About The Duke of Edinburgh Programme

A DofE programme is a real adventure from beginning to end. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re
from. You just need to be aged between 14 and 24 and realise there’s more to life than sitting on a sofa
watching life pass you by.

You can do programmes at three levels, Bronze, Silver or Gold, which lead to a Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

You achieve an Award by completing a personal programme of activities in four sections (five if you're going
for Gold).

You'll find yourself helping people or the community, getting fitter,developing skills, going on an expedition
and taking part in a residential activity (Gold only).

But here's the best bit - you get to choose what you do!

Your programme can be full of activities and projects that get you buzzing. And along the way you’ll pick up
experiences, friends and talents that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

About Bronze

A Bronze DofE programme has 4 sections, Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. You
need be at least 14 years old to start a Bronze programme and you must do a minimum of 3
months activity for each of the Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections, and plan, train for and
do a 2 day (1 night) Expedition.

You also have to spend an extra three months on one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills
sections. It’s your choice which one and, though you can change your mind later, you should
decide which section you want to do for longer at the beginning. Knowing how long you’re going to do it for
will help you to set your aims for the sections.

This table shows what you need to do:

About Silver

The next step up from Bronze... you need to be at least 15 to start doing your Silver DofE
programme.

A Silver DofE programme has 4 sections, Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. You need
to do at least 6 months Volunteering and a minimum of 6 months on either Physical or Skills and
3 months on the other. It’s up to you which one you do for longer.

The Expedition section involves planning, training for and doing a 3 day (2 night) expedition.

If you start the Silver without doing Bronze first you’ll have to do an extra6 months volunteeringor doing
whichever of the Physical or Skillssections you have spent more time on. Though you can change your mind
later, you should decide which section you want to do for longer at the beginning. Knowing how long you’re
going to do it for will help you to set your aims for the sections.

This table shows what you need to do:

Section Break down

• Volunteering
• Physical Recreation
• Skill
• Expedition

What we offer at school

Here at Ashford Christ Church we offer Bronze for year 9 and Silver for year 10 and 11. We work in partnership
with Kent County Council, Duke of Edinburgh and Ashford Duke of Edinburgh Unit.

Time Plan

Team Building (1 sessions)

• 18th November
• The Expedition section involves participants working together as a team in order to complete the
  expedition. Team-building should permeate all expedition training and can be enhanced through
  team-building exercises and regular reviews so that when the group sets out on the qualifying
  expedition, participants are able to work together as an effective and cohesive unit.
• Groups should have been thought about for expedition

Country and highway code (1 session)

• 25th November
• Understanding the spirit and content of the Countryside Code.
• The avoidance of noise and disturbance to rural communities.
• A thorough knowledge of the content of the Highway Code with special emphasis on specific modes
  of travel such as horse riding or cycling if they are to be utilised during the expedition.
• If undertaking a water based expedition, a thorough knowledge of the Water Sports Code.

An awareness of risk and health and safety issues (1 session)

• 2nd  December
• Expedition fitness.
• Telling people where you are going.
• Identifying and avoiding hazards.
• Keeping together.
• Weather forecasts - knowing how, where and when to obtain weather forecasts, relating weather
  forecasts to observed conditions, looking for signs which will indicate changes in the weather.

Emergency procedures and first aid (4 session)

• 9th December, 16th Dec, 6th Jan, 13th Jan
• Action in an emergency – resuscitation, airway, breathing and circulation.
• Treatment of hypothermia
• The treatment of wounds and bleeding.
• Treatment for shock.
• The treatment of blisters, cuts, abrasions, minor burns and scalds, headaches, insect bites, sunburn,
  splinters.
• The recognition of more serious conditions such as sprains, dislocations and broken limbs.
• Knowing what to do in the case of an accident or emergency.
• Summoning help - what people need to know, telephoning for help, written message.
• Getting help, self-help and waiting for help to arrive, keeping safe and warm, helping people to find you.

Camp craft and hygiene (2 sessions, and 1 session after practice expedition)

• 20th Jan, 27th Jan
• Choosing suitable clothing, footwear and emergency equipment and knowing how to use it.
• Choosing and caring for camping gear.
• Packing a rucksack or for waterborne expeditions a suitable waterproof container, waterproofing the
  contents, always keeping the weight down to a minimum, and about a quarter of the body weight
  when walking.
• Choosing a campsite, arrangements for water, cooking and sanitation, refuse disposal, fire precautions.
• Pitching and striking tents.

Food and cooking (3 sessions)

• 3rd feb, 10th feb, 24th feb
• Cooking and the use of stoves,
• Safety procedures and precautions which must be observed when using stoves and handling fuels.
• Cooking substantial meals under camp conditions.
• Planning meals for expedition

Navigation and route planning (at least 10 sessions)

• 3rd March onwards
• Preparatory Map Skills
• The nature of maps.
• The use of 1:25 000 Explorer, 1:50 000 Landranger or the relevant maps in Northern Ireland and abroad.
• Map direction.
• Scale and distance, measuring distance, distance and time.
• Conventional signsv  Marginal information.
• Grid references.
• A simple introduction to contours and gradient.
• The ability to give a verbal description of a route linking two places from the map.

Practical Map Skills

• Setting the map.
• Locating position from the map.
• Determining geographical direction and direction of travel from the map.
• Checking the direction of paths using the set map.
• Identifying features in the countryside by using the map.
• Locating features marked on the map in the countryside.
• Planning a route, preparing a simple route card.
• Following a planned route.

Compass Skills

• The introduction of the compass at Bronze level should be at a basic level.
• The care of the compass.
• Direction from the compass in terms of the cardinal and the four intercardinal points.
• Setting the map by the compass
• Finding a direction

Observation, recording and presentation (1 session before final exp, 1 session after  final expand
potential for an assembly to present to)

Gold

• Once you hit 16 you can do your Gold DofE programme.
• You’ll spend 12 months on your Volunteering section. For Physical and Skills you must spend
  12 months on one and six months on the other - you decide which way round you do it.
• The big difference at Gold, is you'll also do a Residential section - staying away from home for
  five days and four nights doing a shared activity with people you don't know. It's great fun
  and a real chance to dosomething different!

• If you’ve jumped straight into your Gold DofE programme you’ll need to do a further six months either
  volunteering or whichever one of your physical or skills activities you spent the most time on.

This table gives you a summary of what you have to do: