Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a high quality, enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development activities for young people aged 14 – 25.
Bronze Award for Year 9
We have successfully launched our Bronze award to our Year 9 students and are pleased to have signed up over 130 students. They will be completing their physical, skill and volunteering sections for either 3 or 6 months and will finish their award by completing their expedition in the Chilterns to sign off their Bronze award.
This year we will be running a separate training walk and expedition.
- Training Day - Friday 2 May 2025 (8am - 8pm)
- Expedition - Saturday 10 to Sunday 11 May 2025
In preparation for this, students must attend the compulsory meetings after school, 3 - 4.30pm in the dining hall, on the following dates:
- Monday 21 October 2024 – Sign up & sections
- Tuesday 14 January 2025 - Kit meeting (with Wildside Outdoors) 5-6pm
- Monday 20 January 2025 - Assessor reports & First Aid
- Monday 10 February 2025 - Food Planning
- Monday 10 March 2025 - Kit packing & Navigation
- Monday 31 March 2025 - Final preparations & Assessors reports
In addition there will be other meetings either at break or lunchtimes that will be communicated via the google classroom
Please see below the slides from the DofE Bronze & Silver Information Evening 30 September 2024
Bronze Award for Year 10
Another successful Bronze award launch has been to our Year 10 students and are pleased to have signed up over 65 students. They will be completing their physical, skill and volunteering sections for either 3 or 6 months and will finish their award by completing their expedition in the Chilterns to sign off their Bronze award.
This year we will be running a separate training walk and expedition.
- Training Day - Friday 2 May 2025 (8am - 8pm)
- Expedition - Saturday 10 to Sunday 11 May 2025
In preparation for this, students must attend the compulsory meetings after school, 3 - 4.30pm in the dining hall, on the following dates:
- Monday 21 October 2024 - Sign up & sections
- Tuesday 14 January 2025 - Kit meeting (with Wildside Outdoors) 5-6pm
- Monday 27 January 2025 - Assessor reports & First Aid
- Monday 24 February 2025 - Food Planning
- Monday 17 March 2025 - Kit packing & Navigation
- Monday 28 April 2025 - Final preparations & Assessors reports
In addition there will be other meetings either at break or lunchtimes that will be communicated via the google classroom.
Silver Award for Year 10
Having given Year 10 the choice of awards, we are pleased to have signed up 15 students to the Silver award. All participants will complete 6 months of volunteering as well as 3 and 6 months in either their physical and skills sections.
*If Bronze has not completed, a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
This year, as well as completing their three sections, they will have a practice expedition in the rolling hills of the South Downs and a qualifying expedition in the beautiful Peak District to look forward to.
Dates for expeditions are as follows:
- Practice expedition Friday 28 March - Sunday 30 March 2025
- Qualifying expedition Friday 4 July - Sunday 6 July 2025
Students will also need to attend compulsory meetings at school:
- Monday 21 October 2024 - Sign up & sections
- Tuesday 14 January 2025 - Kit meeting (with Wildside Outdoors) 5-6pm
- Monday 3 February 2025 - Assessor reports & First Aid
- Monday 3 March 2025 - Food Planning
- Monday 24 March 2025 - Kit packing & Navigation
- Monday 12 May 2025 - Review of practice expedition & Assessors reports
- Monday 30 June 2025 - Pre-expedition meeting
In addition there will be other meetings either at break or lunchtimes that will be communicated via the google classroom.
Silver Award for Year 11
This year over 20 Year 11 students have signed up to the Silver award both from our signed off Bronze cohort as well as direct participants. All participants will complete 6 months of volunteering as well as 3 and 6 months in either their physical and skills sections
*If Bronze was not completed, a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
This year, as well as completing their three sections, they will have a practice expedition in the rolling hills of the South Downs and a qualifying expedition in the beautiful Peak District to look forward to.
