Sir Henry Floyd Grammar SchoolThe Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

 Gold Award Programme: 2014-2015

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 Award

At Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School we are offering the following:

• Bronze Award: Year 10

• Silver Award: Years 11 and 12

• Gold Award: Years 12 and 13

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: 12 months• Physical: 6 months• Skills: 6 months

Plus an extra 6 months for either the Physical or the Skills Section – participant’s choice which one. Direct entrants must do one of these sections for 18 months

Participation every week, averaging 1 hour per week. All activities must be unpaid and extra-curricular

• Residential: 5-day residential• Expedition: Expedition Training then at least one 4-day

Practice Expedition then a 4–day Qualifying Expedition

Total time commitment: average of 450 hours to successfully complete the award (Silver Award holders)/500 hours (direct entrants)

Completing the Award

For 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 Progress

Means 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 Awards

The 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: Wednesday 8 October

• 6 x Focus Meetings: 5 in Autumn Term 1 in Spring Term

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

For Launch Meeting and Focus Meetings the Silver and Gold Groups will be combined

Residential Section

Involves spending 5 days and 4 nights away from home on a shared activity with people you’ve never met before

Example programmes could be:• Helping on children’s camps• Animal welfare• Conservation• Outdoor activities• Sailing or watersports• Cookery skills• Drama or music• Helping disabled people• Overseas projects

• Details on National DofE website

Expedition Section

Possibilities for completing the Expedition Section:• Approved Activity Provider: details on National DofE website• Licensed Organisation (Buckinghamshire DofE, Milton Keynes

DofE): details on Buckinghamshire DofE website and Milton Keynes DofE website: dependent on whether they will be offering Gold expeditions in 2015 (both websites are currently a year out of date)

• Zest for Adventure: dependent on obtaining the appropriate licence and sufficient numbers to make it viable

• School: dependent on getting sufficient supervisory staff

Whatever options you decide to go for, you would need to complete DofE approved: Gold Expedition Training, at least one Gold Practice Expedition and a Gold Qualifying Expedition

Costs

Award Scheme:• Award Scheme Fee: £150.00 – payable on enrolment. Non-

refundable Residential Section:

£100.00-£500.00 in total: dependent on project undertaken (typically £200.00-£350.00 in total)

Expedition Section:• Expedition Fees: £400.00-£550.00 in total: dependent on

provider and numbers (Zest for Adventure or the school may well not be able to offer an expedition programme for this price)

• 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

Communication

Communication with participants is by:

• Lunchtime and After-School Meetings

• 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 (Silver Award holders)

What Next?

• Read the Launch Letter, Scheme Information and Calendar (available on the school website)

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

• Make payment of the £150.00 Award Scheme Fee by ParentMail

• Attend the Launch Meeting at 13:45 on Wednesday 8 October

Contact

For information about the Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School DofE Award Scheme, please contact the school’s eDofE Website Co-ordinator:

Alison RichardsTelephone: 01296 688492Mobile: 07751 594963Email: alisonrichards07@gmail.com

 For information about the Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School DofE Expedition Programme, please contact the school’s DofE Expedition Provider:

David GossTelephone: 01525 850368Mobile: 07900 410327Email: david.goss@zest-for-adventure.co.uk