A former Chetwynde School student is celebrating after successfully achieving her Gold Duke of Edinburgh award.

Jasmine Newby secured her bronze and silver awards while at the school, which is part of SCMAT, and has just completed the prestigious gold award alongside her studies at Barrow Sixth Form College.

She now hopes the skills she has learned will help her in her future career ambitions to be a police officer.

As part of the DoE Gold award, Jasmine had to complete four different elements, including an expedition where she wild camped for four nights and five days. She also volunteered as a police cadet for 12 months, coached different sports sessions for children and learnt sign language.

She said one of the highlights was a five-night residential in the Lake District, including taking part in water sports.

“I did this award with five others from sixth form and the relationship I was able to form with my peers was great,” she said. “I wouldn’t have got this anywhere else, we had good days and bad days and we pulled each other through it.

“I think it was better that it was such a challenge because I have been able to get so much more out of it.”

She said she was invited with her parents to Buckingham Palace to receive her award next month but has an exam on that day so her presentation will be rearranged for later in the year.

Head of Barrow Sixth Form College Hilary Johns said: “The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award is an amazing achievement which takes work, time and dedication. It takes a certain type of person to dig deep to be successful and it’s all credit to Jasmine that she’s achieved this.”

Pupils have planted trees to create a habitat to protect wildlife and further their own education in ecology.

The Year 10s at Chetwynde planted over 100 saplings at the Rating Lane school as part of an innovative science project.

The school successfully applied to the Woodland Trust for the trees, which form a new hedge in an area of the school’s extensive grounds.

Chetwynde’s Head of Faculty for Science and Design & Technology Sunetra Berry said the school was fortunate to have beautiful gardens.

“Part of the school land is undeveloped and the science faculty decided to turn this into an area where students can study habitats and ecology at all ages. 

“By creating this space, our pupils can improve biodiversity in the school grounds, protect existing wildlife and encourage new populations of different organisms.”

She said the Year 10s worked hard to clear the area and planted over 50 saplings in two hours.

“It was a fabulous team effort that will leave a lasting legacy for future generations of pupils at our school.”