14th December 21
At the end of November, the A level Biologists in Years 12 and 13 headed off to Flatford Mill in Suffolk – Constable country – for their Ecology field trip. The purpose of the trip was to complete all of the ecology parts of their course including sampling techniques, understanding succession and data handling including statistical tests and how to apply them.
The photos show some of the techniques they used to sample the habitats including random sampling and systematic sampling along a transect. On Tuesday evening we set some Longworth small mammal traps and the next morning the pupils were delighted to see the three voles and two mice that we caught. After experiencing the rocky shore, the saltmarshes and the ponds and rivers around the centre they devised their own study which formed one of their core practical activities for the A level qualification. An intensive but very productive four days.
Phillip Price, Head of Science