Copland Community School saw off competition across the country

Pupils in Wembley are celebrating after landing a place on a trip to tackle one of the highest mountains in the world.

Copland Community School in Cecil Avenue, saw off competition from 500 schools across the country to win a place on a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The year 13 students will be accompanied by Sam Draper, head of English to complete the climb, alongside three other schools in August.

Mr Draper said: “This is a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students, enabling them to shatter any preconceptions of what they are capable of achieving. “We can’t wait to start training for this epic adventure.”

Each student will be paired with a business mentor who will join the group on a training climb to the Peak District in June.

Copland has been paired up with Dell, the multinational computer technology company.

The trip is organised by children’s charity, the Transformation Trust which works with challenged schools across the UK, offering pupils opportunities and experiences that help them develop employability skills and build their confidence.

Amy Leonard, chief executive of the Transformation Trust said: “We want young people to think about themselves and their place in the world differently, helping them to scale new heights. What better way to do this than to take on the ultimate challenge of Kilimanjaro.”

To win their place, students had to submit an essay on why the wanted to take on the task of climbing the mountain, which is known as the ‘Roof of Africa’.