Duke of Edinburgh Awards

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is one of the most respected leadership awards and is recognised around the world. Open to students aged 14 to 25, the award offers pupils a personal and individual challenge, helping them develop key character and soft skills for success in their future. Perhaps more important, students will develop friendships, try something new, and have experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar school is proud to offer the Duke of Edinburgh Award and is one of the most successful centres in South East London. We offer all three levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme with an opportunity for Year 9 students to undertake the Bronze Award, Year 10 students to undertake the Silver Award and Year 12 students can undertake the Gold Award where eligible.

Summary of the Award Schemes

The Duke of Edinburgh Award consists of three award levels, each consisting of four sections (five at Gold):

• Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
• Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.
• Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.
• Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey – including a practice & qualifying expedition.
• Residential: Only at Gold, you’ll spend five days and four nights taking part in a shared, worthwhile activity with people you’ve never met before.

Students undertaking an award scheme work with a DofE Leader to plan and undertake a programme of activities. The Expedition season opens in March each year where students work with their DofE Leader and the Expedition Leaders to plan, train for and carry out an expedition in a suitable terrain.

Whilst there are minimum timescales, many students are already undertaking suitable activities and most participants continue with their activities. 

DofE Awards Since 2019

The School has a very successful Bronze Award accreditation process with 196 Awards since the 2019 academic year with a further 139 Certificates of Achievement from students that were not able to perform expeditions during the pandemic.  37 Silver Awards were also completed during this time with a further 50 Certificates of Achievement, and the prestigious Gold Award was received by 7 excellent students.

Current DofE Participation

151 new students are currently working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award whilst 94 are continuing their award completion since the previous year. Between now and June, participants should be undertaking their activities for the Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections and uploading evidence regularly to their eDofE account. As they approach the end of each section, they should arrange for an Assessor’s Report to be completed for each section – further guidance on this is available from the shared area or their DofE Leader. All students are booked on to their Expedition Qualifier trip in May 2023.

65 students are continuing to work towards their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award. Between now and June, participants should be undertaking their activities for the Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections and uploading evidence regularly to their eDofE account. As they approach the end of each section, they should arrange for an Assessor’s Report to be completed for each section – further guidance on this is available from the shared area or their DofE Leader.  All students have been offered 2 separate back to back Expedition Practice/Qualifier events in late July/early August 2023.

1 student in Year 13 is continuing to work towards her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. She is volunteering to help people with additional needs, working towards a sub-aqua SCUBA diving licence for Physical and is completing an Online Cookery course for her Skill. This student is demonstrating exemplary endeavour and we wish her the very best of luck in accomplishing this award.

More Information and Important Links: 

• The Duke of Edinburgh Award’s website is a comprehensive source for information about the programme. Please visit www.dofe.org

• Students undertaking the award can find a wealth of advice and information via their eDofE account, which can be accessed via www.edofe.org

Contacting the school’s DofE Co-Ordinator:

• Students who are currently undertaking an award should contact their DofE Leader.  For any questions or queries about the school’s award scheme, please e-mail the DofE Co-Ordinator: dofe@csgrammar.com . 

• Mr D Pyne - Duke of Edinburgh Awards Manager

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