Case study 6: Participating in local change Barking Abbey School, Barking, London Year 7 Autumn term 2008

(1) What was the department trying to achieve? The geography department at Barking Abbey has a well established programme of fieldwork. Fieldwork provision is seen as a strength of the department. The department recently adapted its curriculum to a two year Key Stage 3. With limited time available, the department felt a need to engage students early in Year 7 and to make a ‘baseline’ assessment of a range of skills and understanding in the subject. With the local park being redesigned and refurbished, the department saw an opportunity for developing: –a local investigation making use of fieldwork skills –application of Geographical Information Systems –‘real and relevant contexts’ by using the Park Ranger Service and adapting the Green Flag criteria used by the service. –student voice in a geographical context by encouraging students to ‘have their say’ on this issue.

(2) How did the teachers organise the learning? The teachers researched planned changes to the park area next to the school A preliminary visit was used to identify specific sites of interest Students investigated the park using GIS software before their visit The Park Ranger was invited to talk to students after their visit

Strategy 1: using the local context Who uses this area? How could it be improved? Would you play here? Is it safe? The preliminary visit was used to identify specific areas of interest to young people or areas earmarked for change. These included play areas, a skate park and a boating lake. Students were encouraged to share their prior knowledge and opinions about the park and how it should change. The teachers generated questions to prompt students to consider the issues at each location during their visit

Students investigated the current features and lay out of the park using GIS software before their visit. They used their own knowledge of the park to identify some areas of interest/in need of improvement Lower School Sites of interest Source: Digital Worlds Strategy 2: investigating with GIS

Strategy 3: providing real contexts The students were encouraged to tackle the real issues in their local park They researched the Green Flag scheme (a ‘kitemark’ for green spaces). They applied the official Green Flag criteria to their park to find out how it needed to be improved and to gain Green Flag status

Strategy 4: encouraging student voice Student proposal for the park After their visit, the Park Ranger visited the school to give students more information about planned changes and to hear their views Students presented their ideas about specific features of the park. Park Masterplan extract

(3) How well did the teachers achieve their aims? The teachers surveyed students at the end of the investigation 100% of pupils agreed that the field work was an enjoyable experience (44% agreed strongly) 65% found the visit from the Park Ranger interesting

Nearly 85% of students said they enjoyed presenting their own ideas for the park, as part of a group assessment 93% agreed that the unit was an enjoyable one (nearly two thirds ‘strongly’ agreed).

Student presentations included recognition of a range of needs in the park Students began to take account of the Green Flag criteria for a ‘successful’ park and build these in to their proposals They were able identify how specific places within the park could be improved Student proposals for the park

The department self-evaluation of the unit recognised: a need to develop better use of mapping through GIS as part of student ‘outcomes’ the potential for students to explore their own feelings and responses to the park environment before undertaking the ‘enquiry’ aspect of the work the opportunity to make a more formal input of students’ ideas to the park authorities and encourage ‘active participation’ for students