Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of practical, cultural and adventurous activities, designed to support the personal and social development of young people. At Shevington High School, we currently offer The Duke of Edinburgh Award at Bronze level to our year 10 students. The Award equips young people for life regardless of their background, culture, physical ability, skills and interests. Doing the Award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others; it pushes young people to their personal limits and recognises their achievements.
Having the Award is an achievement that students should be proud of! It is regarded as extremely desirable for all future employers, regardless of the industry. Participants learn to work well as part of a team, become more independent, learn new skills, contribute towards the community and most importantly, have fun along the way! A common perception of the Award is that it is only about climbing mountains and camping, however at Bronze level, students are required to complete four strands; Volunteering, Physical Recreation, Development of a Skill and take part in an Expedition.
Volunteering Section
Volunteering is simple. It’s about choosing to give time to help people, the community or society, the environment or animals.
Your volunteering must not be done for a business but can be undertaken for a charity or not-for-profit organisation. You can also volunteer in a team, which might be an easier way to find an activity if you can identify a local need you can help with. Pupils who have recently completed their Bronze Award have volunteered their time outside school in various activities ranging from working in the Scouts, volunteering at the RSPCA, within the school library and local stables.
Skill Section
For your skills activity you need to choose an activity that will allow you to demonstrate that you have broadened your understanding and increased your expertise in your chosen skill. Some students have previously developed their skills within: cooking, sewing, language and officiating.
Physical Section
For your physical activity you need to choose any sport, dance or fitness activity – in short, anything that requires a sustained level of energy and physical activity. At Shevington High School offers: Netball, Hockey, Handball, Badminton, Table Tennis, Fitness, Football, Rugby, Cross-Country, Trampolining as part of the extra-curricular programme.
Expedition Section
For your Expedition section, you will need to plan, train for and complete an unaccompanied, self-reliant expedition. Students at Shevington will take part within one practice expedition and a qualifying assessment expedition. Students meet for expedition training: learning how to be safe whilst walking in a group, use First Aid, navigate and use a map, put up tents, prepare and cook a meal.
Awards
Year 9 - Bronze Award
It will usually take you at least 6 months to complete your Bronze programme.
– Volunteering section: 3 months
– Physical section: 3 months
– Skills section: 3 months
– Expedition section: 2 days/1 night
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 choose your activity and set your goals for each section.
Year 10 - Silver Award
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.
– 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.