes, the QE party had the volcano to themselves for a little while. “Our guide showed us the sulphur gas emissions and demonstrated how the volcano is becoming more active,” said Miss Cottingham.

After walking back down, the boys tucked into pizza before heading into Pompeii, where they were given free time to explore. The evening was spent engaging in an entirely modern pursuit – ten-pin bowling.

The third day brought a coach ride to the Temple of Serapis in Pozzuoli and the chance to scramble through the caves beneath nearby Naples – another highlight for many of the boys, Miss Cottingham reports. “Our guide told us about the history of the caves, which were once an ancient Roman aquifer before becoming bomb shelters during World War II. The boys were able to appreciate the utter darkness and how narrow some of the tunnels were.”

They then had free time in the Naples Archaeological Museum, which holds many artefacts from Vesuvius’s past eruptions.

A coach ride on the final day took the group to Rome, where they enjoyed seeing the Forum and walking round the Colosseum before catching their flight home.

Sixth-formers got to grips with some high-tech tools on their mobile phones on a Geography field trip investigating gentrification in south London.

The Year 12 pupils were able to analyse the data they collected using ArcGIS software. Geographic information systems (GIS) enable users to visualise, question and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends.

The trip gave the QE geographers the opportunity to investigate the question To what extent has Northcote ward undergone the process of gentrification? The 29 boys carried out a range of human geography fieldwork techniques including environmental quality surveys, questionnaires and land-use mapping.

Emily Parry, Head of Geography, said: “As well as collecting data in their fieldwork booklets, boys collected it on their phones using the app, Survey123. It was a particularly valuable exercise as, in their AS Paper 2 examination, they will be asked questions about the fieldwork they have conducted.”

The fieldwork was undertaken in the Northcote ward in the borough of Wandsworth, along two transects (narrow sections through an area) – Wakehurst Road, a residential street, and Northcote Road, which is commercial.

“We chose Wandsworth because it is an inner-city borough that we know, from prior learning, has undergone both socio-economic and physical changes over recent decades. It is also an area that has been named in the press recently as being affected by gentrification and it is therefore a topical area of interest,” said Miss Parry.

“GIS has undoubtedly given the boys new insights and using it is a valuable skill in itself. It is just one example of the extent to which technology is embedded in subjects across the academic programme.”

Many businesses and industries are developing a growing interest in, and awareness of, the economic and strategic value of GIS, according to the Environmental Systems Research Institute.

Having built a successful career in geology, Nicholas Holgate is now devoting himself to spreading the word about the subject among the rising generations.

Since April 2016, Nicholas (OE 1995–2002) has been volunteering as a STEM Ambassador, working with schools, colleges and employers to encourage young people to enjoy and pursue the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Four months later, he became a member of the Young Professionals Committee of PESGB – the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain – for which he co-ordinates the society’s Young Professionals Mentoring Scheme.

And during the 2016 Autumn Term, Nicholas returned to QE as one of 15 old boys who gave an overview of their careers at QE’s annual Careers Convention, which is for Year 11 boys and their parents.

His fascination for geology first took root while he was studying it as part of his Geography GCSE. “Whilst I was studying for my A-levels, I discussed this interest with a number of teachers, who helped me identify ways of exploring the discipline further outside of QE. I took it upon myself, with help from others, to go to local geological societies to explore more about the subject.”

He paid tribute to teacher Malcolm Russell (Head of Chemistry and Head of Science): “Without his guidance and support, I would not be where I am today, and I owe Dr Russell in particular a huge debt of gratitude for everything that he did.”

After leaving School, Nicholas went to Bristol University, where he took an MSci in Geology, graduating in 2006. He also served as secretary to the university’s Geological Society.

He then worked for a coal-mining company based in Australia for a year, before taking an internship with Statoil in Norway. In 2009, Nicholas returned to education to study for a PhD at Imperial College London, which he completed four years later.

Since April 2014, he has been with Shell and is currently working as a London-based Exploration Geoscientist with the energy giant’s Global New Ventures operation. His work for Shell involves conducting exploration through regional geological and geophysical studies to identify new petroleum-bearing territory and guide future investment.

He explained that it is partly because of the support he received from QE teachers and partly because of the efforts he had to make as a teenager to find out about geology beyond the School walls that he is now so keen to help young professionals and students discover more about the discipline and its attendant career options. “I try to highlight and publicise the subject when I can, just in case there is a budding geologist who is fascinated by the subject and wants to know how to get into it as a profession.”

