This half term, students took part in the Bronze Award expeditions. Arriving on Monday morning, the students’ first task was to pack their items into expedition rucksacks. All I can say is we must have some magicians in the group with how much they managed to squeeze into their rucksacks!
The group was smothered in factor 50, with their waterproofs at the ready due to the potential downpour forecast for later in the day!
Staff made their way to the first checkpoint, and the groups started appearing in very high spirits. Water bottles were filled, and students made their way down the canal to checkpoint two. Staff continued to wait for the final group to arrive at checkpoint one. They waited… and waited… and waited. Finally, they appeared in the distance. Once their bottles were refilled, the last group set about making good speed to make up for lost time.
The next two checkpoints flew by, and the groups were well on their way to Kingsbury Waterpark Campsite, taking necessary stops along the way to rest their legs, take on fluids, and top up their tummies.
Upon arriving at the campsite, groups began to set up their tents for the night. For some, this was the first time they had set up a tent, and after receiving some instructions on how to set them up, students set about erecting the tents they had carried for over 13km. After a few tweaks here and there, we had a fully set up, fully functioning D of E Camp. The evening weather was full of broken showers, but this did not stop the adventurers from fully enjoying the al fresco cooking and dining experience of noodles, beans, and even sausages. Alongside the cooking, all 26 students had an evening of enjoying each other’s company (with an impromptu football tournament thrown in for good measure).
In what has become a Wilnecote D of E tradition, we were lucky to celebrate a birthday with cakes and matches. Making makeshift candles really made for a special and exciting evening.
At 10pm, students settled into their own tents, and before they knew it, they were woken by birds singing (or rather squawking)… the morning chorus had begun. The vast majority of students were up and out of their tents by 7:15am, with only a few trying to steal those precious extra minutes.
The smell of cooking (and maybe burning) filled the campsite as the morning sun started to warm things up. There were definitely some very interesting breakfast food choices across the group, to say the least!
Tents were packed away, bags were packed, and it was time to prepare for the second part of the journey. After doing the final checks to ensure the campsite was left clean and tidy, students left the waterpark and headed for the village of Kingsbury.
Between there and the last checkpoint in Wood End, students had to work hard on their map reading skills, which really tested their resilience.
Despite having heavy legs, blisters, insect bites, increasingly heavy rucksacks, and the odd bit of sunburn, the groups started to arrive back at The Wilnecote School.
Mr. Croydon, Head of PE and Outdoor Education, commented, “All students should be extremely proud of themselves. The distance covered on foot and being self-sufficient for two days is a massive achievement. It was so good to see them do this with a smile on their faces.”
Mrs. Ager, Deputy Headteacher and Student Enrichment Lead, said, “It really shows what fantastic young people we have in our D of E group.” Continuing to explain more about the vision for The D of E at Wilnecote School, Mrs. Ager continued, “The Duke of Edinburgh goes beyond achieving the award. Students gain so much from completing the expedition and volunteering. These are memories that will live with them for a long time to come, and will be stories that will be told at many school reunions. Following a bit of rest and recovery, I am sure everyone will look back on the experience as one to remember for all the right reasons. Well done!”
