Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

What is the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme?

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (“DofE”) is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of activities for anyone aged 14-24. Its ethos is to enable every young person of every background to do their DofE and succeed, regardless of any barriers. It provides a balanced programme of activities that develop the whole person – mind, body and soul – in an environment of social interaction and teamworking. Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem. It requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who do their DofE.

DofE at Roundwood Park School

Here at Roundwood we offer students in Year 11 the opportunity to take part in the Silver level of the Award.  Students achieve the Award by completing a personal programme of activities in four sections – they choose what they do:

• Volunteering: undertake service to individuals or the community. This develops compassion, commitment and the confidence to make a difference.
• Physical: improve in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities. This develops fitness, enjoyment and, depending on the activity, teamwork.
• Skills: develop practical and social skills and personal interests. This helps young people to realise their unique potential and gain greater self-esteem.
• Expedition: plan, train for, and complete an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad. This develops teamwork and leadership, and challenges young people to push themselves beyond their expectations.

During the course of the Award our students are taught the skills necessary to undertake their expeditions, including mapping and navigations skills, food planning and preparation!  There is a Practice Expedition which takes place in the Chilterns at Easter and a Qualifying Expedition in the Peak District after exams have finished.  Both expeditions involve three days of walking and two overnight camps.

We also offer the Gold Award to our Year 12 and 13 students who have completed their Silver Award.

We are incredibly lucky to have a dedicated and committed staff who run our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.  Every year we have a large cohort of students who manage to achieve their Silver Award.

eDofE

To achieve an Award, the student needs to evidence the activities they have undertaken, show how they have progressed and that they have met the goals they have set themselves for each section.

eDofE is the online system that participants use to record their DofE programme and activities, and prove what they have done in different ways.  Assessors can also submit evidence on behalf of the participants.

UCAS

A DofE Award is an enormously valuable achievement and is recognised and valued by colleges and universities worldwide.

Emphasising the importance of highlighting the activities you have undertaken as part of your DofE programme on your UCAS or college application form, tells the institution that you have an ambitious and positive attitude as well as a range of interests.

Many top universities are now looking for much more than good grades and extra-curricular activities; they are interested in young people who can evidence a genuine and committed interest in their desired area of study.

Employability

In addition to literacy and numeracy skills, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the CBI define the skills and attitude that make someone employable as:

• Self-management
• Problem solving
• Team working
• Communication

Having a positive attitude is also an incredibly important attribute in every industry, from customer relations to construction.

A ‘can do’ approach underpins success in working life by helping you to be resilient and adapt to changing situations around you.

DofE programmes help participants to develop each and every one of these attributes and skills – although they might not realise it.

For further information about the Award, go to www.dofe.org.

If you have any queries about DofE at Roundwood Park, please contact Mrs Godbee, our DofE Co-ordinator at c.godbee@roundwoodpark.co.uk.