Planning and fundraising for the first Phillippines Dive Project is now well underway. This amazing opportunity for a group of students in Years 11, 12 and 13 will see them spending three weeks in the Phillippines during the summer holidays next year.

The group will be accompanied by Science teachers, Mr Lawton, who is an experienced diver himself and Miss Nixon. The main focus of the trip will be scuba diving on the coral reefs around the islands as part of an eco-project. The team will be looking closely at the erosion of the reefs, photographing and recording the plant life and fish that inhabit the area, and considering strategies for conservation. They will also be talking to local people to learn about how important the coral reefs are to their community and visiting a local school to establish a partnership project.

The group have been working hard in preparation for the trip, learning diving skills at Durham City Scuba at Freemans Quay Leisure Centre, as well as taking part in a range of fundraising activities to support the project. This included a sponsored walk from our Academy to Maiden Castle Sports Centre in Durham City. The walk, which was arranged to coincide with our off-site Academy Sports Day in July, turned out to be a real test of determination and stamina as temperatures soared to a tropical high. Despite the extremely difficult conditions, all of the group succeeded in completing the challenge. Well done!