Changing almost before their eyes: geographers see aftermath of dramatic cliff collapse

Year 12 geographers going on a field trip to investigate what shapes our coastlines received two vivid illustrations of one important factor – the weather!

Firstly, plans to take them to Flatford Mill Field Studies Centre in Suffolk for their field trip had to be abandoned because of flooding.

And when they went instead to Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, they saw a dramatic result of this winter’s intense rainfall – a large section of the Naze cliffs had collapsed on to the beach.

School Captain Tunishq Mitra, who was one of the group, said: “Our field trip was a great opportunity to do some hands-on work and develop a better understanding of our wider Geography syllabus in an enjoyable way. It was fascinating to see the complex interactions between all the natural processes we study in real time, including the partial cliff collapse.”

The group had two questions to look into on their trip:

• How do social, economic and environmental considerations influence how coastlines are managed?
• How do coastal management techniques affect coastal processes and landforms?

Geography teacher and Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald said: “With its rapidly retreating coastline – largely due to its less resistant lithology of London clay and unconsolidated deposits – Walton-on-the-Naze provided the perfect setting to investigate those two questions.”

The cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze suffer from chronic erosion and have been eroding at an accelerated rate of 3–5 metres per year in recent times. The large fall, which took place around 18th–20th January, saw 1.5–2 metres of the cliff face fall at once. It was partly captured on video. The collapse has been attributed to the combination of high tides and elevated rainfall this winter saturating the London clay cliffs.

Braving the elements, the sixth-formers carried out a wide range of fieldwork exercises, including cost–benefit analysis calculations, environmental impact assessments, beach profiling, sediment analysis and infiltration studies.

Mrs Macdonald said: “Fieldwork is an essential geographical skill – it is how we measure and observe the world. Fieldwork is the means by which geographers test their predictions or formulate new theories about the world.

“Field trips are directly applicable to careers relating to the environment, while they also help students develop some of the six qualities set out in our Boundless School Development Plan, especially being ‘sustainability-literate’.

“More generally, day trips like these provide valuable learning opportunities outside of the classroom, helping our students develop skills, such as teamwork and communication, that are vital for any number of occupations.

“The Year 12s approached the day trip with enthusiasm, positively engaging with all aspects of the fieldwork and earning praise for their understanding and work ethic.”