The majority of our students enrol for Bronze Level at the start of Year 10.

An exceptionally large number of these students will go on to do Silver in Year 11 and Gold in the Sixth Form.

D of E components include

Volunteering
This is the chance to make a real difference by helping someone, your community, the environment or an organisation. This encourages an appreciation of others’ needs and a commitment to make a change.

Expedition
The aim of this task is to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery. Before any expedition can be carried out, the students are trained on a number of vital skills, such as first aid and emergency procedures, map and compass skills, the country code and team building. The Bronze Expedition takes the form of a self-reliant, unaccompanied venture, with the girls working in small teams, walking a minimum distance of 24km, camping one night and cooking all meals over the two days. To prepare for this, we hold a weekly club and run a Saturday training conference in February, a navigation day at Coombe Abbey Country Park in March and a practice expedition in April. The Silver and Gold Expeditions follow a similar format; however, they increase in difficulty in terms of walking distance and length of time away. The Silver Expedition requires walking a minimum of 48km and three days away. We hold a practice expedition for this at Easter with the qualifying expedition held at the end of June. Both expeditions are held in the Peak District. The Gold Expedition requires an impressive minimum walking distance of 80km over a four day period, with the practice in the Dark Peak area and the qualifying expedition in the North Yorkshire Moors.

Physical
This can be any sport, dance or fitness activity. It is a chance to improve fitness, discover new abilities and experience a sense of achievement.

Skills
This can be anything from learning a new instrument to public speaking and debating. It encourages the development of practical and social skills and also the opportunity to discover new talents.

Residential (for Gold candidates only)
This involves spending five days and four nights away from home on a shared activity with people you have never met before. From learning to snowboard in Scotland to helping at a children’s camp, from working with the National Trust to helping on an urban recycling project, or from learning French in Paris to sailing a tall ship, there are plenty of exciting possibilities and there is an activity that is just right for you.