133 Duke of edinburgh award students navigate the hills
MONDAY, 23RD MAY 2022
133 students have recently taken part in a series of Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, where students learnt the importance of working as a team and how to support each other when the going gets tough.
On Friday, 6th May, a group of Year 11 students participated in a practice expedition in the Trough of Bowland. During the two days, the group were challenged to make informed decisions about their kit and tents and decide which would make up the best walking groups for their next expedition based on who they gravitated towards during the two days. The students were highly focused and found the session very useful in preparation for their final assessed expedition on the 4th, 5th and 6th July 2022.
The following week, a group of Year 10 students took part in their practice expedition, walking around Rivington Country Park to Bibby’s Farm and returning the next day. This was their first expedition experience, and the students were fantastic.
Ms S Lucas commented, “I witnessed genuine care and support for each other and our students recognised qualities in others that they would not usually consider. It was a huge learning experience for them all, and it was a delight to observe 41 young people interacting, playing games (one they created was a mix of tag rugby/rounders/football), and sharing food and experiences.
“The support continued into the second day when everyone was tired and challenged by the physical effort. I experienced great resilience from all young people as they completed the walk, and they learnt the importance of working as a team and supporting each other when the going gets tough.”
From Monday, 16th to Tuesday, 17th May, 89 students took part in their final Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expedition. It was a massive effort and our fantastic young people showed great character and resilience throughout the experience. In preparation for the expedition, the students participated in after school sessions where they learnt essential expedition skills, navigating with a map and compass, putting up a tent, basic cooking skills, and dealing with emergencies.
On the first day, the teams plotted their own routes between two sites and practiced their map reading skills to navigate between the various checkpoints where they met their assessors before arriving at Bibby’s Farm Scout Camp near Chorley. The students then had to pitch their tents and cook a hot meal using camping stoves and meet their assessors to discuss their progress, what went well and what they think they could have done better. The hardship was soon forgotten as they spent their evening roasting marshmallows on the campfire they built and played ball games before hiking back to school following a different route the next day.
In total, 133 students enjoyed a DofE experience over two weeks and a further 62 students will be taking part in their Final Expeditions in July.
Well done to all our fantastic students involved for taking part, working hard and doing the right thing.
What is the Duke of Edinburgh’s charity?
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a registered charity funded by donations, Participation Places and licences. The charity works with LOs across the UK to increase opportunities for young people to gain the benefits of doing their DofE.
For young people, it’s a life-changing experience and a fun time with friends. It’s an opportunity to discover new interests and talents and a tool to develop essential skills for life and work. The award is also a recognised mark of achievement, respected by employers.