Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96dUKe oF edinBUrgh’S aWard SandStone trail King Henry VIII School’s Outdoor Education programme is an area we can all be very proud of. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award element goes from strength to strength. Incredibly 84% of the current Year 10 pupils participate in the Bronze Award and many older pupils are in the process of completing the more challenging Silver and Gold Awards. Recently many of the Year 10 students have been taking part in their Bronze Practice Expeditions over two days. This involves walking (fully laden and self-sufficient) over two days along pre-planned routes of up to 15km per day. Students camp overnight and cook for themselves. The weather of course is pretty unpredictable, and map reading skills need to be first rate to avoid any additional distance! Sore legs, backs, shoulders, mud and big smiles are pretty much a certainty as they finish at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park. The pictures show some of the delightful scenery of South Warwickshire around the famous Civil War battlefield of Edge Hill. Expeditions encourage teamwork, initiative, determination and considerable resilience on the part of the students involved. The Year 10 participants all need a good level of fitness to cope with some demanding conditions. Naturally these are very important skills that we like to encourage at school and can only add in a positive way to what is done in the classroom. As well as the challenging Expedition section, students need to show evidence of a new skill learnt, volunteering and physical activity over a six month period. All in all, the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme represents a fantastic opportunity for our talented students. Mr Meynell During half term 20 intrepid Year 9 students demonstrated much fortitude, resilience and teamwork over 3 days on The Sandstone Trail. This is a 34 mile trail from Frodsham to Whitchurch along the sandstone ridge, which rises dramatically from the Cheshire plains. It is steeped in history and rich in wildlife. There are hill forts, castles, churches, mediaeval hunting forests, dairy farms (Cheshire cheese!) and canals, and the views are stunning! Participants were self-sufficient and carried all their own kit, except for the shared camping equipment. It was a massive achievement to complete the challenge. Very well done to all who took part! 60 | the Coventrian