As part of its extracurricular offer, the Joseph Whitaker School offers students the opportunity to take part in our thriving Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme. The School is proud to be a DofE Directly Licensed Centre.
All three levels of the Award are available to our students: Bronze in Year 9, Silver in Year 10, and Gold in Year 12. Students may join the Silver or Gold Award as a Direct Entrant, without having achieved the preceding level(s) of the Award.
As well as taking part in the DofE Expedition, candidates achieve the Award by completing a personal programme of activities in different sections – Volunteering, Physical, Skills, Expedition and, for the Gold Award, a Residential.
How do candidates complete the sections?
Students choose their own activity for each section other than the Expedition. It is their personal responsibility to select an appropriate activity and a suitably qualified Assessor; the School can offer advice to students, but they must work independently. Each activity must be assessed and signed off by their Assessor, who cannot be a family member.
The Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections require a weekly time commitment over a minimum period of three, six or twelve months. Direct Entrants are required to spend additional time on their Sections. Details of the Section timescales can be found here.
Some suggestions for DofE section activities can be found on the DofE website:
Programme ideas for the Volunteering Section
Programme ideas for the Physical Section
Programme ideas for the Skills Section
How long are DofE Expeditions?
For all three levels of the Award, candidates must complete the expedition training, as well as a Practice Expedition before the final Qualifying Expedition, where candidates are under the scrutiny of an accredited DofE Assessor.
- Bronze: two in-school training sessions on expedition food and equipment; one day/one night training weekend; two day/one night Practice Expedition; two day/one night Qualifying Expedition.
- Silver: two day/one night Training Expedition; two day/two night Practice Expedition; three day/two night Qualifying Expedition.
- Gold: three day/two night Training Expedition; three day/two night Practice Expedition; four day/three night Qualifying Expedition.
How long is the Gold DofE Residential Section?
As well as the Expedition, Volunteering, Physical and Skill Sections, Gold candidates must complete a five-day/four-night Residential Section. This may be split into two blocks within a twelve-month period. Advice on the Residential Section, including suggestions for suitable activities, may be found on the DofE website here.
For information about this year's Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme and useful DofE resources, please click on the icons below.
If you have any questions or queries about the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, please feel free to contact the School's DofE Manager.