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Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award winners meet Prince Edward at St. James’ Palace
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a fantastic treat it was to attend the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award presentations at St. James’ Palace on Tuesday 6th October 2015. It was the first group of students from Cranford to gain the Gold Award and we are incredibly proud of them all. We were delighted so many students were able to join Executive Headteacher Kevin Prunty and me to receive their award in spite having left to attend their university courses across the UK, even as far as Durham. Gugandeep Banga, who has started university in the USA this year had been able to attend a presentation at the Palace in July to receive his award because he was leaving for the United States in August. The students all looked very smart and were suitably impressed with the Palace itself. The day started with a tour of the Palace and then some refreshments in one of the main reception rooms. It was great to be allowed into the room where William and Kate announced their engagement and the Throne Room which has welcomed many famous visitors including Nelson Mandela. The presentation itself was fantastic. The students met Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex who was very interested in their Duke of Edinburgh adventures and stories and asked them a number of questions. Mr. Prunty also got to meet the Prince.
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The guest speaker was Luke Franks who is the online presenter of X Factor and he spoke about what inspired him in his life and how he got to where he is today. Unfortunately, for security reasons, we were not allowed to take photos inside the Palace but the students had opportunities to take photos for their own use outside the Palace. It was amazing to meet so many Gold Award winners and especially impressive to hear one of them speaking to the audience about how he used his Duke of Edinburgh experiences to learn the new skill of football refereeing. He was able to train to become a qualified referee and has taken this on into his career and is now training others to be referees. He was lucky enough to referee in some high-profile football matches and has now built himself a successful and fulfilling career in football. He was very clear that it was the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme that had influenced him since he started it back in year 10 and that even through some very difficult personal situations, the refereeing that he was able to learn through the programme has helped him immensely. It was a truly inspiring event and I would recommend students from year 9 onwards to take part in this amazing award scheme which provides so many opportunities for young people that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Simon Dean (Assistant Head of School)
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