1. Aylesbury Grammar School The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award   Silver Award Programme: 2016-2017

2. Format of Meeting Information about the DofE Award nationally
Demonstration of the DofE website
Information about the DofE Scheme at the school
General questions
Individual questions – after the meeting

3. Levels of the Award
At Aylesbury Grammar School we are offering the following:
Bronze Award: Years 9 and 10 (expeditions only in Year 10)
Silver Award: Years 11 and 12
Gold Award: Years 12 and 13
All participants have until their 25th birthday to complete the award
Once started with DofE, participants can complete it at another centre: they just need to arrange to transfer their account

4. Sections Volunteering: 6 months Physical: 3 months Skills: 3 months
Plus an extra 3 months for either the Physical or the Skills Section – participant’s choice which one. Direct entrants must do one of these sections for 12 months
Participation every week, averaging 1 hour per week. All activities must be unpaid and extra-curricular
Expedition: 2-day Training Expedition, then a 3-day Practice Expedition, then a 3-day Qualifying Expedition
Total time commitment: average of 250 hours to successfully complete the award (Bronze Award holders)/300 hours (direct entrants)

5. Completing the Award
For each section of the award, participants need to:
Set objectives and choose a qualified assessor
Submit programme planners and get them approved
Submit evidence and personal comments at the end of each section
Get signed off by their assessor and submit assessor’s report
Submit entire section and get it approved
Full information is on the DofE website:

13. Recording Progress Means of recording progress: eDofE Website:
Text entry
Activity logs
Photographs
Video or audio files
Activity programmes
Team lists
Course syllabuses
Documents
Certificates
Letters of thanks
Only evidence submitted onto the eDofE website can be accredited

14. Approval of Awards The procedure for approving awards is:
Participant uploads and submits evidence each week
DofE Co-ordinator checks and either approves or queries evidence (giving reasons)
When section is complete, participant submits section
DofE Co-ordinator checks and either approves or rejects section (giving reasons)
When DofE Co-ordinator has approved all four sections (Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition), award is automatically sent to DofE Verifier for final approval
DofE Verifier checks award and either approves it or requests additional information or evidence
When DofE Verifier has approved award, participant receives automatic confirming this from DofE
Certificate and badge are presented by the school

15. Lunchtime Sessions Launch Meeting: Wednesday 2 November
5 x Award Sessions: 4 in autumn term
1 at start of spring term
Expedition Preparation Session: end of autumn term
3 x Expedition Briefing Sessions: the week prior to each expedition
Formal session takes about half an hour with time at the end for individual questions
For the Launch Meeting and Award Sessions the Silver and Gold Groups will be combined

16. After-school Sessions
Expedition Planning Session: start of spring term
This session lasts for a full 2 hours straight after school
Expedition Presentation Session: 2 weeks after Qualifying Expedition
This session lasts for 1½ hours straight after school

17. Expedition Section The Expedition Programme comprises:
Training Expedition: 2 days
Practice Expedition: 3 days
Qualifying Expedition: 3 days
They all involve carrying full expedition equipment and undertaking overnight camps
The Training Expedition will take place in the Chiltern Hills. The Practice Expedition will take place in the Cotswold Hills. The Qualifying Expedition will take place in the White Peak District
They are all compulsory: any participants who miss any expeditions will need to arrange to complete them at a later date or with another approved expedition provider

18. Expedition Dates Training Expedition: Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 April
Practice Expedition: Saturday 15 to Monday 17 July
Qualifying Expedition: Saturday 21 to Monday 23 October (Autumn Half-term Holiday)
These expeditions will be “Open” Expeditions booked directly with, and organised by, Zest for Adventure – they will be publicly advertised on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website and students from other schools will be participating
They will not be official school visits and will not have any school staff attending. They will, however, follow the same operating procedures as school expeditions, with the same staffing ratios

19. Applying for Expeditions
Application and payment deadline: end of second week of spring term

20. Costs
Award Scheme:
Award Scheme Fee: £ – payable on enrolment. Non-refundable
Expedition Programme:
Expedition Programme Fee: £ in total – payable in full by the end of the second week of the spring term. Non-refundable
Equipment Hire: typically £22.80 per expedition (depending on what you need) – hired from Adventure Learning Foundation’s DofE equipment store at Green Park. Refundable deposit required
All Expedition Travel, Food and Fuel. Current train prices:
Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh: £18.10 return (without railcard)
Milton Keynes to Buxton: £32.00 return (without railcard)

21. Participant Numbers Award Scheme:
Numbers not planned to be limited in any way
Expedition Programmes:
Numbers planned to be limited to 4 teams of 7 participants per team
If numbers exceed this, participants will be offered places on an alternative Expedition Programme

22. Communication Communication with participants is by:
Lunchtime and After-school Sessions
Messages: to participants
School Website: The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award section
In addition, key information, particularly regarding expedition arrangements, will be ed to parents
We need to be kept informed of any changes to addresses
Application deadline: end of November (direct entrants)/end of autumn term (Bronze Award holders)

23. What Next?
Read the Launch Letter, Scheme Information and Calendar (available on the school website)
Complete the Enrolment Form (available on the school website) and hand in to the School Office
Make payment of the £ Award Scheme Fee by ParentPay
Attend the Launch Meeting at 13:45 on Wednesday 2 November in B5

24. How Parents Can Help
Read through this Presentation, the Launch Letter, Scheme Information and Calendar
Put all dates in diary
Read through regular meeting notes
Check eDofE website account regularly
Ensure any equipment is ordered on time

25. Contact
For information about the Aylesbury Grammar School DofE Award Scheme, please contact the school’s DofE Co-ordinator: Alison Richards Telephone: Mobile: For information about the Aylesbury Grammar School DofE Expedition Programme, please contact the school’s DofE Expedition Provider: David Goss Telephone: Mobile: