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Our Lady's Close

Upper Norwood

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Duke of Edinburgh's Awards


Duke Of Edinburgh Award 


At The Laurels School we strongly believe in promoting character education, and character development amongst our students, and as you may be aware, students have the opportunity to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme from Year 9. 


The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a life-changing experience. A fun time with friends. An opportunity to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers. The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate adult life.


Award Levels


At The Laurels School  the Award operates at three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold); the higher the level, the more time and effort is required. It is a personal challenge available to all. Completion of the Award is voluntary, as students commit some of their own time to undertake activities which they have selected.


The award scheme is progressive, the sections are more challenging and over an increasing time period as they move from Bronze, through Silver to Gold. The activities are for a minimum of one hour a week over a set period of time, so they can be fitted in around academic study, hobbies and social lives. Participants can start Silver and Gold without having completed the previous awards. However, they must spend additional time on the sections.

Each level of the award has four sections to complete, Volunteering, Skill, Physical and Expedition. There is an additional section for Gold participants to complete, which is a five day residential.


Participants are fully trained every Wednesday in all the required elements to fulfil a closely supervised practice and a remotely supervised assessment in accordance with the DofE principles during the DofE club run by Mrs Sardina (DofE Manager). We are also privileged to have the assistance of Mrs McManamon, a specialist in navigational skills (DofE Silver Supervisor) and Mrs Pratt, a specialist in food preparation and menus during the expeditions (DofE Bronze Supervisor).


The same qualified staff also monitor students throughout their training walks and expedition. 


Award Sections


Volunteering section

Volunteering is all about making a difference to other people’s lives. Students choose their own activity which could be anything from conservation work, raising money for charity or working with older people to starting a local recycling campaign. The Volunteering section is about giving your time to help others and change things for the better.

 

Physical section

This is a chance to focus on health and fitness. The only requirement is that the activity chosen requires a sustained level of energy and physical activity. For example you could improve your football, rock climbing or dance skills, or try a completely new sport or activity. The activity can be completed as part of a team or alone. It is not necessary to achieve at a very high standard or be incredibly fit – it’s the personal progress that counts.


Skills section

The Skills section is about working to develop skills in a chosen area. This could mean getting better at something you already do, like playing a musical instrument or learning something for the very first time, like how to design a website. 

 

Expedition section

The Expedition section promotes team spirit, the ability to compromise and recognise the skills of others, develop communication and leadership skills, resilience and independence, and provides a source of many happy memories. As part of a small team, students take part in training sessions and a long training day to prepare them to plan and complete their practice and qualifying walking expedition. Teams set their own aim, which is presented after the expedition has been completed.


Training expeditions normally take place in May, followed by the qualifier expedition towards the end of the Summer term.





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