Established by Prince Phillip, HRH Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, today the DofE Award is the best-known award for young people to demonstrate they have a life outside the classroom, office or factory and is number one on a list of things that prospective employees look for on application forms, other than their basic qualifications.
Go for Gold in Sixth Form
At Dean Close we currently have 48 Sixth Formers involved in the Gold Award and last year 18 pupils completed the Award with some having already collected their medals from Buckingham Palace.
There are five sections to the Gold Scheme, all of which enrich a pupil’s time whilst in the Sixth Form. – Volunteering, Physical, Skills, Expedition, Residential. The Award is incredibly wide-ranging, embracing all sports, music, dancing, hobbies and personal interests. Last year pupils did:
- Chinese chess
- Cooking
- Rugby
- Knitting
- Fly fishing
- Website design
- House bible studies
- Saxophone
- Visiting the elderly
to name but a few, for attaining their Gold Award.
In addition to their skills, pupils spend eight days in total on expedition, which is split into two separate trips of four days out in the hills. Although this usually involves hiking, this year cycling has become another option. This year Dean Close trekked in South Snowdonia in 50mph gusts, and in the Brecon Beacons in four days of glorious sunshine. The D of E department is very keen to travel to foreign lands if there is pupil demand and enthusiasm!
A residential element to the Award involves four nights away, undertaking a project with a new group of people, for example National Trust working holidays, volunteering on a holiday for disabled people, revision weeks, cookery courses, Tall ship sailing weeks, outdoor adventure weeks, etc.
Upper Sixth Former, Rory Turnbull, comments on his residential element:
“Last summer I enrolled myself on a smallpiece university experience course. It was great for meeting new people who are similarly minded from all over the UK. It was a good opportunity to develop team work and leadership skills especially as I didn’t know the people I was working with. The course gave me a good idea what living at university would be like which is useful as I am now in my final year.”
With almost a quarter of the entire Sixth Form currently working towards their Gold Award, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a very big part of life at Dean Close and we would encourage you to get involved. After all, it is worth 70 UCAS points!