The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award remains a highly respected mark of achievement, both within our school community and nationally. Students are encouraged to broaden their interests, develop initiative, cultivate a sense of responsibility and strengthen their self-belief. Many young people who have taken part have become fitter, more confident, and have experienced notable improvements in their mental wellbeing.

DGGS continues to offer both the Bronze and Silver Awards, each of which comprises four sections: Skills, Volunteering, Physical, and Expedition. For Skills, students frequently choose to develop practical life skills, explore an academic interest (such as language learning), or pursue creative endeavours such as knitting, photography, or jewellery making. This section encourages participants to try something new and to commit to activities that they may initially feel they lack the time for. The Physical section highlights the importance of regular exercise and healthy living. Alongside improving physical fitness, it helps to build mental stamina which proves invaluable during the Expedition. Volunteering gives students an opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on their community, contribute meaningfully to it, and learn from those around them. The Expedition forms the final part of the Award and is usually undertaken during the Summer Term. In advance of this, participants attend training sessions in which they learn essential expedition skills required for successful camping. The final expedition involves a trek across the English countryside and an overnight camp.

We enrolled the new cohort of participants at the beginning of Term 1. We are also preparing the Expeditions for our ongoing Bronze and Silver cohorts, which will take place in 2026. The DofE website offers a broad (though not exhaustive) list of suggested activities for each section: https://www.dofe.org/do/ideas/.

The programme is tailored to each participant, who selects activities according to their interests. It is important to remember that self-motivation sits at the heart of the Award. Staff Leaders offer guidance and support, but the successful completion of each section ultimately depends upon the participant.