Three students from The John Lyon School have been presented with Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards at St James’s Palace – with three more due to receive theirs soon.

The six Gold Awards confirm the Harrow boys’ school’s place as one of the leading independent schools in London for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

As well as the six who have gained this ultimate accolade, a further 34 have applied to start their Gold Award – a higher total than at many much larger schools.

The Head, Miss Katherine Haynes, said: “Our six Gold winners deserve tremendous congratulations. Gaining Gold is a really significant achievement, requiring dedication and considerable effort over a sustained period.”

The John Lyon School has a long record of involvement with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and is proud of its status as an Operating Authority for the awards. The Duke even opened its Sports Centre in 1997.

At the Gold Award presentation, Upper Sixth-Formers Mitesh Hathiramani, Saneel Patel and Krishan Mistry received their awards from the Earl of Wessex at St James’s Palace, with Deputy Headmaster Mr Stuart Miles attending as a V.I.P. guest. Daniel Orchard, Mustafa Al-Bustani and Amir Farooqi, who are also in the Upper Sixth, are currently awaiting a palace presentation date.

The Gold Award programme includes voluntary work over a 12-month period and a gruelling four-day expedition, as well as physical and skills challenges and a five-day residential activity.

During an expedition in Snowdonia in February, the 34 boys currently working towards the Gold Award overcame snow and ice, as well as low cloud and poor visibility, which presented navigational challenges.

They then participated in an unaccompanied practice expedition in the Brecon Beacons during March. Mr Ralph Durbridge, who leads the Award programme at the school, said: “Although they again encountered bad weather, the boys successfully located our instructors in the middle of the mountains. Visibility was down to 10 metres at the time, so this was an excellent achievement.”

This group will go on to their assessment expedition in Lochaber, Scotland, in August 2010.

The Bronze Award is offered to Year 10 boys at the school. Participation is entirely voluntary, yet a total of 68 boys – two-thirds of the total number of pupils in the year – are taking the programme. During the Easter holidays, the Bronze candidates enjoyed a weekend of practical instruction during an expedition in the Kings Langley area of Hertfordshire.

Earlier this school year, 40 boys were presented with their Silver Award certificates and badges in a ceremony at the school.

ENDS

Picture captions:
JLS DofE Gold Boys: (L-R) Gold Award winners Mitesh Hathiramani, Saneel Patel and Krishan Mistry at St James’s Palace
JLS DofE Team E: (L-R) On their way to Gold - Oscar Harrison, Jordan Arnold, team leader Matthew Keliris-Thomas, Benson Raju and Arjun Nijher take a break during a Gold Award training expedition in Snowdonia

Issued on behalf of The John Lyon School

MEDIA CONTACTS: Miss Katherine Haynes, Head of The John Lyon School, on 020 8872 8400