Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's award is offered to students from year 10 and Gold for participants early in the Sixth Form.
There are many benefits to undertaking the award. These include the opportunity to learn or develop an existing skill or physical activity, to get involved in the local community, develop teamwork, self-reliance, self-motivation, confidence, navigation and independence. Also, in a survey of major employers undertaken by the United Learning Trust (ULT), in partnership with the Ratcliffe Hall Ltd, of the attributes that were most attractive to potential employers, the Duke of Edinburgh Award was rated top.
The award should take a minimum of 6 months so regardless of when pupils start they cannot finish their award before they’re 14½. However, once participants are registered on the award they have until their 25th birthday to complete it.
What does the award consist of?
The Bronze award, which is the first award in the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme, consists of four sections:
- Volunteering
- Skill
- Physical
- Expedition
For the Gold Award, these sectors still apply and a residental component is also added.
How long does the Duke of Edinburgh's Award take to complete?
| Physical | Skill | Volunteering | Expedition |
|---|---|---|---|
|
One hour per week should be spent on each of these sections. One of the above sections must be undertaken for 26 weeks, whilst the other two only require 13 weeks. For the Gold Award, one section must be undertaken for 12 months whilst the other two only require 6 months. |
Training and practice expeditions take place in the summer. Participation in the expeditions is dependent on making good progress in the other 3 sections of the Award. |
||
What does each section involve?
Volunteering: This section requires participants to help out an individual, their community or the environment.
For more information on the sorts of activities that count for this section click below.
Skill: This section is about participants either developing an existing skill or a new one.
For more information on the sorts of activities that count for this section click below.
Physical: This section promotes the importance of fitness in award participants through getting involved in some form of physical exercise. This section is particularly important in preparation for the expedition section.
For more information on the sorts of activities that count for this section click below.
Expedition: This section requires participants to plan, train for and complete an adventurous journey during which they are self-reliant over two days (at Bronze) with one overnight stay. Participants are required to plan and undertake a practice expedition as well as an assessed expedition as part of this unit. The assessed expedition must also have a purpose for which participants gather information during the expedition and then present on it at a later date.
For more information on what sort of purpose your assessed expedition could have click below.
Please Note:
- You need to do a different activity for each section.
- You MUST make sure that the activity you choose for each section is valid.
- Once you choose your activity for a section it is very difficult to change it. Part of the award is committing to an activity and seeing it through to the end.
- For further information visit www.dofe.org