Duke of Edinburgh

My duke of Edinburgh practice expedition helped me improve my communication skills and boost my confidence. At first I was reluctant to socialise with my group as my closest friends were taking on the expedition in the other half of the week but after some encouragement and shared snacks I realised that the girls I was with were really nice and entertaining. The walk was tough to say the least but we persevered and completed both days with little complaint. Since D of E I’ve even gone out with the new friends I made on the expedition, and I’m looking forward to the real expedition in July. Georgia Barnes 9D I think that the Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition was quite fun but it was hard work. We were put into groups which were mixed with other forms and surprisingly we got on very well and I made many more friends. I enjoyed my experience and I also surprised myself with what I achieved. I was really good at putting up my tent and I also cooked all the meals for everyone. The trangia was difficult to set up but it soon got easier and more exciting. The morning of the practice expedition I came to school with my bag packed and then we were taken to the scout hut in minibuses and then we got dropped off at our starting point. From there we walked up hills and around lakes and through woods until we reached the farm. As soon as we saw the sign for the farm it was a sign of relief. I actually enjoyed the Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition as I was with my friends and the weather was really nice. Imy Bhad 9B

DofE Celebration Evening

The Joint Duke of Edinburgh Awards Ceremony celebrated the achievements of pupils who have completed Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. The guest speaker for the evening was Old Boy Charlie Boscoe, whose passion for outdoor pursuits has led him on many adventurous expeditions. The theme for his address was his theory that taking action is the most important thing in leading an adventurous life. His message was centred around five of his many adventures and the lessons he learned from them, charting his journey from novice to expert and on to his personal limit. He ended his address by saying, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all. Go out there, have an adventure and take action.” Several pupils also shared the achievements, large and small, that helped to define their Duke of Edinburgh experiences. These celebrated not only the expeditions but also everything they gained through the volunteering, skills and physical sections of the Awards. Students who have completed the Gold Award also shared how they spent their residential sections. On the 30th May, we set off from Bolton School on the coach to begin our Silver Practice Expedition. We first arrived at Patterdale where we collected the equipment we needed for the three days, like our tents and stoves, then continued to Coniston where we would began our walk. It took quite a while to get used to carrying our bags, as we were not used to carrying three days’ worth of food, clothes and equipment. Navigating ourselves from the coach to Coniston was at points challenging as we made a few wrong turns but quickly corrected ourselves and got back on the path. We got to the campsite, unfortunately just as it started to lightly rain, so we had to be diligent when putting up our tents to make sure the inside stayed dry. For the evening meal, my friend and I cooked pasta and tomato sauce which surprisingly was quite tasty for camping food. The second day was the most challenging as walked uphill all day but was rewarding when we got to the summit at 800m. This day really brought the team closer as we all encouraged each other and motivated the group to keep walking. Although we took a few too many long breaks, we got back to the campsite at a good time and ate our meals. The third day, we woke up just before 7am as we had to pack up the campsite and start our walk to the car park where the Bolton School coach would pick us up. This day was quite difficult as it was very sunny all day so we all got very hot and this made it harder to keep walking. As we were walking the final stretch we saw the BSS coach pull into the car park. With the little energy we had left, we ran towards the coach only to find out we had a little more to walk. Finally we reached the destination and all got on the coach back to school. Overall this experience has been very beneficial as I have learnt new skills and my friendship with people in my group has grown. Kate Hailwood 10E