Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award at The Cottesloe School: Your Adventure Starts Here!
Discover Your Potential. Embrace the Challenge. Achieve the Unforgettable.
Imagine yourself pushing your boundaries, learning new skills, giving back to your community, and embarking on incredible adventures. At The Cottesloe School, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) offers you exactly that – a life-changing journey of self-discovery, teamwork, and achievement that’s recognised by universities and employers worldwide.
Are you ready to see what you’re capable of? If you want to know more, speak to Alex Curtis, our Outdoor Education Coordinator, at acurtis@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk.
What is The Duke of Edinburgh's Award?
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award, equipping young people with the skills, confidence, and resilience to make the most of life. It's a fun, challenging, and rewarding programme that allows you to create a personalised journey, developing in areas that matter to you.
Participants complete activities in four key sections (plus a fifth for Gold):
- Volunteering: Make a real difference to your community.
- Physical: Get fitter and healthier by taking part in a sport or physical activity you enjoy.
- Skills: Discover new talents or develop existing ones.
- Expedition: Plan, train for, and complete an adventurous journey as part of a team.
- Residential (Gold Award only): Broaden your horizons by undertaking a shared activity in a residential setting away from home.
Completing your DofE is a fantastic way to grow as an individual, prepare for your future, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Why Choose DofE at The Cottesloe School?
At The Cottesloe School, we are incredibly proud of our thriving Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme. We believe it aligns perfectly with our school ethos of "Prepare, Aspire, Succeed," helping you to develop key attributes like cooperation, collaboration, critical thinking, creative thinking, coaching, and challenge – our '6Cs'.
Here’s why DofE at Cottesloe is a unique experience:
- Dedicated Support: Our experienced DofE Lead, Mr. Curtis, and a committed team of staff and AAPs - Outspark (Adventure Activity Providers) are here to guide and support you every step of the way.
- Tailored Opportunities: We help you identify exciting and fulfilling opportunities for your Volunteering, Physical, and Skills sections, both within the school and the wider local area.
- Structured Programme: From introductory assemblies and parent information evenings to carefully planned training and expeditions, we provide a clear framework for your DofE journey.
- Proven Success: Cottesloe students consistently achieve their DofE Awards, with some even celebrating their Gold Award achievements at Buckingham Palace! We know what it takes to help you succeed.
- Unforgettable Expeditions: Our well-organised expeditions offer incredible experiences, from local countryside explorations at Bronze to challenging treks in stunning national parks like the Cambrian Mountains (Gold Practice) and Northumberland (Gold Qualifying) at Gold.
With the additional Silver expedition programme this term, it has not been possible to launch the Y9 DofE award as planned. There is no need to worry though, the launch will take place next half-term and enrolment will be back-dated to the beginning of September.
In the meantime, please visit the DofE website to gain an insight into how the award is structured using the following link: DofE
The DofE Bronze Award
Offered to students in Year 9 and taken up by approximately 45% of the year group. We launch the DofE Award in the Autumn Term with an assembly for the whole cohort, and an information evening for parents. Participants generally start their activities in September, which provides enough time for the award to be completed by the end of the academic year.
The DofE Bronze Award consists of 4 sections; Physical, Skill, Volunteering and Expedition, with students taking responsibility for identifying opportunities to complete these. The DofE team will support participants by highlighting opportunities in the local area and within the school.
Students will choose how to structure their award; from the Physical, Skill and Volunteering sections, one must last for six months, the other two for three months each. Students who successfully complete the award make pre-existing enrichment activities fit their award structure.
Bronze Expedition
The expedition section is delivered by the school DofE team and our AAP (Adventure Activity Provider). Our training weekend usually takes place in early June with the practice and qualifying expeditions following in late June and July each year.
Bronze Award Introduction (Video)
Bronze Award Activities (Video)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at acurtis@cottesloe.bucks.sch.uk
The DofE Silver Award
The DofE Silver Award is offered to students from Year 10 onwards and also has four sections: Volunteering, Skills, Physical and Expedition. The timescales are longer for some of the sections, it will take you at least 6 months if you’ve already achieved your Bronze, or 12 months if you’ve jumped straight into Silver.
