Duke of Edinburgh Award

All Senior School students have the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. The award encourages participants to push their personal boundaries, learn new skills, make new friends and demonstrate a commitment to their chosen activities.

Year 9 students enrol in the Bronze level of the award and expeditions take place in the Kent countryside during the Summer Term. In Year 10, students can enrol in the Silver Award where the practice expedition takes them to the River Medway, Kent. Then in Year 11, students hike and camp in the New Forest National Park for the main expedition. 

The Gold Award is far more challenging, with Year 12 and 13 students participating in this level. We have recently introduced bell-boating to the Gold level expedition, with a group of girls successfully paddling upstream on the River Thames for four days.

Students are prepared for the expeditions with a series of training sessions that include orienteering exercises and route planning, using sophisticated map-reading software available in the school Library. In addition to the expedition, other requirements of the award scheme are to complete a period of voluntary service, take part in physical recreation, and to develop a new skill.

D of E is an optional, co-curricular activity, and is charged separately from the main fees. 

For more information, visit the DofE Award scheme website.