Dear Parents/Carers,
I am pleased to inform you that Leigh Academy Blackheath will be offering the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) to students in Year 9.
The DofE is a great chance for your child to volunteer in the local community, discover new interests and talents, make lasting friendships, develop essential skills for their future and achieve an internationally renowned award. As LAB’s DofE Manager, I wanted to send you some information about what a DofE programme involves, the benefits for your child and how they can sign up.
About the DofE
The DofE is non-competitive and open to all young people – it’s about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries. There are three levels of the DofE programme which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.
To achieve their Bronze Award, participants must complete four sections: Skills, Volunteering, Physical and Expedition.
Every young person’s DofE programme is personal to them – they can choose what they’d like to do for their Skills, Volunteering and Physical sections, and most activities count. We will provide guidance and support, and students can either choose to continue an activity they already do or discover something completely new.
This is not a trip. Your child must dedicate six months of their own time to the Volunteering, Skills, and Physical sections. Activities for each section take a minimum of one hour a week, so they can fit this around studying, hobbies and social lives. Your child will only attend the expedition (see below) if they successfully complete the aforementioned sections.
About the expedition
The Expedition section involves your child camping for two days and one night in the countryside, working as part of a small team to plan a walking route and find checkpoints along the way. Your child will undertake a practice and assessed expedition (two separate overnight stays).
Ahead of this, they will take part in a number of after-school training sessions in which your child and their group will plan their route and be introduced to the expedition equipment (tents, stoves, etc.) and the DofE principles/procedures. Participants will only be able to complete their expedition if they attend the organised training.
On the final page, I have provided you with a list of the essential items that your child will require for the expedition(s). I do not recommend purchasing these items yet, but I wanted to make you aware of them ahead of time so you can plan accordingly.
Please note that we have purchased tents, rucksacks, and stoves/cooking equipment for every group/individual to use; these will be distributed nearer to our expedition date.
Both expeditions will take place during Module 6 of 2023, and details about pre-expedition training and confirmed dates will follow.
eDofE and the DofE app
If your child is to be successful in securing a place, participants will be provided with an eDofE account and they will receive details on how to sign in and get started.
Costings
The cost of the expedition(s) is £220. This includes enrolment costs, expedition fees, and coach transfers.
Once enrolled, payment instalments will be added to ParentPay (spread over six months) and a welcome pack will be provided.
If the cost of taking part is prohibitive, please contact me as there may be financial support available to you.
Signing Up
If you would like for your child to be considered for the DofE award, please complete the Google Form linked here. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with your child’s behaviour/conduct taken into consideration if necessary. Should your child be successful in securing a place, a confirmation message (email/text) will be sent to you and a place assigned on ParentPay.
If you would like any further information in the meantime, please feel free to contact me.
Yours faithfully,
Mr J. Tebbutt
Director of Learning for Physical and Health Education
jordan.tebbutt@leighacademyblackheath.org.uk
Duke of Edinburgh – Bronze Award – Kit List
Clothing
- 1 pair of walking boots
- 2 pairs of walking socks
- Jacket/Coat (waterproof and windproof)
- Waterproof over-trousers
- 2 fleece tops (or similar)
- 2 t-shirts
- 1 pair of walking trousers (NOT jeans)
- 1 pair of shorts (if the weather is appropriate)
- Underwear (at least two sets)
- Nightwear
- Flip flops (or similar, for campsite use)
- Sunhat/Cap (if the weather is appropriate)
Personal Items
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Wash kit/Personal hygiene items
- Suncream and aftersun
- Towel (microfibre)
- Notebook and pen/pencil
- Torch (handheld or head torch, with spare batteries)
- Food (information to be provided at our training sessions)
- Water bottle
- Cutlery
- Plate/Bowl
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent