DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

A new format for the Bronze DofE Training weekend was trialled in March. Over 100 participants from the Lower Fourth spent Saturday in school being trained in classrooms about the countryside code, some first-aid essentials, how to correctly pack a rucksack for an expedition and what action to take in the event of a group getting lost or suffering an injury.

Having completed these training modules, the pupils descended on the Quad to practice erecting tents and learning how to safely operate the gas stoves before cooking some unappealing varieties of pot noodle for their lunch. The following day, the L4th arrived ready for a one-day 15km training walk in Epping Forest. Having been given some navigation instruction on the correct use of compass and map by staff volunteers, the participants continued their journey independently and most made speedy progress. The weather, whilst cold, remained dry, and many of the groups managed to complete their expedition in under six hours.

They will now use this experience to plan their own walking routes in the weeks ahead before undertaking their Bronze DofE Qualifying expedition in the White Peak District in May.