Fieldwork is often carried out during residentials, as either the main purpose of the residential or as a focused activity during the experience, and many of the Learning Away schools organised fieldwork type activities during their residentials. The ‘Year of Fieldwork’, which will run over the academic year 2015-16, brings together a range of partners to celebrate these skills and opportunities and to offer support for schools wishing to develop these further.

Fieldwork can be described as “practical activities that are done or firsthand observations made in the field as opposed to the classroom or laboratory”.

Five organisations are working together to promote the value of geographical fieldwork and the range of resources, training and other support available to schools. These organisations are Esri UK, Field Studies Council, Geographical Associations, Ordnance Survey and Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

The main aims of the Year of Fieldwork are:

• To highlight examples of good practice
• To share the support that these organisations and others provide to help schools
• To encourage more schools to undertake geographical fieldwork at all phases of the curriculum
• To raise awareness of its value to geographical learning and its impact on learners
• To promote the benefits of fieldwork as a valuable and transferrable skill across a range of subject areas.

For more information about the Year of Fieldwork and how to get involved, go to www.fieldwork.org.uk

Read more about how Learning Away primary schools have delivered fieldwork activities during their residentials in these two case studies here and here.