Students navigated their way from Waterhouses to Ilam over a three day expedition to earn their Silver Award within our Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme provision.

They successfully completed the 20 conditions required for this section of the award and worked together to navigate, cook, camp and keep up spirits in what was desperately poor weather. There were sodden tents and sleeping bags though the little glimmers of sunshine – alongside with Mrs Brough’s heated car seats – lasted long enough to dry things out before the next shower.

The successful student included Year 13s Myles Thain and Ben Wykes who have been waiting since their 2020 sign up to complete the expedition and represent the extensive back-log facing the Duke of Edinburgh teams around the country.

Angie Brough, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Co-Ordinator, said: “We actually had another Year 13 student due to take part but COVID took him out of the expedition. We are now plotting how he can do Gold at university, use the practice expedition as the Silver trek, before going onto the Gold assessment. If we can help get him through we will – COVID or not – and this has very much been the mission of this year’s provision.”

Matt Allman, Headteacher, added: “I have watched our staff give up weekends and nights on this, others cover multiple lessons in school to allow the numerous treks to take place, others man emergency phone lines, more still facilitate funding and planning. It has been a real team effort and when we add in Borneo, Edale, Birmingham, ‘Joseph’, Alton, Sports Day, Rewards Days, the Sizzler, Proms, and of course final exams, I can see there is an exceptional group of staff in the school.”