Dates for expeditions are as follows:
- Practice expedition Friday 28 March - Sunday 30 March 2025
- Qualifying expedition Monday 7 July - Wednesday 9 July 2025
Students will also need to attend compulsory meetings at school:
- Monday 21 October 2024 - Sign up & sections
- Tuesday 14 January 2025 - Kit meeting (with Wildside Outdoors) 5-6pm
- Monday 3 February 2025 - Assessor reports & First Aid
- Monday 3 March 2025 - Food Planning
- Monday 24 March 2025 - Kit packing & Navigation
- Monday 12 May 2025 - Review of practice expedition & Assessors reports
In addition there will be other meetings either at break or lunchtimes that will be communicated via the google classroom.
Gold Award for Year 12
We are excited to have signed up over 25 students to the Gold award. All participants will complete 12 months of volunteering as well as 12 and 6 months in either their physical and skills sections.
*If Silver has not been completed, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
This year, as well as completing their three sections, they will have a practice expedition in the beautiful Peak District and a qualifying expedition in the stunning Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) to look forward to. In addition to this, they will participate in a residential activity.
In preparation for this, students must attend the compulsory meetings after school, 3 - 4.30pm in the dining hall, on the following dates:
- Monday 14 October 2024 – Sign up & sections
- Tuesday 14 January 2025 - Kit meeting (with Wildside Outdoors) 5-6pm
- Monday 3 February 2025
- Monday 3 March 2025
- Monday 24 March 2025
- Monday 12 May 2025
Dates for expeditions are as follows:
- Practice expedition Friday 4 July - Sunday 6 July 2025
- Qualifying expedition Monday 18 August - Friday 22 August 2025
In addition there will be other meetings either at break or lunchtimes that will be communicated via the google classroom.
Further information on the award, can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions drop down menu below and on the main DofE website. There is also a useful booklet for parents/carers on how to support their child through the award, this can be found here.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact dofe@tringschool.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme?
The Duke of Edinburgh award was founded in 1956 by Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, and recognises the achievements of young people completing a specified series of activities that not only benefit the young person but also their community. Tring School has been running DofE awards since 2015 and currently have over 150 in the programme. Further information What is the DofE Award?
Why would my child benefit from completing the award?
There are a number of benefits to taking part: pushing personal boundaries; experiencing new activities and challenges; acquiring new skills; and enhancing a CV. DofE also makes participants highly attractive applicants to universities and potential employers. DofE helps participants develop leadership, teamwork, self-motivation, communication, confidence, consideration and the ability to learn. Further information.
Which year groups can participate in the DofE award scheme?
There are 3 progressive levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. At Tring School, we run DofE programmes in the following year groups:
- Year 9 – Bronze (new for 2024/25)
- Year 11 – Bronze or Silver, they will not be able to switch schemes (for 2024/25 only)
- Year 12 – Gold (Offered if minimum number of participants met)
Participants embarking on the Silver award do not need to have completed the Bronze award beforehand; similarly, participants about to start the Gold award do not need to have completed the Bronze or Silver awards, although they will find completing the award more straightforward and shorter if they have done.
How long does a DofE award take?
There are three levels of programme you can do which, when you’ve successfully completed them, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The main differences between them are the minimum length of time it takes to complete them and how challenging it is.
Please click on this link to head to the DofE website to read their information about timescales.
Does it matter if my son/daughter cannot commit to one of the expedition dates or the training day?
Unfortunately, yes, participants do need to commit to the training day in full, the practice expedition and the qualifying expedition in order to successfully complete their DofE award. The training day forms part of the award itself and teaches participants the skills they will need to successfully complete their expeditions. These will include basic navigation, cooking a meal, using a stove, pitching a tent, packing a rucksack and first aid.
What activities can my son/daughter choose for the Volunteering, Physical and Skill sections?
There are a vast array of activities to choose from – participants need to check the official DofE Ideas for Activities page on the official DofE website (www.dofe.org/sections). Also see the document in the folder at the bottom of the page Approved Activity Providers
If the above does not answer your questions, please look on the DofE website or email dofe@tringschool.org
