Duke of Edinburgh Award

Magdalen Court School Letters relating to The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a registered charity, is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of activities for anyone aged 14-25. It offers an individual challenge and encourages young people to undertake exciting, constructive, challenging and enjoyable activities in their free time. Just over 7% of those in the UK aged 14-17 participate in the Award, through Award Groups in youth clubs, voluntary organisations, Open Award Centres, schools, colleges, young offender institutes and businesses.

The Award is a four Section Programme with three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Sections involve: Service (helping the community); Skills (a hobby, skill or interest); Physical Recreation (sports, dance, fitness); Expeditions (on foot, cycle, horseback, or water); Residential Project - Gold only (an enterprise with people not known to the participant). Each year, Award Participants provide over one million hours of service to the community whilst, in the expeditions Section, they collectively covered over one million miles.

At any one time, around 225,000 participants are trying for an Award in the UK alone, with around 110,000 taking up its challenge each year. Approximately 70,000 volunteers share their skills, enthusiasm and time to help guide the participants through their Awards, learning new skills and making friends themselves along the way.

Mums & Dads can make a big impact!

Parents, friends, & parents work contacts, can enhance the programme on offer to the pupils. You do not have to hold a formal qualification to mentor a pupil in an area, just an enthusiastic approach to your interest. A few interests, canoeing or tramplining for example would require an appropriate coaching qualifications, but most do not.

If you are working with a pupil not related to you, you would need to be Police checked, a simple procedure to ensure you are not listed by the Police as an inappropriate person to work with children.

 

We all have interests & skills, which could be followed by our D of E candidates.

The Award aims to extend pupil’s experiences, skills & interests, as such if possible we encourage pupils to start something new for the award & if possible in a new environment.

However the Award is a marathon & so for many pupils just completing the award is a major achievement, these pupils may choose to tap into existing activities they are involved with & take them onto a new level with the Award.

The most important thing is that they get involved with the Award & follow it through to completion.

The award is spit into 4 sections

1. Service

2. Skill

3. Physical recreation

4. Expedition

Expedition

The aim of the Expedition Section is to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery by preparing for and carrying out an adventurous journey as part of a Team.

At Bronze level they undertake a 2 day & 1 night expedition by; walking, cycling, horse riding, Canoeing, Rowing or Sailing, with NO direct supervision.