Duke Of Edinburgh

We are pleased to offer our students the opportunity to take part in the rewarding Duke of Edinburgh scheme, Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is recognised and widely adopted as one of the best programme for the personal development of young people.

Non-competitive

The Award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others. Each participant’s programme is tailor-made to reflect the individual starting point, abilities and interests.

Available to all

With a commitment to equal opportunities, the Award Programme is available to all pupils who choose to take up its challenge. The pupils make a free choice to enter the programme and commit their own time to undertake the activities.

Flexible

The students design their own programme, which can be geared to their choice and personal circumstances and also to local provision. They may enter for whichever level of Award best suits them, and may take as long as they wish to complete an Award.

Progressive

At each level, the Award Programme demands more time and an increasing degree of commitment and responsibility from the participant.

Benefits of the award

The Award is widely recognised by employers and people involved in education. Some of the benefits to our pupils include, developing self-confidence and self-reliance; gaining a sense of achievement and a sense of responsibility; discovering new skills, interests and talents and developing leadership skills and abilities. They can also discover exciting opportunities; make new friends; experience teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making; increase their motivation; enhance their self-esteem and develop their communication skills. They will also, of course, have fun!

The Government has recognised that the Award has a valuable role to play within a young person’s personal development. The Award is closely linked with many Government initiatives across the UK.

The Award gives opportunities for young people to:

• enjoy a wide variety of physical, creative and aesthetic experiences which encourage personal growth and development;
• experience new lifestyles and cultures outside their own immediate neighbourhood, possibly abroad;
• experience a variety of learning and teaching styles with people from different walks of life;
• take decisions of increasing complexity and accept responsibility for the consequences;
• discover new talents and abilities and test values and beliefs;
• give a continuing personal commitment of service to others;
• negotiate their own personal programme of participation, seeking out and researching relevant information, and gradually take responsibility for their own learning;
• understanding their strengths and weakness, assess their personal level of competence, increase their own personal effectiveness and take responsibility for their own lives having a great time!

Most of all… HAVE FUN!

Our students can start the Award in Year 9. They will normally be aged 14, but may start aged 13 if the majority of their peers starting the Award are aged 14.

Participation in the Award gives young people the opportunity to develop time management skills. All activities should be undertaken in their free (i.e. non-directed) time and are often after-school or lunchtime clubs; evening clubs or activities or weekend activities. Since the Award is simply an extension of a young person’s personal interests and activities, and has a long completion time, Award work can fit around school, college or other work quite easily.

For more information, including details of insurance cover, supervision of young people, safety on expeditions etc., please visit the Parents zone: www.dofe.org