Boys relished the opportunity to sample the unique natural attractions of Iceland during a Key Stage 3 Geography trip.

During the five-day tour, pupils explored a geological environment which does not exist in the UK, visiting natural wonders including boiling mud pools, a volcanic crater, geysers, a canyon formed at the meeting point of two tectonic plates, a volcanic fissure and a geothermal power plant.

A trip to the Solheimajokull glacier even gave the boys first-hand evidence of the impact of climate change: the glacier had retreated several hundred metres since the previous QE visit three years ago.

Geography teacher Helen Davies said: “It is fantastic to be able to offer our boys the opportunity to visit such exciting and unique environments as Iceland. Throughout the trip, we heard many of the boys applying knowledge they had learnt back in the classroom at School to help them to explain the features that they could see in front of them in the field. They were clearly engaged with the subject matter, as well as having a wonderful time enjoying themselves and getting out in the great outdoors.”

Having flown in to the island’s Keflavík International Airport, the boys wasted no time before enjoying a swim in the Blue Lagoon, a natural geothermal pool, with steam rising off the water.

From then on, the trip involved packed days stretching from 9am until 9.45pm. Highlights included visits to:

• • Selijalandsfoss waterfall, where boys walked behind the cataract. “Despite getting soaked in one place by the waterfall, the boys were so wet from the rain all day that it didn’t make much difference!” said Miss Davies

• • An exhibition about the Northern Lights, during which boys learned about the chemistry of this colourful phenomenon

• • Reynishverfi black beach, with its volcanically formed basalt columns

• • Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, where a very knowledgeable guide explained to the boys exactly how such power stations work

• • A series of geothermal features seen on a single day, including mud pools where the water temperature topped 100C and a spectacular fumerole (an opening in the earth’s c rust), which was spewing out a huge amount of steam

• • Laugardalslaug geothermal swimming pool, where there were many pools heated to different temperatures, as well as slides and a basketball ring by the water

• • Reykjavik for a few hours’ sight-seeing in the world’s most northerly national capital on the final day.

Miss Davies, who led the Iceland tour, was accompanied by four other members of staff. Reflecting afterwards on the boys’ experiences, she said: “I think that memories of the trip will stay with them for many years to come.”

Year 12 pupils headed off to east London for a field trip designed to help them with their research for A-level geography.

The day-long visit took in firstly Stratford – including East Village in E20, London’s newest postcode – and then the vibrant ‘hipster’ hotbeds of Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Shoreditch.

Head of Geography Emily Parry said: “East London was chosen as the location as it is an area that is undergoing social and economic change as a result of gentrification and regeneration.”

The boys are now using the findings of the field trip to help them decide on their area of research for their Independent Investigation – a 3,000-4,000-word piece of research which makes up 20% of their A-level.

“Such research, together with the Extended Project Qualifications that many of our boys take in the Sixth Form, mean that QE leavers are well prepared for the dissertations and extended essays that they will be required to write in higher education,” said Miss Parry.

The boys were given a background briefing on each area. They learned that “East Village is a neighbourhood in east London that was designed and constructed as the Olympic Village of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and has been converted for use as a new residential district,” and that “The East End has always been recognised for the wealth of cultures represented. Spitalfields served as a microcosm of this polyglot society, the ‘melting pot’ fusion of east and west.”

Accompanied by their teachers, the boys first took the Central Line to Stratford Station and then walked around E15 and E20, taking in locations such as The London Academy of Excellence – dubbed by some the ‘East End Eton’ – and Stratford Centre shopping mall. They then had lunch in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, which is Europe’s biggest.

Among the questions they were given to consider were:

• E15 and E20. Which area has the better quality of life? What makes it better? To what extent does regeneration help to improve quality of life?
• How do the two shopping centres (Westfield and Stratford) meet the needs of different groups of people?
• How is east London being re-branded? To what extent is the Olympic Park important in re-branding each location? What further need of re-branding is evident?

In the afternoon, they took the tube to Liverpool Street, from where they explored Spitalfields Market and the surrounding streets, before heading north along Brick Lane towards Shoreditch High Street. They noted sites along the way such as Boxpark (a food and retail park made out of refitted shipping containers), Cereal Killer Café (the UK’s first cereal-themed café), the Old Truman Brewery  (an arts and media quarter) and the Jamme Masjid Mosque (an historic building which has been home to a succession of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim worshippers).

Here, the questions included:

• How and why is population changing in Spitalfields?
• How is gentrification changing places in east London? Gentrification can result in increased social and economic inequality in a place: was there evidence of social and economic inequality in these places?