The DofE Silver Award at a glance:
- Volunteering section: 6 months
- Physical and Skills sections: One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months.
If you didn’t do Bronze, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
Students are entitled to carry on activities from their Bronze award but we do encourage them to try something new. This is particularly relevant as they begin to consider future employment or training in a particular field. All students are expected to manage their DofE participation by regular use of their eDofE account.
Silver Expedition
As with Bronze, the expedition section is delivered by the school DofE team and our AAP. Our Silver training day usually takes place in May with the practice expedition following in the June of each year. Qualifying expeditions take place either at the end of July or the start of the autumn term when students are in Year 11.
- Training: 1 day at school
- Practice Expedition: Forest of Dean, 3 days/2nights
- Qualifying Expedition: Wye Valley, 3 days/2 nights
Silver Award (Video)
The DofE Gold Award
At The Cottesloe school, the Gold Award is offered to students in Year 12 and just like Bronze and Silver, it has the Physical, Skill and Volunteering sections that sit alongside the expedition. 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.
For Gold, you’ll need to do your programme for at least 12 months if you’ve achieved your Silver Award, or 18 months if you’ve started at Gold level without getting your Silver – even if you’ve done Bronze. This is why at Cottesloe we start the award at the beginning of Year 12, so it can be spread over the two years of Sixth Form study.
- Volunteering section: 12 months*
- Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months*
- Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights
- Residential section: Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.
The Cottesloe expeditions are spread over Years 12 and 13 to lessen the impact on academic study. The practice expedition usually takes place in the Cambrian Mountains, Mid-Wales in July. The Qualifying expedition in Northumberland is timetabled at the beginning of Year 13.
*If you didn’t do Silver, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.
Residential Section
For your residential section, you need to undertake a shared activity or specific course with people you don’t know, in a residential setting away from home and in an unfamiliar environment. Evenings are often as much a part of the experience as daytime activities.
This section must be done with an organised group, registered charity or Approved Activity Provider. You must join it individually and not with an existing group of friends or as part of a school or youth group trip. You will be staying away – anything from an activity centre or camp to a boat or barge – but you cannot stay with friends or relatives.
The residential activity should normally take place over at least five consecutive days with a minimum of four nights spent away. In exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of your Licenced Organisation (please speak to Mr Curtis), this commitment can be spread over two weekends. However, it must involve at least four nights away within a 12-month period, during which you do the same activity.
For more information please use the following link, Residential Section Checklist
Gold Award Celebration Events
All young people who achieve their Gold Award are invited to a celebration event at a Royal Palace, attended by a Member of The Royal Family.
Students who achieve their Gold Award with us will visit London with the celebration taking place at either St James’s Palace or Buckingham Palace Gardens.
Trips Expedition Schedules
With the additional Silver expedition programme this term, it has not been possible to launch the Y9 DofE award as planned. There is no need to worry though, the launch will take place next half-term and enrolment will be back dated to the beginning of September.
In the meantime, please visit the DofE website to gain an insight into how the award is structured using the following link: DofE
Year 11
- Friday TBC September 2025 DofE Silver TRAINING/PRACTICE Expedition
- Friday TBC September 2025 DofE Silver QUALIFYING Expedition
Year 10
- Thursday TBC October 2025 Y10 DofE Silver TRAINING/PRACTICE Expedition
- Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th March 2025 Y10 DofE Silver QUALIFYING Expedition
Year 9
- Thurs 20th March 2025 DofE WAVE 1 Bronze TRAINING Day
- Fri 21st March 2025 DofE WAVE 2 Bronze TRAINING Day
- Mon 31st March – Tue 1st April 2025 DofE WAVE 1 Bronze PRACTICE Expedition
- Mon 28th – Tues 29th April 2025 DofE WAVE 1 Bronze QUALIFYING Expedition
- Mon 19th – Tues 20th May 2025 DofE WAVE 2 Bronze PRACTICE Expedition
- Thur 5th – Fri 6th June 2025 DofE WAVE 2 Bronze QUALIFYING Expedition
Year 12
- TBC June/July 2025 (TBC) 2025 DofE Gold QUALIFYING Expedition