Aylesbury Grammar SchoolThe Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

 Silver Award Programme: 2013-2014

Format of Meeting• Information about the DofE Award nationally• Demonstration of the DofE website• Information about the DofE Scheme at the school• General questions• Individual questions – after the meeting

Levels of the AwardAt Aylesbury Grammar School we are offering the following:

• Bronze Award: Year 10

• Silver Award: Years 11 and 12

• Gold Award: options planned for future years

All participants have until their 25th birthday to complete the award, but they do need to complete their award, and have it approved by the DofE, before progressing onto the next level

Once started with DofE, participants can complete it at another centre: they just need to arrange to transfer their account

Sections• Volunteering: 6 months

• Physical: 3 months

• Skills: 3 months

Plus an extra 3 months for either the Physical or the Skills Section – participant’s choice which one. Direct entrants must do one of these sections for 12 months

Participation every week, averaging 1 hour per week

• Expedition: 2-day Training Expedition, then a 3-day Practice Expedition, then a 3-day Qualifying Expedition

Total time commitment: average of 250 hours to successfully complete the award (Bronze Award holders)/300 hours (direct entrants)

Completing the AwardFor each section of the award, participants need to:

• Set objectives and choose a qualified assessor

• Submit programme planners and get them approved

• Submit evidence and personal comments at the end of each section

• Get signed off by their assessor and submit assessor’s report

• Submit entire section and get it approved

Full information is on the DofE website: www.dofe.org

Recording ProgressMeans of recording progress:

eDofE Website:• Text entry• Activity logs• Photographs• Video or audio files• Activity programmes• Team lists• Course syllabuses• Documents• Certificates• Letters of thanks

Only evidence submitted onto the eDofE website can be accredited

Approval of AwardsThe procedure for approving awards is:

• Participant uploads and submits evidence each week• DofE Co-ordinator checks and either approves or queries

evidence (giving reasons) • When section is complete, participant submits section• DofE Co-ordinator checks and either approves or rejects section

(giving reasons)• When DofE Co-ordinator has approved all four sections

(Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition), award is automatically sent to DofE for verification

• DofE check award and either approve it or request additional information or evidence

• When DofE have verified award, participant receives email confirming this from DofE

• Certificate and badge are posted to school for presentation

Lunchtime Meetings• Launch Meeting: Monday 21 October

• 12 x Focus Meetings: 5 in Autumn Term 5 in Spring Term 2 in Summer Term

• 3 x Expedition Briefing Sessions: the week prior to each expedition

• Expedition Presentation Session: soon after the Qualifying Expedition

Formal meeting takes about half an hour with time at the end for individual questions

Evening Meetings

• Training Expedition Planning Session: Tuesday 4 February • Practice Expedition Planning Session: Tuesday 1 April

• Qualifying Expedition Planning Session: Tuesday 3 June These are all 2-hour after-school sessions

They are all compulsory: any participants who miss any sessions will need to arrange to complete them at a later date

Expedition Dates

• Training Expedition: Saturday 29 to Sunday 30 March• Practice Expedition: Saturday 24 to Monday 26 May• Qualifying Expedition: Saturday 19 to Monday 21 July The Training Expedition will take place in the Chiltern Hills. The Practice Expedition will take place in the Cotswold Hills. The Qualifying Expedition will take place in the White Peak District

They all involve carrying full expedition equipment and undertaking overnight camps

They are all compulsory: any participants who miss any expeditions will need to arrange to complete them at a later date or with another approved expedition provider

Applying for ExpeditionsExpeditions limited to participants who have made good progress with the Volunteering, Physical and Skills Sections

Requirements: direct entrants must have submitted all programme planners plus 6 weeks of evidence in total

Bronze Award holders are exempt from these requirements

Application deadline: end of autumn term

Successful applicants will do their Expedition Section in 2014

Unsuccessful participants can apply to do their Expedition Section in 2015

CostsAward Programme:• Enrolment Fees: £175.00 – payable on enrolment. Non-

refundable Expedition Programme:• Expedition Fees: £280.00 in total – payable prior to the spring

half-term holiday. Non-refundable

• Equipment Hire: typically £23.50 per expedition (depending on what you need) – hired from Buckinghamshire County Council’s DofE equipment store at Green Park. Refundable deposit required

• Expedition Travel, Food and Fuel

Participant NumbersAward Programme:• Numbers not limited in any way

Expedition Programme:• Numbers planned to be limited to 4 teams of 7 participants

per team• If numbers exceed this, participants will be offered places

on the 2015 Expedition Programme• Priority on expeditions will be given to participants who

have made most progress with submitting evidence onto the eDofE website

• If numbers exceed 16 participants (capacity of school minibus), then some participants will have to arrange their own transport to and from remote expedition locations (the Cotswold Hills and the White Peak District) – this will be funded by the school

CommunicationCommunication with participants is by:

• Lunchtime Meetings: Mondays and Tuesdays

• Email Messages: to participants

• School Website: The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award section

In addition, key information, particularly regarding expedition arrangements, will be emailed to parents

We need to be kept informed of any changes to email addresses

Application deadline: prior to the autumn half-term holiday (direct entrants)/end of autumn term (Bronze Award holders)

What Next?• Read the Launch Letter, Scheme Information and

Programme of Events (available on the school website)

• Complete the Enrolment Form (available on the school website) and hand in to the School Office

• Make payment of the £175.00 enrolment fee by ParentPay

• Attend the Launch Meeting at 13:35 on Monday 21 October in S1

Contact

For further information, please contact the school’s DofECo-ordinator, David Goss, on:Email: david.goss@zest-for-adventure.co.ukPhone: 01525 850368Mobile: 07900 4103327