Over the weekend of the 25th March, the students of Rosebery School successfully completed their practice Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition.

This involves a hike, and staying for two nights in a tent, which they must assemble themselves. In groups of at least four they plan a route, assessing the environment and the challenges they may face along the way. They then cooperate, helping each other cook food and carry the equipment necessary. In the case of Rosebery School, this expedition took place in Eastbourne.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award (often shortened to DofE) was founded in 1956 by Prince Phillip. At first it was solely open for boys aged 15-18, but in 1958 it was opened up to include girls. To date, Prince Phillip has awarded over 500 Gold Awards to young people. Each year there are around 300,000 young adults aged 15 and over who participate in the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, which increase in difficulty respectively.

Freya, 15, who took part in this practice expedition, said, “I did really enjoy it, the weather was lovely. It was fun, and we didn’t get lost. It is definitely worth doing this practice, so that you don’t fail the real expedition, which is possible if you get too lost or complete it too slowly. I would definitely recommend it, it’s very fun and you get to go camping with your friends, and it looks great on your CV. On the first day, we walked for 7 hours, travelling 15 miles, and on the second day we walked for 6 hours, travelling 10 miles.”

To all DofE participants, good luck and enjoy!

Amy Pickard, Rosebery School.