Duke of Edinburgh Award
For over 12 years now the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been available to Year 10 and 11 pupils and Hurworth School has a long tradition with the Award that sees over 90% of those able to take up the award do so. With an experienced collection of staff members.
What is the Duke of Edinburgh all about?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a way of rewarding young people for the things that they do in their spare time. With advice and support from the staff you get to choose the activities you want to do giving you the opportunity to learn new skills, help others and experience adventure. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is well-known and respected and by enrolling with the Award, you will be able to have your skills and personal strengths recognised and rewarded in a totally non-academic way.
It’s all about having a go! And just think what a great sense of achievement you would feel when you’ve achieved a bronze or silver award, as well as the respect from your parents/ carers, relatives, teachers and peers.
Some of the activities you choose could lead on to a lifelong interest or your choice of career – who knows where it will lead and what doors it could open for you? What’s more, many people including colleges, universities, and employers are impressed to see it on your CV.
And you get to have lots of fun along the way…
To achieve your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, you choose which level of Award you want to do – Bronze or Silver– and then complete three different spare-time activities plus an expedition.
The three activities are:
- Skills (any hobby or interest e.g. fishing, guitar playing, acting, Car maintenance etc.)
- Physical (any sport e.g. cycling, football, dance, martial arts, gym etc.)
- Volunteering (anything that they do for the benefit of others e.g. Fund raising, school council, shopping for the elderly etc.)
More information can be found about the Bronze and Silver awards by clicking on the relevant sections.
Bronze Award
Bronze Award
A Bronze DofE programme has 4 sections:
- Volunteering
- Physical
- Skills
- Expedition
In this entry level of the award you will undertake expeditions in Thurston and the Lake District. Both these environments are easy to navigate and will allow you to get the feeling of the outdoors.
You need be in Year 10 (or when you’re 14 or nearly 14) to start a Bronze programme and you must do a minimum of 3 months activity for each of the Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections, and plan, train for and do a 2 day (1 night) expedition.
You also have to spend an extra three months on one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections. It’s your choice which one and, though you can change your mind later, you should decide which section you want to do for longer at the beginning. Knowing how long you’re going to do it for will help you to set your aims for the sections.
It will usually take you at least 6 months to complete your Bronze programme.
Silver Award
A Silver DofE programme has 4 sections:
- Volunteering
- Physical
- Skills
- Expedition
The next step up from Bronze… you need to be in Year 11 (or when you’re 15) to start doing your Silver DofE Award.
You need to do at least 6 months Volunteering and a minimum of 6 months on either Physical or Skills and 3 months on the other. It’s up to you which one you do for longer.
The Expedition section involves planning, training for and doing a 3 day (2 nights) expedition. If you did Bronze, you can choose the same activity for Silver, but you need to show development in it. It’s best to try something new!
If you start the Silver without doing Bronze first you’ll have to do an extra6 months volunteering or doing whichever of the Physical or Skills sections you have spent more time on.
Though you can change your mind later, you should decide which section you want to do for longer at the beginning. Knowing how long you’re going to do it for will help you to set your aims for the sections.
It will take you at least 6 months for Silver if you’ve already achieved your Bronze, or 12 months if you’ve jumped straight into Silver.
If you are interested in participating in the next intake of pupils for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Experience then follow the links to the:
