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Environmental studies service
Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre
Pupils can visit Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre to take part in a wide range of fieldwork activities in an urban environment. Each programme is led by a qualified teacher at the centre and resources and equipment are provided. The programmes support the National Curriculum and are based on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authorities (QCA) schemes of work.
The built environment has a direct effect on the quality of our lives. Helping young people to understand the built environment, how it has changed to meet the needs of differing times and different people, how it is changing today and learning about the process of change will, it is hoped, enable them to become involved as citizens in the decision making of the future.
The programmes available at Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre are outlined below.
Geography
Year One and Two: Unit Five: Where in the world is Barnaby Bear?
Barnaby bear visit Chesterfield with his class
Year Four: Unit Nine: Town Settlements
Why did people settle in Chesterfield? How did Chesterfield develop as a settlement?
Year Five: Unit 13: A contrasting UK locality - Chesterfield.
Year Six: Unit 14: Investigating Rivers
This takes place at Holmebrook Valley Country Park, Chesterfield
History
Year Two: Unit Four: Why do we remember George Stevenson?
Year Three/Four: Unit 18: What was it like to live here (Chesterfield) in the past?
Year Three/Four: Unit 6A: Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? A Roman Case study.
Year Five/Six: Unit 12: How did life change in our locality in Victorian times?
Year Three to Six: What was it like to live in Chesterfield in Tudor times?
Art and Design
Years One and Two: Unit One C: What is sculpture?
Years One and Two: Unit Two C: Can buildings speak?
Years Three and Four: Unit Three C: Can we change places?
Years Five and Six: Unit Six C: A sense of place
Years three to six: Visiting a museum and art gallery.
Religious Education
Year One: Unit one F: Visiting a Church
Music
Year One and Two: Unit Seven: Cockles and Mussels
Using Chesterfields market sounds for inspiration, compostion and performance
Year Three and Four: Unit Nine: Market Magic. Exploring descriptive sounds.
Specialist Programmes
A number of 'special' programmes are run at specific times of the year such as "What are we remebering on Remembrance Day" for Key Stage One; A cross curriculuar Georgaphy, RE and Art day where Barnaby Bear takes his class to see the Christmas decorations in Chesterfield for Key Stage One and a Key Stage Two "Towers" day linked to the Construction Indsutry Training Board (CITB) Bronze Award focusing on Design and Technology contruction skills.
How the Day Programmes Work
Charges: A full day programme taught by centre staff costs £4.25 per child. A discount to £4.00 per child is available if your booking is taken the term before your visit (Autumn, Spring and Summer).
The cost includes a pre-visit for staff, all resources, fieldwork equipment and full teaching by the centre staff. A non-returnable deposit of £20 per visit date is payable on confirmation of booking.
Visiting Staff: Visitng staff have a free place ratio with at least four adults per group applying. We operate the following ratios so that pupils can achieve the maximum benefit from their fieldwork activities.
Nursery/Infant Schools - One:Four
Primary/Junior Schools - One:Six
Secondary Schools - One:10
Groups with special needs - by arrangement
Pupils work in groups with their adult helpers who are expected to take an active part in the day.
A free planning meeting for teaching staff and adult helpers is available so they know what to expect.
Risk assessments have been carried out for all of our programmes. Copies are provided to help your planning arrangements.
Timings: The days are designed to start at 9.30am and finish at 2.30pm. The classroom is available for groups to eat their packed lunches and a drink and biscuit is provided during morning break time.
Learning Outside the Classroom
If you are unable to visit Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre we can still assist! If you are planning a locality study combining hisotry and geography we can offer a limited number of 'class fieldwork days'. This involves a day of fieldwork activities that have been tailor made to the needs of your class and delivered in the immediate locality of your school.
The class will be divided into three groups and with the help of a teaching assistant or parent be taught by our Education Visits Leader through a rolling programme of out of classroom fieldwork activities. This will culminate in a whole class feedback session.
This could include:
mapping land use
traffic and transport surveys
introduction to map and compass work
carrying out a questionnaire with members of the public
data collection, recording and interpretation
These programmes of fieldwork are linked to the National Curriculum and QCA schemes of work and cost £200 which includes:
a pre-meeting with the class teacher
a risk assessment of all activities
planning, prepartion and a pre-visit to the locality
all resources to be used on the day which you keep for your own use
delivery of the day programme of fieldwork and classroom activities
Resources
A Key Stage 2 school’s education pack called Designing Sustainable Neighbourhoods is available free to Derbyshire schools. This is available from Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre or can be downloaded from the page on the left. This resource pack provides the opportunity to teach young children about their local environment and education for sustainable development.
For more information
For full details of any of the programmes above, to book a visit or for any other queries please contact us during term time on telephone/fax number 01246 208267, email environmentalstudies@derbyshire.gov.uk or write to:
Chesterfield Urban Studies Centre
Market Hall
Market Square
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
S40 1AR
