Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has helped countless young people on their sometimes difficult path to adulthood.” HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT"

 

For the past seven decades, the charity has inspired and transformed the lives of millions of young people from all walks of life. From volunteering to physical activities, life skills to expeditions, achieving a DofE Award is a passport to a brighter future, valued by employers and universities.

The world’s leading youth achievement award, the DofE in the UK is proud to be part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, which drives and supports global growth. 

 

For more information on what the DofE Award is, click here. To speak to the coordinator, please email Mr. O Beckford at o.beckford@harrisclapham.org.uk or Mr. J Linton at j.linton@harrisclapham.org.uk/

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a charity that has been ‘working with young people from all backgrounds for 60 years’ (DofE).

Here at Harris Academy Clapham, we believe that enrichment activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) provide students with a well-rounded education, giving them the confidence and the skills needed, for a successful future. For many years, The DofE Award has been a significant part of the school life, aligning with both our values and ethos.

The award starts at Bronze level, which is offered to students at the beginning of year 9. If students enjoy the award, they can progress to completing their Silver Award in year 10 and their Gold Award in year 11.

At each level of the award, there are four main sections that the participants will need to complete, in order to achieve their full certificate:

• Volunteering: providing a service to the community.
• Physical: improving skills within a sport or personal fitness.
• Skills: developing practical skills such as cooking or learning to play an instrument.
• Expedition: planning and training for a hike and camping in the countryside.
• Residential (Gold): aims to inspire participants through a concentrated involvement with individuals with different background.

For the volunteering, physical and skills sections of the award, students will need to choose the two activities they would like to complete for three months in total, and the remaining activity, for six months.

The DofE Award is a fantastic opportunity for students to broaden their skills, have fun, make new friends, and discover new talents. It encompasses of our school’s core values, by teaching students the importance of commitment and encouraging them to be optimistic in an endeavour for excellence, resilient and empathise with others with integrity and honesty, when challenging themselves, pushing their own boundaries and supporting others on their expedition or through their volunteering work .

We encourage all students to partake in the award, highlighting the importance of its link to careers and employability. By participating, students gain ‘soft skills’ such as communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork. These skills provide students with confidence and an edge over other others when applying for apprenticeships, university and their future careers. The award is also recognised as a true mark of achievement and is regarded highly by employer.