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Duke of Edinburgh Award
Mark Woodward, DofE Coordinator
This year 300 pupils worked towards an
Award at one of the three levels and
expeditions spread over all three terms.
Over 75% of the Shell cohort signed up
to the Bronze Award and the majority
made it through to the final qualifying
expedition. While there are four
components to the Award, the one that
most students tend to focus on is the
expedition, which puts many of them
outside of their comfort zone and challenges
their resilience and adaptability.
In the Autumn Term the Silver groups
went to the Wye valley area for their
qualifying expedition and were blessed with
lovely autumn weather, although the Forest
of Dean tested the navigational skills of the
walkers. The Gold expedition usually takes
place in July, but this year the expedition
leader, Keith Shindler, decided to move it to
October to avoid the crowds that descend
on areas of the Lake District each summer.
The major drawback of this time of year can
be inclement weather and it rained for the
entire five days, trying both the resolve and
waterproofing of the group. Once the Gold
groups had all completed their expeditions
successfully, their final step was to present
an account of their varied experiences to an
invited audience of parents, staff, assessors
and students at The North Wall.
The majority of training was delivered
in the Spring Term. The whole Shell year
group was trained by the Duke of
Edinburgh staff during the Shell Activity
slot. This prepares them for the Bronze
Award and also for their involvement in
CCF and Life Skills in the Fourth Form.
Gold training took place over two Sundays
in classrooms and then the Walkers spent an
afternoon on the Ridgeway to the south of
Oxford putting their new skills in practice.
Ed Edwards, staff member and qualified
coach, ran regular training sessions and the
occasional weekend to make sure that the
Canoe groups were proficient in water safety
as well as camp craft skills. During the
Easter holiday the Gold Canoe and Walking
groups went out for their important practice
expedition. The Walkers set out to the Black
Mountains in mid-Wales, while the single
Canoe group travelled for four days down
the River Thames from Oxford.
In the Summer Term a large number of
Bronze groups undertook their practice and
qualifying expeditions, fitting them in
between their end of year exams. This year
the Bronze qualifying was combined with
the Shell CCF trip to the Brecon Beacons.
Most of the groups had practised in the
Cotswolds and it was a real step up to
venture out from Llangorse and walk
through some impressive peaks to end on
the River Wye at Glasbury. It was a credit to
all the groups that they rose to the challenge
and the Assessors were impressed by their
determination and sense of adventure.
When not on expedition, the groups took
part in the other outdoor activities on offer
during the week. The Gold Walking group
also went on their qualifying expedition in
the final week of term, enjoying fine June
weather. Bronze and Silver Awards were
given out at Assembly and twelve Upper
Sixth leavers received their Gold badge or
brooch at Gaudy prize giving.