DofE Award
What is the DofE Award
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an award available to individuals aged between the ages of 14-25 and is the world’s leading youth achievement award. The Duke of Edinburgh Award equips young people regardless of background, culture, physical ability, skills and interests.
There are 3 levels to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award – Bronze, Silver and Gold. To be able to start Bronze you have to be aged 14 (Year 9), to start Silver you must be 15 (Year 10) and to start Gold you must be 16 (Gold is normally started in Year 12 or first year at college). At Bronze and Silver Levels you need to complete 4 sections, for Gold you need to complete 5. The sections are explained below:
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Section |
Description |
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Skill |
The Skills section provides the opportunity for a participant to either improve on an existing skill, or to try something new. As with the other Sections of the Award, a level of commitment is required over time to progress a skill. It leads to a sense of achievement and well-being, and possibly improved employability through the development of life and vocational skills. For further ideas, please clicking here |
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Physical |
Encouraging healthy behaviours has benefits, not only for participants but also for their communities, whether through improved health, or active participation in team activities. This Section specifically aims to improve the health, team skills, self-esteem and confidence of participants. For further ideas, please click here |
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Volunteering |
The Volunteering section encourages young individuals to volunteer their time and understand the benefit of their services to the local community. For further ideas, please click here.
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Expedition
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For your Expedition section, you will need to plan, train for and complete an unaccompanied, self-reliant expedition with an agreed aim. You must do the correct training for your level and mode of transport. For further ideads, please click here. |
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Residential (Gold only) |
Participants have the opportunity to share a purposeful experience with people who are not their usual companions and work towards a common goal, set out by the participants themselves. Through the Gold Residential Project participants will meet new people, explore life in an unfamiliar environment, develop new skills and, hopefully, have a life changing experience. This has to be done continuously for 5 days and 4 nights. Here are some ideas for your residential
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For each Section of the Award, you have to complete each section for a certain length of time. In each level, it shows the length you need to complete for each section (and the time spent on each section will increase with each level).
Next Steps
If you have any question, please have a read of this Frequently asked Question, or contact the School at dofe@sirgrahambalfour.staffs.sch.uk or 01785 22340 and ask to talk to Mr Mapperson or Miss Marshall.