At the beginning of Enrichment Week 2024, Monday 1 July, our Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award participants were split into two cohorts, of 6 groups and 5 groups, to begin their Expedition Section training.

The training was provided by external providers No Limits Development and Year 1 students from Cirencester College, who are studying Outdoor Adventure Instructor Training. On Monday and Tuesday, our (new) Year 10 pupils had two days of training and an overnight camp.

One cohort did a practice walk, focusing on navigation training and map reading, whilst the in-school group concentrated on camp craft; the cohorts swapped the following day. Late on Monday afternoon, they all set up their tents to camp for the night, which took varying amounts of time!  After a night under the stars, some of our pupils described the atmosphere as "buzzing with excitement", others said that "after a long walk with a full rucksack, surprisingly, they slept really well."

Unlike in previous years, our 2024 DofE cohort were faced with the additional challenge of doing their Qualifying Expedition immediately after their training. And so, on Wednesday morning everyone gathered in Stroud to start their Expedition. Over the course of Wednesday and Thursday all 76 participants successfully managed the route and camp, supported by staff from Deer Park and No Limits Development. Despite one or two minor hiccups, everyone completed this vital element of their award in a timely and well-judged manner.

The week concluded with a recovery day on Friday, affording pupils the opportunity of completing some eDofE admin, before relaxing at Cirencester Outdoor Pool.