Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Awards Scheme
Since its creation in 1956 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the DofE has gone from strength to strength. Guided by the same set of principles and by young people themselves, it’s as relevant today as it was then.
It is a flexible programme that helps to develop young people for life and work, and the numbers speak for themselves: 93% of participants feel that DofE has helped them to work in a team and 84% feel that they have become a more responsible person.
Three Award levels available
Bronze – for those aged 14+ years
Silver – for those aged 15+ years
Gold – for those aged 16+ years
Activities for each DofE section take a minimum of one hour a week over a set period of time, so they can be fitted in around academic study, hobbies and social lives. Development and regular progress must be shown and all activities must be completed by the participant’s 25th birthday.
Our results
Here at the College we run a very successful scheme, with a large number of awards being granted each year:
2012-2013 saw 39 Bronze Awards, 3 Silver Awards, 8 Gold Awards
2013-2014 saw 22 Bronze Awards, 7 Silver Awards, 5 Gold Awards
2014-2015 saw 33 Bronze Awards, 7 Silver Awards, 4 Gold Awards
The commitment to volunteer work in the community and the undertaking of physical and skill based activities becomes progressively more extensive and the expeditions become more and more challenging as a student progresses through the levels.
Timescales
For Bronze Award:
Volunteering section: 3 months
Physical section: 3 months
Skills section: 3 months
Expedition section: 2 days/1 night
You also have to do 3 more months in one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections.
For Silver Award:
Volunteering section: 6 months
Physical and Skills sections: One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months
Expedition section: 3 days/2 nights
If you didn’t do Bronze, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
For Gold Award:
Volunteering section: 12 months
Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months
Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights
Residential section: Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.
If you didn’t do Silver, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
More information can be found on the DofE website. Please note clicking on this link will take you away from The Ladies' College website, and that the College bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of such external sites. http://www.dofe.org
