Slideshow

Duke of Edinburgh

Duke of Edinburgh's Award at the Math 2009 - 2010

The Bronze Award
The Silver Award
The Gold Award

The Math School's Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme has turned full circle this year. Last November, I met up with our first Gold cohort at St James' Palace to witness them receive their Awards from HRH The Duke of Wessex and the TV adventurer Charlie Boorman. Prince Edward put me on the spot with some casual questions in front of 200 silent witnesses and our ex-students (they all left in 2009) became eerily and uncharacteristically silent when asked by HRH if anyone had been abroad. "Er, yes, they have. Haven't you?" I urged, after a few too many moments' silence. Well, they did chat in the end, and then they and their mums and dads beamed.

I was very proud to see this cohort pick up their Awards. They were the first to sign up with me in 2005 when they were in year 9 and this represented the end of an impressive journey. They really are all grown up and a credit to us. This is such an important achievement for them to complete within their school days. It's very rare too, especially in a state school. A recent survey of major UK employers placed the Award as the single most impressive achievement that they would look for in a school leaver. But all that CV stuff aside, it just shows that they are adventurous people. I don't simply mean adventurous in the obvious boots and hairy knees way (sorry girls). I mean that they are prepared to take a risk, to give time to an excellent cause even if they don't know where it might end. They recognise that it is about the journey, not just the destination. It's about what they find out about themselves along the way.

As I type, the next batch of Golds are booked in to the Palace, the bunch after them are about to go off to France after a fine showing on their Welsh practice; the next bunch (a colossal group of more than 30 - how will we do that?) are beginning to look toward their own Welsh trip the day after Founders Day; the next lot are about to sign up to Gold having completed Silver near Dover at the end of the summer holidays; Mr Robson is about to launch the Silver Award to the huge group of bronzes who did so well in the summer term; and lastly, Miss Leach is about to launch the Bronze award to the new year 9. And so the cycle continues, and that's as it should be.
 
My congratulations to everyone who achieved an Award this year, whatever the colour, and my best wishes to those setting out on the journey. My grateful thanks as always to the dozens and dozens of people, parents included, who support our programme. It's a cliché, I know, but it really wouldn't happen without you all.
 
            Mr A Parker