Our Year 10 boys have been learning new skills over the last few months; camping, outdoor cooking, map reading, practice hikes and completing each of the required DofE sections, volunteering, Physical and Skills.

This has all led up to the final part of the award: The Expedition, hiking to their overnight camp and then back again tomorrow.

We are lucky to have such a nice day to set them off on their hikes and wish them all the best. This is a test of endurance, independence, teamwork and a chance to have fun, make great memories and come out with a sense of achievement.

Good Luck Boys!

This was the final section of the DofE Bronze Award that our Year 10s have been participating in since last October.

Several months of volunteering, learning a new skill and taking on a physical activity, combined with preparation sessions in school on navigating, map reading, first aid, outdoor cooking, how to pack a rucksack and 3 practice hikes all led to the final challenge of the expedition.

We are delighted to say that all our boys passed this section!

Having not run the DofE programme in EGS for several years, it has been wonderful to get it up and running again, giving our boys the opportunity of challenging themselves, learning to work as a team and getting a huge sense of achievement.

March 22 Practice Hike:

We recently took our Year 10 DofE participants on their 2nd practice hike out in Lee Valley Country Park.

Separated into 3 groups, the boys followed their maps on a circular route. They did well with no mishaps or extra miles being walked! All had a go at map reading and, overall, had a good time bonding with each other.

They completed 5 1/2 miles in a decent enough time of 2 hours. We shall be moving on to longer and slightly more challenging walks for the next practices.

One obstacle that had to be overcome was a flooded area that needed to be crossed; the debate was: walk through as fast as possible and hope for the best (as Mr Wragg & Mr Smith did!) OR boots and socks off and go barefoot (as Mrs Field & Mrs Miller did) – who do you think had warm comfy feet to finish the walk off !! And the boys…..well there was a mix of soggy and dry trainers 🙂

The DofE Leaders enjoyed it as well;’ it’s nice to see the boys ‘out of the school environment’. Participating in, and delivering the DofE programme is rewarding and an achievement for both staff and students

Year 11 Silver Practice Expedition – September 2022

Year 11 Silver Qualifying Expedition – October 2022

Our Silver DofE boys went off early yesterday morning with Mr Wragg & Mr Smith to complete their qualifying expedition; 3 days and 2 nights in the Peak District.

Yesterday was a bit wet and cold but they managed 6 hours of hiking and got back to base just before dark.

Today is looking sunnier and warmer for them and they seem to be making good time.

Hope they are enjoying the scenery as well as the experience. Very proud of these boys 🙂

Huge congratulations to Kavin, Richie, Tuan-Raihan, Jasraj and Harrison for successfully completing the DofE Silver Expedition weekend.

Congratulations to all of our Y10 DofE boys – they were challenged, they survived and they conquered! Hiking several kilometres further that in their practice, all groups made it to the camping area, pitched their tents, cooked their meals and experienced an independent outdoor experience. And we are pleased to say, that the next day, they all made it back in one piece! Now, who’s up to take on the challenge of the Silver Award?

A massive shout out to our Year 10 DofE boys who were all formidable this weekend. Following on from Sports Day on Friday, these boys came out fully loaded to learn all the necessary skills required to complete their Bronze expedition this coming weekend.

Hiking about 12 km from Lower School, learning navigation skills along the way, they arrived at our overnight site in Cuffley where (once rehydrated), they learnt to set up camp, cook on outdoors camping stoves and plan their routes for next week.

We can truly say that these boys did Enfield Grammar School proud with their dedication, motivation and behaviour throughout the weekend, especially in such challenging high temperatures.

We hope you feel proud of yourselves for this achievement and that you enjoyed the experience.

Thank you to the staff who gave up their own time to teach the skills and support the boys.

Now…..(without staff guidance, and hiking to a different site) you’ve just got to do it all over again this coming weekend!!

Well done boys!!

