Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award 2026

From the 26-28th March, 19 of our Year 12’s undertook their Gold DofE practice expedition, in the Lake District. The groups performed impeccably despite cold nights, rain and high winds.

Last week, we spent 3 days in the Lake District, hiking around 15km each day. We worked very well as a team to ensure we didn’t get lost, we strengthened our physical endurance as well as our teamwork skills. We began the expedition in Ambleside, and made our way to Coniston, where we spent our first night on a campsite. We then camped the second night up in the mountains, around Coniston Old Man. The wild camp really tested us due to the unpredictable weather, which challenged us throughout the night, but we managed to complete the expedition, ending up back in Coniston. The expedition was an insightful experience, which taught us the importance of planning, teamwork and resilience. I have created so many memories with my team and am really looking forward to the assessed expedition in September!

Sophie, Year 12