TOAN students take part in Duke of Edinburgh expedition

Students from E-ACT The Oldham Academy North (TOAN) took part in a Duke of Edinburgh expedition this month.

Tandle Hill is Oldham’s oldest country park, it has 48 hectares of parkland with mature beech, mixed woodland and grassland with views across the Manchester Plain and the Pennine Hills.  Tandle Hill is also a designated Site of Biological Importance for its fungi and bird populations.

The intrepid group of Year 11s took a break from revising for their upcoming GCSEs and walked up Tandle Hill, there were muddy trainers but big smiles as those involved showed a great attitude towards enhancing their personal development.

The students were spurred on by the knowledge that the first group to make it to the war memorial got Nando’s vouchers!  The memorial commemorates the men of Royton who died in the First World War and was unveiled on 22nd October 1921 by the Earl of Derby.

Taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award aims to empower young people and support them to learn new skills, overcome obstacles and build confidence and resilience.  HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh first considered the idea of a national programme to support young people’s development in the autumn of 1954 at the request of his inspiring former headmaster, Kurt Hahn.

The DofE continued to evolve over subsequent decades and in 1980 the age limit was extended so that any young person aged 14 to 24 could take part.  At this time, DofE programmes took on their current four section format of: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition, with an additional Residential section at Gold level.  Popularity has continued to grow, with over 130 countries and territories now offering DofE programmes as part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation.

Jessica Giraud, Headteacher at E-ACT The Oldham Academy North said:

“I am so proud of all the Year 11s that took part in the Tandle Hill expedition, they absolutely smashed it!  It’s great that so many of our young people are taking part in DfE as it undoubtedly will help them build the stamina and character they need to navigate life after school.”