Our Duke of Edinburgh's Award pupils in Year 9 (Bronze) and Year 10 (Silver), embarked on a challenging but rewarding expedition weekend on the 15th-16th June.

After school on Friday 14th June, our Year 10 DofE group headed off to complete their practice expedition, (a requirement of the Silver Award), and set up camp under clear blue skies. Breezy conditions added an element of challenge when putting up the tents, but the pupils were in fine spirits. On Saturday morning they set off for Fremington Edge to practice navigation skills, such as pacing, taking a compass bearing and map reading. They worked incredibly hard and their resilience shone through as they successfully navigated back to camp, albeit drenched!

For our Year 9 Bronze Award group, this was their first Risedale expedition. They departed on Saturday morning carrying everything they needed for the weekend in their packs. One of the requirements for each DofE expedition is that they should be entirely self-sufficient. They navigated from Richmond to Marrick, gaining confidence as they went on,  via the notorious Hudswell Steps, towards Downholme and finally to their campsite. Fin Miller deserves a special shoutout for his exceptional navigation skills, but the entire group impressed with their team spirit, singing and positivity.

When they arrived at the campsite, the rain was torrential and wind speeds had increased, but they still managed to put up their tents and cook a meal on a camp stove. Living in Catterick, army ration packs were top of the menu! Fuelled by their campsite feast the pupils settled down for the night in their tents.

Sadly, the rain did not let up, it was impossible to stay dry, and the temperature had dropped unseasonably low. To make sure that everyone remained safe, we had to make the difficult decision to abandon the expedition and return to Catterick early.

We are incredibly proud of the determination and resilience displayed by all our Y9 and Y10 DofE participants. They are true heroes! Plans are underway to ensure Year 9 can complete their qualifying expedition, and Year 10 will have the opportunity to finish their practice before their assessment in July, hopefully with more sunshine on their side.

A big thank you goes out to Miss Burke, Mr Carter, Mr Cornforth and Mr Higham for dedicating their weekend to supporting these amazing pupils.

Mrs Hailwood - Senior Teacher and DofE Leader