Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a nationally recognised qualification which gives young people aged 14-25 the opportunity to develop their skills and become more independent. For the past 70 years, the Charity has inspired and transformed the lives of millions of young people from all walks of life. From volunteering to physical activities, life skills to expeditions, achieving a DofE Award is a passport to a brighter future, valued by employers and universities.

There are three progressive levels of programmes which, when completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award.

To achieve the Award at Bronze and Silver levels, students must complete their own programme of activities in four sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. You can try something new, or improve on something you’re already doing. Each activity must take place for a minimum of one hour per week over 3 months, for two of these sections, with a further 3 months in the third.

The Expedition section involves planning and walking a route in teams of 5-7 students, being self-sufficient and carrying all their own food and equipment. Training for this takes place during Enrichment and also includes a training weekend and practice Expeditions, covering elements such as campcraft, navigation, first aid and cooking. Expeditions usually take place between April and July.

At St Augustine Academy, our DofE scheme was introduced in 2013 and is run by a very experienced DofE Manager, Mr Ross. It is open to students from year 9 and upwards and has already seen cohorts of students achieving the initial stage, the Bronze Award. For further information, contact gross@saa.woodard.co.uk

Enrolment for the Award costs £30.00, with additional costs for the Expedition.