29 Apr Pupils develop key outdoor skills on DofE (Duke of Edinburgh’s Award) Expeditions
As part of the Bronze and Silver levels of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (DofE) offered at Whitley Academy, students are required to take part in Day Walks to gain knowledge and understanding of key outdoor skills. These skills allow our students to appreciate the outdoors, understand the freedom and beauty of the country side, and explore this environment safely should they choose to do so.
The Bronze Walk took place in the beautiful surrounding area of Berkswell, Warwickshire, where students learned important skills such as orientating a map, matching their maps up to the land using the map key, and the ability to use tick features and a hand railing system to ensure they are on a correct navigation route.
The Silver Walk took place in another local area, this time in Kenilworth. It was a longer walk due to the higher demand of the Silver expedition. During the day students learned similar skills to the Bronze Walk, however this time they also learned how to use a compass to ensure they are on a correct route. Students took it in turns to lead the group, drawing on their newly learned skills. To be successful, students needed to display a high level of resilience, independence and confidence. These attributes were displayed in abundance by all our students.
Over the course of both Walks, students were surrounded by fields of flowers, witnessed farmers tending to their crops, farm animals and wildlife within their natural habitat, and got the chance to enjoy their lunch within this environment, whilst being given free time to roam and explore.