We currently have a cohort of twenty-five Year 10 students working towards their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award.  Students signed up for the award in October and most should complete all of their sections by next Christmas.

The award consists of four sections – Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition, which help to develop and promote team work, life skills and experiences. All activities are undertaken after/out of school.

Many of the students are currently active on their Volunteering in local charity shops and working on their Skill section in an after-school Cooking Club.

Training for their Expedition is after school each Wednesday – when students develop planning, map reading, navigation and camping skills. They put these in to practice through Day Hikes and a Practice Expedition before completing their Qualifier (which is independently assessed).

So far, the students have completed three Day hikes in local countryside areas – experiencing sunshine, heavy frost and more recently a lot of mud. As well as their personal gear they carried team equipment, including cookers to make hot drinks with their lunch. On the most recent hike the students saw plenty of deer and birds of prey on their journey.

Planning is now underway for their Practice Expedition which will include a day of hiking and an overnight camp – students will be self-sufficient during this time. This will be followed by their Qualifier in late April.

This programme would not be possible without the help of our volunteers donating their time to help the students achieve the award – these include current and ex members of staff to whom we are extremely grateful.

Chris Davis & Steve Briscoe

D of E Leaders