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Posted on: November 1st 2019
Outstanding Duke of Edinburgh Award Success at Whitmore
A new school record was set this year when twenty-eight of our sixth form students 
achieved the prestigious gold Duke of Edinburgh award. This is the “stand - out” award that colleges, universities and employers look for when employing and recruiting their next generation of employees and students. Congratulations to all involved!
To achieve this award, the students had to complete two five day expeditions on the Welsh mountains. At the start of the first expedition the students were prepared for the worst weather…it is Wales after all!!; rain, clouds, and temperatures below zero!!…but in reality the weather turned out to be brilliant. The first day started with cold dew on the tents and the sound of gas canisters being lighted to make breakfast. This excellent start to the day set everyone up for the expedition and very soon the students found themselves on the sides of Welsh mountains with the most fantastic views. During the expedition there was lots of good humour to keep the students’ spirits up; this included being chased by cows through a field and taking an unplanned short cut that extended the trip by another 2km!!
Despite the success of the first trip, the final qualifying expedition still seemed daunting
to everyone taking part. The students brought only the bare essentials for this trip; but a Bluetooth speaker did manage to sneak its way into one of the backpacks!! This time around the expedition ran without any misadventure. There was no complaining about sore feet and the students worked together to support one another, so that everyone could enjoy the final challenge. Popcorn, teamwork and good humour helped fuel the journey and the expedition was completed successfully.
Expeditions need lots of preparation; so we would all like to thank Gateway Outdoors, the company that organised the Wales expedition, Mrs Rhodes, the Duke of Edinburgh School Co-ordinator, and all of the staff who have supported us on our journey to success. We would definitely recommend taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award as it provides young people the opportunities to build confidence and resilience as well 
as a great sense of achievement.
Rushi Year 13
