This year has seen 45 students taking on the Bronze Award as part of our well-respected Duke of Edinburgh Award – which this year saw our co-ordinator, Mrs Brough, win an award at Buckingham Palace.
The Bronze Award cohort set themselves challenges to improve their fitness, improve or share their skills, give back to the community through a range of different volunteering opportunities, and not forgetting the dedication, skill and determination to prepare, plan and navigate routes to successfully complete the expeditions.
This year students had fantastic weather for both the practice and assessed weekend navigating in the White Peak.
For both weekends students had to plan routes for their 2 days through beautiful countryside to set checkpoints. On the assessed weekend these checkpoints were critical for students as the students had to demonstrate their knowledge to the assessors.
Students planned routes that started at Longnor Village on Day 1 and finished in the picturesque village of Ilam on Day 2 with a night’s stay near Hulme End.
The assessors commended the groups on their organisation, camp raft and navigation over the two days, and were happy to pass them off for this part of the expedition section. Each team had a group aim and have gathered information and pictures so that they can present this to the leaders and parents in June to show how they have developed and this will enable them to finish off this section of the Award.
They will continue to work hard completing the skills, physical and volunteering section so they can fully complete the Bronze Award and work towards their Presentation Evening with all 45 students reflecting on their achievements before receiving their Award too.
Matt Allman, Headteacher, said: “Having been fortunate enough to take part in a weekend of activities, I could only admire the commitment of the students and the dedication of the Duke of Edinburgh team, whose planning, enthusiasm and willingness to sacrifice their own time for the benefit of the students, was massively impressive. Glorious weather, great fun, a prestigious award, but also the serious business of skills and resilience that equip all participants for later life.”