PRACTICE – Training Expedition April 2024

Huge congratulations to the Year 10 DofE boys who all successfully made it through their Practice expedition!

A week ago today, they were all packing their rucksacks and making sure they all had the necessary items for their weekend.

WE were all hoping that it wouldn’t be as damp as it was today…..but it was!

Saturday morning saw them all set off, hiking to the overnight venue that was to be Base Camp, where training sessions on Navigation, Cooking, Tent Pitching were delivered. Then, it was time to put them all to the test.

Camp was set up, lunch was cooked/eaten and then off they went on mini hikes testing their compass and map skills. Luckily the rain held off for them.

Downtime in the evening where  pizza and marshmallow treats were consumed before heading off to bed. The sound of tent zips could be heard around the site…..just before the pounding of raindrops on tents took over!

The morning saw a very damp breakfast session and some difficulties packing up wet tents in a muddy field before setting off on some pre-planned hikes back to school…..and just like Peppa Pig….’some jumping in muddy puddles’!!

They all made it back in fantastic form. Proud to say their behaviour, effort and teamwork were excellent. They’re on track to smash their qualifying expedition in June (we have pre-ordered dry and warm weather for that one!)

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards are all about challenging yourself, learning to work as a team, learning to become independent and self-sufficient, learning new skills and importantly, developing an understanding of your surroundings, the area you are in and the people around you. During this time, friends are made, fun is had and hopefully each participant grows in confidence and gains faith in themselves. 

At EGS, we offer the Bronze Award in Year 10 and then the Silver in Year 11. It is open to ALL the boys who wish to participate and is definitely a plus point on your CV or in your personal statements when applying for college, university or jobs/apprenticeships.

QUALIFYING EXPEDITION – June 2024

This term saw our Year 10 DofE Bronze undertake their Practice and Qualifying expeditions and am delighted to say that all our boys were wonderful and passed with flying colours!

It is an absolute joy to be able to spend time with some of our students outside of the normal school environment; we get to see another side to them and, hopefully, they get to see another side to us too!

They proved themselves in many life-skills, such as fist aid, hiking, cooking, teamwork, pitching camp and keeping motivated…..and enjoying the freedom of the great outdoors.

Huge congratulations to: Ayaan, Arda, Harry C, Theo C, Daniel, Tahir, Lucas, Theo G, Thomas, Jack, Fabio, Alex L, Ben, Krrish, Shevon, Udhayvir, James, Tanish, Alex Z ……Bronze Award certificates and badges are on their way to you.

We also have the exciting news that this year, we will be running the DofE Silver Award for the Year 11s who have completed Bronze and will be kicking off with the two expeditions within the first term of 2024-25. So, those who have already signed up, get those walking boots worn in and get ready to venture further afield into the South Downs and the Peak District!

The last weekend in September saw our #DofE Silver cohort go off to the south coast. This time, instead of camping, they experienced staying in bunked self-catering accommodation which, having use of a kitchen, allowed them to show off some of their cooking skills. The weather, luckily brightened up for them and, although very windy, was nice and dry. They experienced some beautiful scenery hiking 10-15 miles each day carrying their kit.

The boys were brilliant! It’s lovely to be able to spend time with these students in a non-school environment; camaraderie, bonding, supporting each other, having fun, learning and experiencing the beauty of the great outdoors in England…….. we’re all set for our Qualifying Silver Expedition to the Peak District later this month……

Just prior to the half-term, our Year 11 Duke of Edinburgh boys who are completing their Silver Award went off to the Peak District for their qualifying expedition.

A challenge taken in their stride (literally!) ….. great experiences, great camaraderie, great teamwork, great scenery …. all in all, a ‘great’ success!

This time they stayed in YHA accommodation to introduce them to a budget and self-sufficient means of being able to visit destinations without costing a fortune.

The DofE is an inclusive award programme delivered to young people: “A chance to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement, respected by employers. The hope is that they have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem, and build confidence”