The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a popular and thriving activity at Casterton with around two thirds of the girls in Y10 choosing to enrol on the scheme each September. Often they can use other school activities such as music, drama or sport to help them to achieve the Physical Recreation and Skills sections but they have many new skills to learn before they can embark on any form of overnight expedition. Training sessions for this take place after school and monthly at weekends. Most of the Expedition training is done by venturing into the local area which provides us with abundant, and rarely walked, footpaths in some fabulous countryside which is on our doorstep.
Such is the enthusiasm for the scheme that some girls go on to either the Silver or Gold Award. At this more advanced level the programme follows a similar pattern but skills are developed to a much higher standard. Recently, expeditions have taken place in Wales, Scotland and the Lake District but the choice of location is decided by the girls.
Every year we have a number of girls who complete their Gold Award and go to London or Edinburgh for the presentation. They are justifiably very proud of their achievements and they can be sure that it will enhance any application they may make in the future.
