Duke of Edinburgh
Email: swa-dofe@bestacademies.org.uk
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. Each award should add purpose and pleasure to a young person's life. Their achievements are widely recognised in education and employment. Students may enter at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, usually in years Ten, Eleven and Twelve respectively.
We run some after school sessions to help train and coach young people in the award; however, participants must also complete many elements in their own time. Commitment is vital.
Around 200 SWA pupils are participating in the scheme at any time and the completion rate is very high. We have a large number of qualified and experienced staff and volunteers to help students meet their goals.
The Bronze award is introduced after Christmas year Nine in preparation for starting in year Ten of the new academic year.
The award is split into four 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, charity volunteering and fundraising.
Physical recreation
The award is based on individual improvement and achievement on a physical activity.
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. At Samuel Whitbread Academy we run walking expeditions in areas around the local area for Bronze and further afield for Silver and Gold. The qualifying expedition is undertaken in small teams, unaccompanied, though supervised and assessed by adults. Bronze expeditions normally run April to June, Silver from September to October and Gold in July.
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.
Useful Links and Resources
After successful application, enrolment and parental permission forms must be completed along with the full payment.
eDofE
This is the area that participants upload their sectional plans, (to be approved by a DofE leader), and finally submit all evidence for completion of each section.
DofE Assessor
The section assessor can choose to fill out the assessor evidence online rather than in the provided booklet.