Field Trip

[Pendulum1]

Hi, My 15 year old daughter has been home schooled for the last 4 months and is due to sit Gcse's next June.
She organizes all her studies and gets defensive when I offer help.
I'm desperate to be involved and would like to know ideas for field trips.
I live in Maidstone, Kent. Thanks in advance, Richard

For geography?

Anything mildly educational really. Not historic sites such as castles. I suppose I use the term field trip loosely but yes she does enjoy geography.

I have asked my DD (now second term at uni) what she did in Year 10/11. I only remember her going to Iceland, but think that was probably in Sixth Form. I will get back to you when I hear more!
I also remember her doing a traffic survey, with a friend, as part of GCSE Geography but that probably isn't an option any more.

well, a random field trip isn't much good. You need to see what she is studying and then research somehtign linked. I assume it is partly to get you out and about and add variety and interest.

Fomr Kent you coudl do museums and galleries in London, there are often specific exhibitions and also some random specialist museums (remembering that museums include science and natural world)

Think about the subjects that she is doing, science? history? geography? art? music?
geography trips would usually involve taking some measurements and then working out their relevance eg surveys, rock samples, etc

There are loads of special offer and low cost things available for those doing Home Ed, worth joining a local group and asking what is available locally

Been thinking about this, and DD did a day trip to France in Year 6 (her primary did the trip every two years). DD didn't do French at secondary school, but did a Spanish exchange in Year 10 (Spanish girl came to us for a week, DD went back to her home for a week).
DD didn't do History at GCSE, but her classmates who did went on a Battlefields trip in Year 10. I think this is pretty standard, possibly in earlier years at some schools.

A field trip is usually linked to a topic the kids are studying e.g. Crime and punishment is a topic in History GCSE so ds's class are going on a Jack the Ripper tour.

The Natural History museum is great for geography and biology. We were there on Sunday, and the earth section covered a lot of topics that DD did for GCSE geography last year, including the case studies.

I also remember her doing a traffic survey, with a friend, as part of GCSE Geography but that probably isn't an option any more

Lol! My dd had to do a traffic survey, and interview passers by in a local suburb in the Summer of Yr 10. Clear to say she was not impressed

Agree with everyone else that Field trips aren't just random things teachers take a fancy to - thy are things that link in with what they are studying.

What about going to The Globe in London or to a performance at Stratford (could go for a day or two and do all the historic buildings there too) is she is studying a Shakespeare play or book ?

DD had to do a traffic survey in Wakefield for GCSE
In year 12 she did a heat island effect survey in Scarborough in freezing November wind
She will be going to New York next year as it is one of her case studies (I'm talking about A level here)

Concert at the Royal Festival Hall?
Canterbury Cathedral?
Read the Pilgrims' Tales and walk part of their route?
Dover, Deal and the Cinque Ports?
Day Trip to France
Hastings
Portsmouth Royal Dockyard

A bit further away - Chesil Beach

Lots of coastal landslidey geography stuff on coast around Folkestone

Mine counted cars, bus stops, types of house at various points distant from the city centre then analysed them in relation to urban development and expansion.
Another counted types of fern within a square thing thrown on the ground for biology.
Another did Auschwitz for RE.
I think you need to look at curriculum to see what support you could offer if you want to be specific. Otherwise just enrichment through theatre, museums and galleries, national trust /English heritage properties, concerts, visits to other areas.

For geography my DCs (different schools) look at urban regeneration in either Docklands or Shoreditch area of London, visit Lulworth Cove/Durdle door area, Cuckmere and Box Hill in Surrey.

Shakespeare at the Globe and a tour of the Globe theatre.

Visited churches/temples/Jewish museums etc

As others have said, it really depends what she is studying, and what topics are covered. When mine go on field trips, they don't just wander around the place, they have specific tasks to do, things to observe/record etc.

Thanks for all the wonderful responses. Love the idea of the Globe theatre as she is studying Romeo and Juliet! National history and science museums too.
The traffic and urban surveys seem like a great, free idea as it can be done on the doorstep. I just need to research how to relate it to urbanisation. She's definitely not interested in history. The beauty is that the trip can be random just as long as it has educational value.

Have been thinking about this question, and remember DD's geography class climbing Snowdon to investigate various issues (can't now remember what!).

any family day out has educational value.

The traffic and urban surveys seem like a great, free idea as it can be done on the doorstep. I just need to research how to relate it to urbanisation.

... and Maths/Statistics too.

Dds went to Berlin & thought it was fascinating on every level. Also Venice, Montpelier, Sorrento/Pompei. Options at school included Galapagos, Iceland, St Petersburg, New York, China & Japan.

We went to a 'new town' when we were doing our GCSEs. Like Milton Keynes. I remember because I found it so fascinating comparing it with towns that had evolved naturally over hundreds of years.

The traffic and urban surveys seem like a great, free idea as it can be done on the doorstep

but what's it for?

When I was a teacher we would visit the FSC centres for field trips - they also offer courses for families in the school holidays and for young people too although this page would suggest you need to be 16 to go unaccompanied.

www.field-studies-council.org/individuals-and-families/family.aspx

For a field study, what are you trying to achieve?

I'm a Science teacher, so it is really straightforward - you investigate how non-biological factors (abiotic) affect biological factors (biotic), e.g. Light vs plant species, or impact of human activities.

River studies are brilliant in Geography, in a similarly scientific fashion - how one factor affects another.

For drama/English Lit, you can go to the theatre and see how material has been adapted, so relate the adaptation to the original text.

Other subjects tend to be more in the lines of enrichment, rather than investigation, adding context to their studies. I, as a parent, have spent oodles on history and language trips.

I, as an orthodox teacher, struggle with the nebulous nature of Home Ed.

Thinking of my DD, who is in Y11, her last field trip, was a Biology trip to the History of Medicine area of the Science Museum. This was enrichment, rather than investigation. She is doing the IGCE specification.

Which GCSEs is she going to take? Unless there's a specific aim for a field trip it's as useful to just go to say Bluewater surely?