Kingsbury Green Academy students have spent 36 hours in the North Wiltshire countryside practising for their Duke of Edinburgh gold award summer expedition.

The team spent four days together climbing the Brecon Beacons.

Sidney Owen, 18, who is hoping to study Sports Exercise and Science after completing his A-levels, said:

“The walking, the social contact, is all great. It’s quite tough, but it feels good to know you can get through it. It can sound daunting – some of us from the school went out to the wilds of Norway some years ago and walked eight hours every day – but I get a lot back from it.”

Tom Farroll, 18, hopes to take a degree in quantity surveying once he has completed his A-levels.

“I’ve found that it really stands out in interviews – people ask a lot about it if it’s on your CV, because it’s a bit unusual,” said Tom.

Dan Hamer, 17, wants to become an aerospace engineer. “I really enjoy teamwork, and the social aspect is good too.”