On the Monday 20th April twenty or so Year 12 Beal students made their way to The Forest Academy (TFA) to meet similarly intrepid students based at TFA to participate in a number of different workshops throughout the day in order to prepare students for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. These workshops enabled students to learn the requisite skills needed to hopefully navigate the expedition successfully later in the term.
A number of areas were covered including during the training day including an appreciation of the Countryside Code, how to read a map correctly (‘along the corridor and up the stairs’), how to use a compass in the correct manner (‘red in the shed’), learning basic first aid (‘staying alive’), how to pack a rucksack efficiently, how to put up (and put down) a tent and how to light a fire safely using methylated spirit to boil water in order to cook a meal.
On the Tuesday 21st April many of these skills were put into practice when students used OS maps and compasses to navigate a route around Hainault Forest Country Park.
The students are looking forward to the real expedition on the 20th and 21st May when hopefully the weather will mirror that experienced during the practice trip.
Thank you to Ms. Ibrahim for her work in organising the various sessions.
Mr. Matheson – April 2026
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