The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme challenges young people aged 14 to 25 throughout the world to serve others, acquire new skills, experience adventure and make new friends. Students may enter at bronze, silver and gold levels, usually in Years 10, 11 & 12 respectively. As well as after school skills sessions, participants must also complete many elements in their own time. Commitment is vital. Each award should add purpose and pleasure to a young person's life and their achievements are widely recognised in education and employment.
‘Serve others, acquire new skills, experience adventure and make new friends’
Students participating in DofE can expect to gain valuable experience of working with others both through voluntary work and through teamwork. Students can build their self-confidence by setting and then working towards the goals they set themselves. They will also get to push their boundaries, go exploring, discover new things about the world around them, and hopefully also discover something new about themselves.
Scheme Structure
The award is split into four/five sections, each of which participants must satisfactorily complete. The sections are:
Volunteering: Participants choose from commitments such as: first aid, child care, conservation, lifesaving award leadership, community sports leadership award, and fundraising
Physical Recreation: The award is based on individual improvement and achievement. Participants set a measureable goal to achieve during a 3 or 6 month period.
Skills: Participants can choose from many leisure time activities. They must show progress and perseverance
Expedition: Participants plan, train for and then undertake a journey in the countryside. The qualifying expedition is undertaken in small teams, normally unaccompanied, though supervised and assessed by adults. Each year, one of the gold assessments takes place in the Brecon Beacons in Wales, a remote and beautiful area.
Residential: At gold level there is a fifth element, a residential project where participants undertake a 5-day shared activity in a residential setting away from home.
Cost
Participation in the award costs
| Bronze £200 |
| Gold £400 |
These costs cover everything except for personal expedition kit; you will require a full set of hiking and camping equipment, most of which must be supplied by the participant although a limited amount of equipment is available to borrow from the school stores. Tents and Stoves are all supplied by the school.
Around 70 King’s School pupils are participating in the scheme at any time and the completion rate is very high. We have a good number of qualified and experienced staff to help students meet their goals.
Activity Leader
Further information can be found on the Duke of Edinburgh website.
