Assessing Land Use In Southsea

Year 4 spent a day in Southsea assessing different types of land use along this varied and developed coastline and investigating its historic aspects.

Our trip began at Southsea Castle, designed and built by Henry VIII to protect the the coast from invaders. Children spent some time looking at the design and history of the castle and how it has changed over hundreds of years, attempting to answer a number of investigative questions about the structure by using the resources available in the visitor centre.

The weather was perfect and this made sketching South Parade Pier a particularly enjoyable experience on the warm stony beach. In sketching the pier, children were looking for details specific to the pier that make it a unique feature of the Southsea coast.

Having sketched the pier, children asked a number of people along the seafront for their views about the future of the pier. Questions included:

• do you think the pier should be opened again?
• what sort of entertainment should be provided on the pier?
• should food and drink be available on the pier and if so what varieties?

Everyone who answered our questions was very friendly and expressed many different views. Children will be analysing the results of our survey in class.

Finally, everyone walked along the promenade to Clarence Pier and made comparisons between this and the South Parade Pier. Children made a note of the different kinds of shops and services available at Clarence pier - more data that we will be using in class.