Bronze DofE (Year 9) It is quite incredible that there is still so much rain in July. Thankfully, our Bronze qualifying expedition weekend took place on the last two days in June, and the weather was just about right. Both the Year 9 students and staff were much happier this weekend. It was warm, and at times, sunny. During this weekend, expedition groups were assessed on everything, from the planning of the routes, to how they perform as a team, to how they pitch tents, and how they cook their meals. It is perfectly acceptable to get lost, as long as they acknowledge this and find solutions. All too often, some public footpaths are hidden from view due to overgrown vegetation. As a result, expedition groups inadvertently miss them and therefore become disorientated. Equally, some entrances to footpaths can be really narrow; if groups do not pay close attention they could easily be missed. Although many groups did get lost on many occasions, the beautiful weather allowed them to stay motivated. This time, we tried a new campsite on the edge of Mereworth Woods near Borough Green – Comp Wood Scout Camp. It is a relatively small but cosy campsite with all the usual facilities. Day 2 was just as good. They all had to endure the hill that was the North Downs. Once they conquered the North Downs, their route was more or less a straight path to either Meopham Green or Trosley Country Park. Incredibly, all expedition groups left the campsite by 7:30am. They were clearly eager to finish their expeditions by early afternoon and still have an afternoon to relax. Pleasingly, there were no major dramas on the Sunday, and the last group finished by around 2:30pm. Moving forwards, the students’ next task is to have their Physical, Skills and Volunteering sections completed before having their Bronze award fully signed off. Many thanks to Miss Couves, Mr Parrott, Mrs Foulds, Mrs McLean, Mr Walden and Mr Townsend for making this weekend run smoothly.