CEC celebrates new curriculum with Maritime Showcase

Cowes Enterprise College’s new Maritime Futures Curriculum launched this term, with all Year 7 students taking part in a Geography project applying their core learning of coastal erosion to the northern coastline of the Isle of Wight with the ultimate aim of answering the question: Is Coastal Management in Cowes effective?

The Maritime Futures Curriculum aims to embrace Cowes’ rich local heritage and place demanding academic concepts and techniques into ‘real life’ settings using close ties with the maritime industry.

To contextualise their learning, all students in Year 7 at Cowes Enterprise College took part in a boat trip along the northern coast of the Isle of Wight to observe and make strategic notes on the different coastal features combating erosion. They were guided on board by the expert knowledge of the Cowes Harbour Master and Nigel Harley from Harley Race Yachts – our school’s maritime consultant.

Students have presented their findings to a variety of visitors; members of the CEC Sixth Form leadership team including the head boy and head girl, local councillors, businesses, Cowes Enterprise College governors and professionals from the Coastal and Maritime industry. This has been a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with employers and receive valuable feedback on the work they have produced. Visitors were extremely impressed with the students’ knowledge and confidence in their presentations.

As the new curriculum continues to develop over the course of the year, it is the intention to build on the successes in Year 7 and support learning in the same way in all other year groups. This is an exciting development for Cowes Enterprise College.