It’s a cold, rainy and a bit dreich at this time of year, but the outdoor learning team kept busy with school classes until the last week of term. For some groups that’s not a challenge at all. So long as pupils are wrapped up warm, they’re happy to stomp around the woods and river. However, with geography river studies where you need to get into the river to collect data, field studies can become a bit more challenging.
For schools collecting data for senior stage geography assignments, pupils need to measure river width and depths at different intervals, as well as gradient and velocity. To do this you really need to cross the river. Many of you will have seen (and heard!) our classes along the river bank: young people in waders whooping at oranges as they release them into the water to time how long it takes for them to travel ten metres before catching them with nets; or pink arms emerging from the water with stones to measure bedload.
It’s hard work, a lot of fun (or so we think), and a great way to get to know a river. But in winter we’re very careful to take extra precautions to make sure pupils stay safe. We continually monitor river levels at Murrayfield to ensure the river is at or below our cut off level for safe entry; we choose sites that are less challenging to cross; we require all pupils crossing the river to wear a life vest and use a wading pole; and we provide insulated gloves, warm socks and waterproofs to keep pupils warm.
We also have ways to modify the river study so the pupils don’t have to cross the river if the flow is too fast. We use a golf range finder to measure the width and dog biscuits to measure velocity which we don’t need to retrieve. Importantly, we check in with the pupils regularly to make sure that they are staying warm and feel emotionally comfortable. Standing in a river in waders in December can be a big step out of a 16-year-old’s comfort zone. With all these measures combined we only rarely have to reschedule the day, even in the wet, wet weather.
I like to think I see a buzz and a sense of pride in the eyes of the pupils as they return their waders at the end of the day. Of course, they’re always thrilled to get back into their own shoes and in the warmth. But at the same time you get the sense that this was a school day they’ll remember.
