Twenty-one boys at QE have gained their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards – little more than a year after the School offered the Award at this level for the first time.
A further three boys from the group of 29 Year 10 pupils who registered for the Award in September 2009 are awaiting confirmation that they are also entitled to their Bronze certificates and badges.
Teacher Christina Wu, who co-ordinates the Awards, said: “I am delighted that 24 of the 29 boys have gained Bronze already or about to receive the Award: this is a completion rate of 83%, which is most encouraging.”
To complete the Award, boys had to undertake an hour’s activity per week in each of the Physical, Skills and Volunteering categories and complete a two-day expedition. Two of the activities had to be sustained over three months and the third for six months.
Examples of activities carried out by the boys included:
- Physical: Cricket, rugby, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, martial arts
- Skills: Photography, musical instruments, Young Enterprise, public speaking, learning Braille, computer repair, learning Mandarin, writing articles for a rugby club match programme, chess
- Volunteering: Charity shop helper, sports and music coaching, assisting at temple/Sunday School/retirement home/NHS clinic/vet, Combined Cadet Force
Before their 15-mile expedition through Great Waltham in Essex, the boys attended four classroom-training sessions, where they learned walking skills, campcraft, map and compass-reading skills, first aid and emergency procedures. They planned their own routes, navigated themselves and cooked their own meals while camping.