Twenty two of our year 11 students successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award expedition on the weekend of Saturday 23rd September and Sunday 24th September.   They had previously spent one weekend learning the skills necessary for their expedition and had completed a practice expedition when they walked from Wombourne to Kingswood – their first camping experience.

Students walked from Milford Common to Beaudesert Camp Site in Cannock Chase and back again, working in different groups to navigate through the wilderness. They had a different route back on the Sunday after they had survived a night camping and cooking their dinner and breakfast at camp before sitting around the campfire. Over the two days students walked slightly under 20 miles and had to carry everything they needed to survive on in their rucksack. The temperature dropped on the Saturday night but on the whole the weather was a good walking temperature –  a complete contrast to the sweltering sun they had experienced during their practice expedition.  All groups worked brilliantly and showed great team spirit and determination taking a few wrong turns in very hilly terrain on board. They made excellent time on their walk on the Sunday, spurred on, no doubt, by the thought of home comforts at the end of the expedition.

They now need to complete a physical activity and learn more about volunteering skills, after which they will have completed their Bronze Award.

Well done to Bilal Aslam, Alyssa Capuno, Abigail Caron, Samuel Coleman, Larisa Corr, Amy Cox, Daniel Elrington, Rhian Cullen, Caitlin Grady, Bethany Henshall, Kaviraj Kumar, Daneille Lim, Julliana Mejia, Roisin Murphy, Ciara Nicholls, Marianne Peralta, Barbara Poczatek, Sandeep Sehera, Lorna Shorthouse, Corrin Smith, Sophie Tudor and Seren Young.