On 19th April, 2 coaches full of excited year 10’s headed to Hastings for thier Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition. They arrived at Ark Alexandra Academy at 17:00 and bundled off the bus with their kit on their backs and ready to get their tents up. Ark Alexandra were ready waiting and a fantastic group of Cadets came to meet us off the coach. The students headed to the field that would be their bed for the night. The first task, putting up the tent. This began rather chaotically however once the demonstration was done, the students were quick to get their tents up and helped each other in the process.
Now for the cooking! They had these brilliant outdoor stoves and Mr Burchell from Ark Alexandra did a demonstration on how to use them safely and effectively. The cooking was underway and a delicious tomato pasta was brewing. We were really impressed with the teamwork and culinary skills displayed by the students. Once they had washed their pots up, they started getting to bed. It was an early start in the morning and sleep was essential! It was getting a bit cold, so they were more than happy to get into the warmth of their tents.
At sunrise the students were up and getting breakfast sorted. There were all sorts of breakfasts being cooked – pancakes, porridge, questionable pot noodles, tea and cereal bars. Once they had eaten, things were packed, tents were down and they were ready for the fantastic activities planned by Ark Alexandra.
The students had 45minutes on each activity. The activities were, paintballing, archery, obstacle course and team building, all run by the cadets and staff at Ark Alexandra. The students had a fantastic time and it was really good to see everyone trying new things and pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. There was a fantastic obstacle race which became quite competitive towards the end and was a great way to get them trying something different.
At 11:30 it was time to get ready for the walk. Bags were all packed and maps were at the ready. A quick group photo was taken and a massive thank you given to Mr Burchell and his fantastic staff and cadets. By 12:00, all the students had headed off on their walk.
The walk was a relatively hilly one. The students walked through the glorious Alexandra Country Park weaving in and around the lakes and wildlife around. They then headed up a hefty hill, all the way up to the viewpoint where all of Hastings could be seen. They stopped for lunch and took in the beautiful view of the sea and then headed back down the hill. The walk ended with a stroll on the beach and a relax by the pier in the sunshine. It was then time to leave, so they hopped onto the coaches and headed back to Pioneer!
Our Duke of Edinburgh students really did themselves proud. They got stuck in, worked hard, looked after each other, tried new things, pushed their boundaries and really made the most of the expedition. We can’t wait for the qualifying expedition in July!