Year 7 Sept 2024 - please see the news item below

Duke of Edinburgh

Our most recent expedition

DofE

At Woodkirk Academy we are very proud to offer The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme to students over the ages of 14.  The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a nationally run scheme that aims to develop the self-confidence and skills for life of young people. Through individual challenges, each award offers a balanced, non-competitive programme of activities which encourage personal discovery and growth, self-reliance, perseverance, responsibility to themselves and service to the community.  In order to gain an award a student must show improvement through persistence and achievement.

The demands placed on students becoming involved in the DofE scheme increase as they progress through the awards; however the type of activity that each student concentrates on is chosen by each individual, ensuring that they are interested in the activity and are likely to succeed.

Click here to visit the DofE website.

Universities and future employers are often keen to interview candidates who have gained Duke of Edinburgh's Awards, because they know that such involvement means a young person is proactive and may have developed a whole host of skills.

The Award Scheme

For each award, students must complete challenges in 4 sections for Bronze and Silver and 5 sections for their Gold award.

Volunteering- students offer service to individuals or the community. This can range from teaching younger students to read, visiting the elderly, working in a charity shop, assisting leading a sports team.

Skill - this essentially means a hobby. It encourages discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interests. E.g.  Learning to cook, learning to officiate a sport

Physical Recreation - Encourages participation/improvement in physical activity. E.g.  Regular participation in a sports team, regular fitness training, regular participation in an outdoor activity.

Expedition - this encourages a spirit of adventure and discovery. The Expedition usually takes place in wild country, during which small groups of students must navigate themselves across the countryside and also camp overnight, unassisted by adults. Training for the expedition is completed prior to the assessment, with practice and assessed expeditions taking place between March and June.

Residential (Gold level only) – this broadens young people’s experiences through involvement with others in a residential setting for at least four nights.

Duke of Edinburgh Leaders and Support in School

The Woodkirk Academy Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is organised and run on a voluntary basis by our staff: Mr. Wilson and Mr. Grey run the expedition, Miss Mills manages the other sections of the award, with Mrs. McNab, Vice Principal, overseeing the whole DofE. 

Our Award Scheme Co-coordinator is Miss Mills: mills.c@woodkirkacademy.com