Duke of Edinburgh
At Wembley High Technology College, we offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme to students in Key Stage 4 and 5.
The Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award is a prestigious youth achievement programme that encourages young people to hone a unique set of skills that develop their own character, benefitting our entire community. It consists of four sections. Activities for each section take a minimum of one hour a week over a set period of time, so they can fit in around students’ studies and life outside school. The four sections are:
- Skills: Participants choose an activity to learn or improve, such as playing a musical instrument, learning a language, or coding.
- Volunteering: Participants give back to their community by volunteering for a cause they care about, such as helping at a local charity or mentoring younger children.
- Physical: Participants engage in regular physical activity, such as joining a sports team, going for runs, or practising yoga.
- Expedition: Participants plan and complete a practice expedition and an assessed expedition, which involves camping and navigating in the outdoors for up to 5 nights.
|
Award |
Year Group |
|---|---|
|
Bronze |
Year 9 |
|
Silver |
Year 10 |
|
Gold |
Sixth Form |
We are one of the largest participating school in England with almost 300 students per year participating.
What are the benefits for students
Our students love DofE as they understand how life-changing it is to participate in the programme. It gives students time to develop the social skills and confidence which they will later in life. They discover new passions and talents and it helps them to become more active by getting involved with the local community. It affords them opportunities to develop independence, resilience and step out of their comfort zone. For all those reasons and more, our students also know that it helps for their university applications and in their future careers.
What are examples of what students do for DofE?
Here are some examples of activities that could fit into each section:
- Skills: Learning to play the guitar, taking a cooking class, or learning a new language.
- Volunteering: Volunteering at a local animal shelter, helping out at a community garden, or tutoring younger students. Coaching students in a sporting activity.
- Physical: Joining a football team, going for daily walks, or swimming.
- Expedition: Planning and completing a hike, then an assessed expedition in a designated area.
What do our students say about their DofE experience?
Duke of Edinburgh helped me to develop new skills – navigating using maps, building a tent, cooking using a stove… I volunteered, and I developed my fitness through football. I learned that I was stronger than I thought. Godfrey Y10.
