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The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a national youth charity that operates throughout the UK and was founded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956. The DofE programme is open to young people between the ages of 14 – 24 and provides an opportunity for participants to experience new activities or develop existing skills.
The Henry Box School is a directly licensed organisation with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and currently offers The Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.
Levels and Timescales
There are three Award levels:
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Bronze – for those in Year 9
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Silver – for those aged 15+ years
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Gold – for those aged 16+ years; offered in Sixth Form
The main difference between each level is the age a young person can start the length of time they take to complete and how challenging they are.
Each level has four Sections:
|
Volunteering Undertaking service to individuals or the community |
Skill Developing practical and social skills and personal interests |
|
Physical Sport, dance or fitness activities |
Expedition* Planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey |
* The Expedition section of the DofE Awards will be solely run by an outside provider School of Outdoors. School of Outdoors are an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. There will be no Henry Box School representative accompanying the Expedition section. Participants need to make their own travel arrangements to and from the Expedition (car-sharing may wish to be considered).
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.
Each young person can create their own DofE programme within the parameters outlined for each level. These individual programmes can be developed and progress tracked through the eDofE online system.
The DofE season at The Henry Box School runs yearly from November for both Bronze and Silver. Year 9 students are able to begin the Bronze Award and Year 10 and 11 students can take part in the Silver Award from the same time. It is possible to be a direct entrant into the Silver Award even if you have not completed Bronze providing students are over 15 years of age. After the launch, students interested in participating will be asked to submit an application form.
Information videos from DofE
DofE have produced some fantastic videos which explains everything.
Created together with young people, the DofE welcome film sums up exactly what makes DofE so special – in just a few minutes.
Level presentation
In the documents below you will find a presentation for each Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. Please click on the specific level you would like to know more about.
Important inforamtion for all students who wish to participate:
All students who are interested in participating need to be aware of the following elements:
Bronze and Silver
- To complete the Expedition Section you must be able to attend all the dates; training, practice and assessment expeditions. These dates are confirmed and will not be changing.
- There is cost associated to each level. These costs cover individual participation places, administration and all costs associated with running the Expedition section. Costs will be outlined during launch sessions.
- Payments are to be made online using your child’s ParentPay account.
- Participants have 14 days to change their mind after registration. Any withdrawals after this time cannot be refunded.
Gold
- To register for a participant place the cost is £35. This cost covers the individual participation places and administration fees.
- Participants will be responsible for organising their own Expedition and Residential sections. Payment for these sections is down to the participant.
- Payments are to be may be arranged to be paid via your child’s Parent Pay account.
Who to contact:
The DofE Manager – Shannon Pendrey
Phone: 01993 703955
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website is full of useful and more detailed information, please visit their website.
Bronze – Year 9
Bronze Timescales:
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Volunteering section: 3 months
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Physical section: 3 months
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Skills section: 3 months
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Expedition section:
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1 training day;
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a practice expedition (1 night and 1 day); and
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a qualifying expedition (2 days and1 night away.)
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You also have to do 3 more months in one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections.
Key dates for 2024/25:
Applications:
|
Dates |
Activity |
|---|---|
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October |
Launch to Year 9 |
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11 Novemeber 2024 |
Applications close |
Expeditions 2025:
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Dates and times |
Activity |
Drop off point |
Collection point |
|---|---|---|---|
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Wednesday 26 March 2025 09:00 to 16:00 |
Training |
The Henry Box School - Students should attend Tutor Time |
|
|
Thursday 5 June 2025 18:00 to Friday 6 June 2025 16:00 |
Practice |
Youlbury Scout Camp Scout Adventures Youlbury Boars Hill Oxford OX1 5HD |
Youlbury Scout Camp Scout Adventures Youlbury Boars Hill Oxford OX1 5HD |
|
Friday 27 June 2025 09:00 to Saturday 28 June 2025 16:30 |
Qualifying |
Cowleaze Wood Car Park High Wycombe HP14 3YQ |
Cowleaze Wood Car Park High Wycombe HP14 3YQ |
Silver – Year 10
Silver Timescales:
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Volunteering section: 6 months
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Physical and Skills sections: One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months
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Expedition section:
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1 training day;
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a practice expedition (3 days and 2 nights); and
-
a qualifying expedition (3 days and 2 nights).
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Participants who haven't completed the Bronze award must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
Key dates for 2024/25:
Applications:
|
Dates |
Activity |
|---|---|
|
October |
Launch to Year 10 |
|
11 Novemeber 2024 |
Applications close |
Expeditions 2025:
|
Dates and times |
Activity |
Drop off point |
Collection point |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Wednesday 19 March 2025 09:00 to 16:00 |
Training |
The Henry Box School - Students should attend usual Tutor Time |
|
|
Wednesday 4 June 2025 18:00 to Friday 6 June 2025 16:00 |
Practice |
Chiltern Retreat Rural Camping Parmoor Park Field Parmoor Lane Frieth Henley-on-Thames RG9 6NN |
Lane End Car Park Handleton Common Finings Rd High Wycombe HP14 3ES |
|
Thursday 3 July 2025 Saturday 5 July 2025 |
Qualifying |
NT Corfe Castle Car Park East St Corfe Castle Wareham BH20 5DR |
National Trust Car Park Knoll Beach Studland Swanage BH19 3AQ |
Gold – Year 12
Gold Timescales:
- Volunteering section: 12 months
- Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months
- Expedition sections: (A practice expedition and a qualifying expedition - 4 days/3 nights away for each.)
- Residential section: Independent; 5 days and 4 nights
Participants who haven't completed the Silver award must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
The Gold level has been introduced in 2018 and runs more indepependtly for the Sixth Form students. Participants will be registered under The Henry Box School DofE Licence but will be responsible to organise their own Expedition and Residential sections.
Expedition
The Henry Box School use School of Outdoors, an external provider, for their Bronze and Silver expeditions. School Of Outdoors run something called Open Expeditions for Gold participants. Open expeditions usually consist of participants from various different locations across the country who have been unable to make their school’s expeditions. You will join a team of individuals who you may not know and conduct your planning, training and expedition with that group. You may be joining an open expedition with one or two of your friends and School of Outdoors will do their best to ensure that you will stay in a group with those people.
Participants can enquire here or sign up to Gold expeditions on the School of Outdoors website. Click here.
Guide price is £470.50 for the Gold Expedition package with School of Outdoors.
Residential
Participants need to arrange their own independent Residential and cannot be accompanied by any of their fellow Gold Henry Box School participants.
