Duke of Edinburgh Expedition

On 13–14 July, 21 Year 10 students took on their Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award qualifying expedition, walking approximately 12km each day from Chalfont St Peter to Beaconsfield - and back - in what can only be described as very hot conditions!

The expedition began with an enthusiastic group of students setting off with their maps, compasses and fully loaded rucksacks. With the temperatures already rising, an early start was essential, and the students quickly put their navigation skills to the test as they made their way along the route. Using maps and compasses, they were responsible for finding their own way and working together as teams - with staff supervision at appropriate check points along the route.

The heat certainly provided an additional challenge. Regular water and rest breaks were needed throughout the day, although some students perhaps became a little too enthusiastic about the resting part! Despite the temperatures, everyone showed determination and continued to make progress towards the campsite at PACCAR.

Arriving at camp brought a whole new set of challenges. The students had to put their expedition skills into practice by setting up their own tents, preparing their evening meal and washing up afterwards. Pasta was on the menu for dinner - although some teams discovered that cooking outdoors is not quite as straightforward as it looks, with a few unfortunate pans of rather firmly burnt-on pasta providing an unexpected test of their washing-up skills!

After dinner, the students had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the campsite. There was time to explore the site and, naturally, several competitive rounds of Monopoly Deal. While this was an important part of team morale, it did make the early start the following morning somewhat challenging!

Breakfast was a hearty bowl of porridge before the tents were packed away and the teams set off once again. The second day brought another approximately 12km of walking in the heat, with tired legs beginning to make themselves known. The contrast between the enthusiastic faces at the start of Day 1 and the considerably more exhausted faces approaching the finish on Day 2 was quite something!

Along the way, some students also took the opportunity to visit a local church, stopping in for tea and biscuits, adding an element of interest and exploration to their journey. More importantly, the expedition gave them the opportunity to develop the skills that sit at the heart of the DofE programme: teamwork, navigation, self-reliance, resilience and problem-solving.

Completing a Bronze qualifying expedition is no small achievement, particularly in such hot weather. The students had to work together, look after one another, navigate independently, carry their own equipment, establish a campsite, cook their own food and then get up and do it all again the next day. By the end, tiredness was certainly evident - but so was a real sense of achievement.

A huge well done to all 21 students for completing their Bronze qualifying expedition and embracing the challenges along the way. They should be proud of the resilience, independence and teamwork they demonstrated.

Our thanks also go to the staff who supported the expedition: Miss C Kelly, Mr A Saman, Miss K Jacobs, Mr C Spoor and Mr A Wooton and to Miss Evans-Brown for leading the event.