College helps youngsters find their way

Youngsters at a Mansfield school got to grips with learning how to read a map, thanks to staff at Vision West Notts.

Learner coaches Lee Bunting and Jessica Bagshaw visited children at Oak Tree Primary School before the Easter holidays to introduce them to map reading and grid referencing skills.

The pupils, aged between nine and ten years, learnt about the various landmarks found on an Ordnance Survey map and discovered how to identify features such as churches, roads and rivers.

Lee and Jessica also taught the class how to read grid lines and understand scale and distance to help the children pinpoint exact locations on a map.

The day ended with a fun Easter egg hunt in the playground where the children put their new skills to the test.

Lee said: “The activity was a fun and informative way of getting the children to unlock the secrets of maps.  These skills will help them to pinpoint locations in their local area, while learning about maps will benefit them not only in finding out more about geography but also history and environmental science.

“It’s great for the college to link in with local schools and introduce pupils to new things that they may not usually have access to and we hope we can carry on this work with other schools in the area.”

Teacher Sarah Robinson added: “Lee and Jessica delivered a very informative and fun activity and were considerate of the school’s needs and the pupils’ capabilities.  I think the children will remember their new skills when reading maps in the future. The Easter theme was a nice touch – finding the eggs to save the Easter bunny who had been kidnapped!”