Spotlight on: Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is the world’s leading achievement Award for young people aged 14-24.

This award is a globally respected and recognised youth achievement award, offering young people opportunity to challenge themselves, develop new skills and grow in confidence.

The non-competitive award encompasses three levels, all designed to inspire personal and social development. Each level contains four key elements to improve participants’ overall health and wellbeing, encourage them to learn new skills and enable them to give back to their community.

When a young person starts their DofE journey they are taking a step towards unlocking potential. Participants often develop new friendships and learn to bond as a team, recognising that each person has something different to bring to the group. DofE participants grow in confidence with new challenges and skills and for some this can lead to life changing experiences.

The DofE SEND Report (2021) highlights:

• The DofE clearly helps young people with additional needs to thrive – respondents note how they have grown in confidence and become more independent. The Award also has a wider positive impact on school staff, on the families of DofE participants and on the local community.
• Research shows that students with additional needs get involved in the DofE for a broad range of reasons – the most common being that it will be fun, challenging and something that is recognised by other organisations (such as colleges).
• School staff and volunteers who deliver the DofE reported the effects on their personal and professional development, including gaining in positive mindset, improving organisational skills and learning how to even better understand their students’ abilities. It also helps to grow trusted relationships that teachers have with their students, colleagues, students’ families and the wider community.
• Working in a team helps to improve students’ communication skills.
• Research shows that the DofE helps students with additional needs to manage difficulties and frustrations when things get tough and helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
• Vulnerable young people whose experiences of the outside world can be limited to taxi journeys between home and school also became more independent thanks to the DofE.
• Importantly, those involved in the delivery of the DofE help young people with additional needs to reflect on their DofE experiences and achievements so they can apply them to other areas of their lives.

Congratulations to our pupils for engaging in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award – a fantastic achievement highlighting resilience, commitment, and a wide range of valuable skills.

As part of the Skills section, pupils explored a variety of creative and practical activities, developing confidence and discovering new talents. For the Physical section, they took part in sport and leisure, staying active and showing great determination to improve their fitness and teamwork. Their Volunteering efforts made a real difference to the school community – from litter picking to helping grow and care for the school garden. The Expedition was an exciting on-site camping area experience, where they worked together with peers, built independence, and demonstrated fantastic problem-solving and communication skills.

In May, Perseid Upper School staff attended the Duke of Edinburgh Awards evening at Ricards Lodge High School, celebrating the achievements of one of last year’s graduates who achieved a full Bronze award; we are so proud of his achievements.