Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Activities Get Underway

Whilst Covid-19 and the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) have restricted the overnight element of expeditions as well as setting new challenges with planning and organisation, at Churcher’s we have been able to reschedule expeditions lost to the lockdown of earlier in the year and also add in our next cycle too, thereby keeping all our pupils busily engaged in the programme and progressing with their award completion.

• Silver training and practice expeditions took place in the New Forest in early September with 80 pupils participating. A three-day expedition with challenging navigation but glorious views and scenery.
• The Bronze training day took place with 117 pupils participating in a full day of expedition training, including map and route planning work, stove safety and cooking, tent pitching and management, first aid, rucksack packing and other key elements of teamwork and group decision making, in preparation for their expedition.
• In October, the Bronze assessed expeditions are taking place over two weekends with 117 pupils participating. Hiking in the South Downs area and travelling across Hampshire and West Sussex 16 teams of pupils travelled independently over the two days, following their own planned routes via checkpoints where assessors met and evaluated their skills and progress.
• The Gold practice will take place in half term with 50 Upper Sixth students taking part.
• The Silver Assessed Final Expedition will take place in half term with 80 Lower Sixth students participating.

Good luck to all our DofE students!