Duke of E din b urgh’ s Award
Gold
Bronze
Qualifying Hiking Expedition
Snowdonia Qualifying Paddling
Expedition River Severn
Gold DofE this year returned to southern Snowdonia
for the hiking qualifying expedition. There were 15 to
20 kilometres to hike each day and with a good deal
of ascent thrown in, we quickly found it pretty tough
going with one group having to pull out by lunchtime
on the first day with knee injuries. The hard work was
worth it, however, for the amazing views and great
team camaraderie. Job well done. Thanks, Snowdonia. During the May half-term 20 Lower Sixth students
went to the River Severn with one goal: passing their
Gold DofE qualifying paddling expedition. This is only
the second year that we have offered paddling for
Gold expeditions, and numbers have already doubled.
The River Severn was surprisingly beautiful, interesting
and fun to paddle, though the routes were an average
of 10km longer each day than last year, and water
levels lower, so we earned our success. The campsites
were also nice, apart from the ‘wild’ campsite at
Atcham that we were sharing with sheep and their
odours! All in all it was a great expedition and all
groups were successful in passing.
Qualifying Paddling
Expedition River Drava,
Croatia
For the first time this year, the school took a Gold
DofE expedition abroad. Eleven Year 12 students
travelled to Varaždin, Croatia, at the beginning of
May half term. The canoes we were using were slightly
different to the ones we’d used on the practice
expedition so they took some getting used to.
The four days on the river presented some wonderful
scenery, solitude, excitement and companionship
and we luckily avoided any international incidents
as we weaved our way back and forth over the
Croatian-Hungarian border! Having successfully
completed the qualifying bit we were treated with a
celebratory dinner on the last night. A fitting end to
a brilliant expedition.
Simon Hall
We set out for our Bronze DofE qualifying expedition
to the South Downs with a sense of slight trepidation
yet a definite excitement. The scenery proved to
be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the whole
expedition, with our activity being made even more
pleasurable by the stunning countryside. Other than
being woken at five in the morning by what felt like
thousands of rooks, the camping was an incredible
experience. We were staying at a small, independent
campsite where, as well as – most importantly – being
able to prepare and eat our food, we could relax and
chat while enjoying the lovely weather.
We would urge any student to do their Bronze DofE
award, as not only is it an incredibly fun two days but
teaches you vital teamwork and perseverance.
Naomi Jennings and Amy Thomas, Year 10
IN 2016-17 Sevenoaks students completed:
3107 hours of learning a skill
3016 hours of physical activity
3432 hours of volunteering in their local community
The social value of these hours is £13,899
*DofE statistics
Vital teamwork and perseverance
102
TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2016-2017
103