As part of our Enrichment++ programme, Boston Spa Academy offers Year 9, 10 and 12 students the opportunity to undertake either their Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Awards.
The DofE is non-competitive and open to all young people; the programme is about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries.
Through the DofE programme, students will have the opportunity to meet new friends and to develop their confidence, resilience and self-esteem. Students will also gain valuable skills and attributes for their future, such as problem-solving, team-work and self-motivation. Importantly, students will achieve an award that is highly recognised by employers and can help them stand out when writing applications for Post-16 providers, universities, apprenticeships and employment.
To achieve the Bronze Award, students must complete four sections: Skills, Volunteering, Physical and an Expedition. Further information on the sections can be found at: https://www.dofe.org/do/activities/
For each of the physical, skills and volunteering sections, students must provide evidence uploaded to their eDofE account. The minimum evidence required is a log of the dates they attended the activities with some information on what they did on that day and an assessors report.
Further information can be found on the assessors report at: https://www.dofe.org/assessor/
Activity logs to print can be found at: https://www.dofe.org/do/activitylogs/
This consists of 3 months of the physical, skills and volunteering sections. Students then choose one of these sections to extend for a further 3 months (i.e. 6 months). They will need to commit 1 hour a week to each of these sections.
In half term 6 students are invited to take part in the expedition section. This involves your child working as part of a small team to plan their expedition’s aim, choose a location and complete training to ensure they are fully prepared. They will then spend two days and one night in the countryside completing their expedition. Ahead of this, they will take part in training at school covering basic expedition principles and how to use the expedition equipment. Students will also undertake several training sessions after school, in which your child and their group will plan their route and make final preparations. Students will only be able to participate in the expedition if they attend the organised training sessions.
If the student has successfully completed their Bronze Award, then this consists of 6 months of volunteering, and either 3 months or 6 months of the skills and physical sections.
If the student did not do, or did not complete their Bronze Award they must extend one of their 6-month sections to 12 months. Please see the infographic for further clarification.
They will need to commit 1 hour a week to each of these sections.
In half term 6 students are invited to take part in the expedition section. This involves your child working as part of a small team to plan their expedition’s aim, choose a location and complete training to ensure they are fully prepared. At Silver, your child will be part of a group of 4 – 7 students who will take part in both a training expedition (3 days, 2nights) and an assessed expedition (3 days and 2 nights)
Ahead of this, they will take part in training at school covering basic expedition principles and how to use the expedition equipment. Students will also undertake several training sessions after school, in which your child and their group will plan their route and make final preparations. Students will only be able to participate in the expedition if they attend the organised training sessions.
