News & Headteacher Blogs

Eighty nine of our Year 9 students spent the weekend taking part in a two-day expedition as part of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Meeting at Streatley on the Saturday morning, the teams walked 12km through the countryside on one of the hottest days of the year so far, ahead of an overnight stop at Didcot. On Sunday morning, after cooking themselves breakfast and packing up their tents, they completed another 12km trek to the finishing point at Clifton Hampden.

The expedition element of the Duke of Edinburgh Award is just one of four disciplines that that students need to complete in order to gain their award. The other three involve a physical element, volunteering in the local community and learning a new skill. Some of our Year 9 students have been hosting a coffee morning in Café 6 for the Compton based, Autumn Group, which alongside serving teas, coffees and homemade cakes to the guests has involved a ‘show and tell’ of precious personal items from the students and Autumn Club members. The group’s final meet up at the end of this term will involve a game of bingo!

The Downs School has been offering the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh scheme for the last eight years, during which time an incredible 200 students have gained their awards which is a phenomenal completion rate.