Background Information

Dear Parent/Guardian and student,

Please find enclosed the information that you will need in order to fulfil the expedition requirements of the Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The Silver Award is offered to girls in Year 11 and the Gold Award to those in Year 12. Girls may work towards the Silver Award either following the Bronze Award or as “direct entrant” to the Silver Award.

Once girls are registered with the scheme, the responsibility lies with them for carrying out the Skill, Volunteering and Physical sections of the award. The school makes arrangements to train the girls enabling them to develop the skills that they will need to successfully carry out their practise and qualifying expeditions.

The award cannot be completed with a short burst of enthusiasm. The scheme demands persistence and commitment, it is a marathon and not a sprint. The award aims to introduce participants to a range of new opportunities, allowing them to learn from their experiences and enable them to discover hidden capabilities and talents. The value and significance of the award is proportional to the degree of personal commitment.

The nature of the award requires participants to make their own decisions and accept responsibility for the consequences. It aims to develop qualities such as initiative, resilience and leadership whilst experiencing a sense of fun and enjoyment.

Dates

All participants must attend the activities outlined in the timetable below. Students unable to attend on one or more of the days indicated are responsible for making their own arrangements to complete the expedition section of the award. Nottingham Girls’ High School will not be held responsible for this.

Timetable of Silver D of E activities 2014 - 2015:

Deadline to hand in enrolment form Friday 26 September 2014eDofE lunchtime sessions Autumn term 2014

(1 lunchtime session)Expedition planning workshop (NGHS) Sunday 23 November 2014

Mode of travel skills training:Canoeing (National Water Sports centre)Cycling (White Peaks)

Saturday 21 March 2015

Journey skills training:Walking (White Peaks)Horse Riding (White Peaks)Canoeing (River Trent)Cycling (White Peaks)

Saturday 18 April 2015

Practise Expedition:Walking (White Peaks)Horse Riding (White Peaks)Canoeing (TBC)Cycling (White Peaks)

Saturday 18 - Monday 20 April 2015

Qualifying Expedition:Walking (Dark Peaks)Horse Riding (White/Dark Peaks)Canoeing (River Trent (Stafford - Nottingham)Cycling (White/Dark Peaks)

Saturday 4 - Monday 6 July 2015

Presentation 1st week back in September (1 lunchtime session)

Instructors and campsites need to be pre-booked and therefore we are unable to accept any consent forms after Friday 26 September 2014. In addition, we are unable to issue refunds as a result of illness or withdrawal from the scheme.

Should you choose to enrol in the scheme, a charge will be put onto your ParentPay account by Friday 10 October 2014. Payment needs to be made by Friday 17 October 2014:

Walking £230 per person

£ per team 1 team 2 or more teams Supplement

Canoeing £4,330 £3,330

Cycling £3,820 £2,590 £135 per person (cycle hire)Horse Riding £3,440 £2,305

The cost of the award covers the following:• Registration fee with D of E• Operating authority service charge• Training days (both in and out of school)• Practise and qualifying expeditions• Campsite fees• Certificate and pin badge (when the award has been completed)• Tent, stove, maps and map cases• Public Liability Insurance

The cost of the award does not include: • Transport to and from the start and finish points • Food• Personal equipment (see kit list)

Cost

Practise and QualifyingExpedition Kit List

Personal clothing and equipment

As stated in the ‘cost’ section, participants will be required to supply their own kit in order to complete the award. A small amount of kit is available to borrow from school. Please see Miss Lynn for further details. After registration, participants will receive a 15% discount card for Cotsworld Outdoor. Other places to source kit include Blacks, Decathalon and Yeomans Outdoors (10% discount).

Use the table below as a check list of the items that you need to bring to your Practise and Qualifying Pre Expedition checks.

