Fieldwork is an integral part of the teaching at JAGS. By visiting, observing and recording different phenomena and processes, both local and further afield, the girls consolidate and extend their understanding of the subject, whilst enhancing their personal development through working as a team and making new friends.

We offer each year group at least one fieldwork experience:

Year 7 begin fieldwork at a local scale in and around the school grounds. Working in small groups the girls identify the location of a variety of unusual photographs and map them on a base map of the school. In the Summer term 2009 we took our first 4 day joint residential trip with the French Department to the Opal Coast. The girls developed their geographical skills, such as map annotation, field sketching and questionnaires (in French!).  We have returned twice.  Our most recent visit from 9-11 June 2011 was a great success.

Year 8 visit Kew Gardens in the Spring as part of their investigation of plant adaptations within different ecosystems.

Year 9, jointly with the Biology department, visit the Natural History Museum in the Autumn to consolidate their study of volcanoes and earthquakes.

As part of the new Edexcel A GCSE specification the GCSE Geographers visit the London Docklands in the Autumn Term. There we investigate the changing land use and regeneration of the area, as part of the girls work on Settlements. We contrast the southern part of the Isle of Dogs with Canary Wharf and West India Quay and experience the 30th floor of One Canada Square! In the first term of Year 11 the girls prepare for their controlled assessment (25% of their GCSE) and strengthen their understanding of coastal processes through a trip to the East Sussex coast or complete a local piece of environmental work around Dulwich.

A Level Geographers continue their fieldwork investigations to prepare them for the AQA AS/A2 Skills Papers and case studies within the AS and A2 papers. We have introduced a new one day trip for the Lower 6th to the Thames Barrier, Sutcliffe Park and Brick Lane to investigate river management and the changing socio-economic characteristics in London's inner city. There is also the annual 5 day residential fieldtrip to the Gower Peninsula, Wales during the Easter holidays, where the girls study the River Ilston from source to mouth, patterns of rural settlements in the Gower and coastal ecosystems. In addition, as part of JAGS' Bridge to A2 course, the girls visit the Olympic site and participate in a sustainability workshop with the Olympic Delivery Authority.

The Department is also passionate about providing optional foreign trips to enhance the girls geographical knowledge. Every two years we arrange a trip to either Iceland (for GCSE and A level Geographers) or Morocco (A level Geographers). These have been highly successful and great fun. Highlights of our most recent trip to Iceland (October 2010) with 49 girls include seeing  Eyjafjallajkull, which erupted earlier in 2010, a relaxing geothermal spa at the Blue Lagoon and a walk round the Eldborg volcano crater.