A group of geography students have been praised for their hard work after completing “gruelling” statistical analysis in challenging conditions.

The Year 12 students from West Hatch High School in High Road, Chigwell, travelled to Castle Head in the Lake District last week, studying and comparing two rural areas.

Looking at the impact of tourism on the area, they also studied the changes in a river from source to mouth.

Teacher Zoe Barrett said: “I was so proud of how enthusiastic and hardworking the students were.

“They totally embraced the experience and made me proud to see how they were able to transfer their theoretical knowledge from the classroom to the field.

“The students really showed they were the best they could be.”

Student Ellie Henry said: “The field trip was really good fun and I enjoyed working in groups to collect data.

“It was so enjoyable and interesting at the same time.

“We really bonded as a class.”