Practise Expedition

Qualifying Expedition

Expedition rucksack (65 litre)Rucksack liner Walking boots with ankle supportWalking socks x 2T-shirt / topFleeceWalking trousers (not jeans)Waterproof trousersWaterproof jacketWarm hatGlovesWater bottle (1-2 litres)WhistlePencil and notebookPersonal first aid kit (to include personal medication, blister plasters, normal plasters, triangular bandage)Emergency food rations (eg. Mars bar)Sun hat

Sun creamSleeping bagSleeping matBowl, mug, cutleryWash kit and towelTorch and spare batteriesSpare clothesWatch

Group Kit

Each team must bring the equipment listed below between them:

Practise Expedition

Qualifying Expedition

Matches/lighterWashing-up liquid, scourer and tea towelMeths ProvidedStove ProvidedTent ProvidedMaps ProvidedCompassRoutecards (including activity log) Team needs to print at least 2

copiesMobile Phone 1 per group. Switched off and

sealed in a plastic bagEmergency survival bag 2 per groupMenu plan. (Only food item that you need to bring to the kit check is your emergency food)

Team need to print off a copy

Rubbish bagsToilet paper(small quantity in plastic bag)Antibacterial hand gel

Insect repellent

See separate kit lists for Canoeing, Cycling and Horse Riding.

A high standard of behaviour is expected at all times whilst on expedition. Rules for conduct on expeditions must be adhered to, including:

• Instructors must be treated with respect and courtesy.• Each group must walk together unless a medical emergency means

that the group needs to divide in order to get help.• Bad language will not be tolerated at any time on expeditions.• Only one mobile phone per group is permitted on the expedition,

in a sealed plastic bag, to be used in an emergency only. Other electronic items (i-pods, i-pads etc) are also not permitted at any time on D of E.

• Noise must be kept to a minimum on campsites.• Alcohol or smoking are not permitted at any time on the expedition.

D of E expeditions are based on trust. If a student is found in wilful breach of the D of E rules, including those for mobile phones, she will be withdrawn from the expedition section immediately and will be banned from subsequent D of E expeditions with the school.

The D of E scheme sets out twenty conditions for the expedition. Details of them can be found at www.dofe.org. All members of the team must abide by all of the conditions. These include:

• Your expedition must be by your own physical effort, without any motorised or outside assistance.

• Your expedition must be unaccompanied and self-sufficient. • You must be properly equipped for your expedition.• You must do the minimum hours of planned daily activity for your D

of E level. • You should cook and eat a substantial meal each day.• You must create and deliver a presentation after your expedition to

complete the section.

Expedition Code of Conduct

Participants are expected to adhere to the following agreement:

• I understand that I am responsible for my completion of the award. • I must be on time and attend all training sessions, practice and

qualifying expeditions. At each session I will bring all of the required equipment.

• If I am unable to attend a session I understand that I will not be able to continue the award with NGHS and I understand that I am not eligible for a refund.

• I agree to abide by the code of conduct and the conditions of the D of E scheme. I understand that if I do not do so, I will not be permitted to be involved in future D of E expeditions with Nottingham Girls’ High School.

• The majority of the D of E correspondence is communicated by email. I agreed to check my emails on a regular basis

The expedition section of the award involves self-reliant journeying in the countryside. Expeditions are designed to present participants with an appropriate challenge in terms of purpose and achievement with minimum leader intervention. Participants will be closely supervised on their practise expedition by an instructor. On their qualifying expedition, participants will be remotely supervised. It is important to be aware that there will not be an adult present at all times throughout the expedition. A supervisor will be allocated to each group; they will check on the safety and wellbeing of participants at some check points and at the campsite. In addition, an assessor will check on each participant’s navigation competency and camp craft skills at various points throughout the qualifying expedition.

Note on mobile phones

Whilst participants are out on expedition, one mobile phone is allowed per group. This must be switched off and taped up in a sealed bag for use in an emergency only. Other mobile phones and electronic devices are not allowed on D of E. If participants are caught with a mobile phone (except for use in an emergency) they will fail the award, as explained in the code of conduct, and will not be able to continue with the expedition section of the award with NGHS.

Expedition Supervision

Notes

Part of the GDST network of schoolswww.gdst.net

Nottingham Girls’ High School9 Arboretum Street

Nottingham NG1 4JBt: 0115 941 7663

nottinghamgirlshigh.gdst.net