12th May 2020
Pupils at King Edward’s are proud owners of their very own weather station which allows them to formulate daily weather forecasts for the local area and the wider community. The station operates 24/7 collecting data even when the School is closed.
The meteorologists in the making, from Year 9 and upwards, collect and record vital data including wind speed and direction, inside and outside temperatures, humidity and barometric air pressure which is collated and used to create graphs and make their calculations. These weather forecasts can then be compared to commercial forecasts to check the accuracy of the predictions.
The weather station also provides a valuable learning tool in the classroom to investigate microclimates, the impacts of climate change and individual weather events. Pupils study weather patterns to GCSE and A-level/IB level through extended essays coursework and extension activities. In the future the School hopes to offer its data to the Met Office to help with research into climate change. There are also plans to integrate it into podcasts.
Mr Tom Campbell, Head of Geography, said, “We are proud of our weather station which enriches the learning process and enhances Geography lessons. The pupils love using it and when they understand how the data can be used it’s a real lightbulb moment. It helps them to understand how digital technology works alongside traditional methods of weather recording to provide a picture of changing weather in our local area. We are also delighted to be able to make a range of resources available to the local community. It’s accessible to everyone 24/7 via the Weatherlink website and through the app, which links our weather station to a network all over the country to provide up to date detailed weather data. During these challenging times, our pupils continue to develop their knowledge via distance learning, and this is an excellent example of how education can continue, outside of the classroom.”
The Weatherlink app is available for download at www.weatherlink.com