Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award

On Saturday 7th June and Sunday 8th June, 2025, almost 50 Year 9 students took part in their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh assessed expedition near Chesham. Despite facing very wet and rainy conditions on the first day, the students showed remarkable resilience and determination as they navigated the challenging route.

Over the course of the weekend, the students demonstrated key skills in teamwork, navigation and outdoor survival, all whilst being assessed by mountain leaders. One student said: “Even though it rained loads on Saturday and we were all soaked, we still had a laugh — we played games and sang songs while we walked, which helped loads. We kept working on our expedition aim when we hid under the trees for a bit and waited for the rain to stop. Sunday was sunny and way nicer, and finding out that we all passed at the end was such a good feeling. I'm so proud of my team, I think we smashed it!”

The hard work paid off, as every student successfully passed the expedition, earning a significant milestone in their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award journey. The mountain leaders praised the group’s perseverance, noting how the experience not only tested their physical endurance but also built their confidence to overcome challenges. Plans are already underway for many students to continue their Duke of Edinburgh journey next year for the Silver award. Another student said "I'm so glad that I passed my Bronze expedition, it was so hard and I'm so tired now but it's all worth it now. I've loved being with my team, even though we got a little bit lost, we managed to help each other and get through it. I really want to sign up for silver now! Everyone should do DofE.”

Top highlights from the weekend included students playing Among Us whilst on their hike and trying to figure out who the imposter was; every single group getting lost in a particular field (that we won't ever talk about again); and watching some students wringing out their socks because they got THAT wet.

Miss Mackow, who led the Bronze trip said "I'm so unbelievably proud of the Year 9 students this weekend. They have all been so resilient despite the challenges they faced and it was so exciting to announce that everyone had passed! Year 8 - keep an eye out for information about doing Bronze DofE in Year 9, it's such a rewarding experience, you won't regret it.”