Duke of Edinburgh

When your daughter participates in the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme, she will develop the skills and attitudes she will need to become a more rounded, confident adult. 

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards demonstrate energy, self-discipline, commitment and a capacity for teamwork. These skills will enable girls to shine in their UCAS personal statements which university admissions tutors read carefully to distinguish between candidates.

At Northwood Collage for Girls we offer all three levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Award – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Whilst the girls must complete the activities in their own time, they and their parents have the support of our D of E Coordinator.

The Bronze Award is open to all girls in Year 9, the Silver Award to all girls in Year 10 and the Gold Award to all girls in Year 11 and above. This gives all the girls the opportunity to complete their Gold Award in time to include it on their UCAS application at the beginning of Year 13.

At Bronze and Silver, participants must complete 4 sections:

• Skills
• Volunteering
• Physical
• Expedition

At Bronze, participants must spend 6 months on one section and 3 months on the other two – that means 1 hour a week for the given period of time. At Silver, the participants must spend 6 months on two sections and 3 months on the third.

At Gold, the participants must spend 12 months volunteering and 6 months each on the physical and skills sections. At Gold, there is an additional section – the residential when the participants must take part in a residential course for 5 days/4 nights which they organise themselves.

In our experience, most girls are already doing activities which fit into two of these sections and we also offer many volunteering opportunities within the school community, making the award easily achievable for all our girls. When deciding which activities to choose, girls are encouraged to think outside of the D of E, to their future and what they might like to explore as a career option. For example, if they are interested in becoming a vet, choosing to volunteer at a local kennels or studying animal care for the skills section will demonstrate a genuine interest in animals and show dedication to that career path.

The expedition section is completed within school. At Bronze this involves a training day, a 2 day practice expedition and a 2 day assessed expedition; at Silver a training day, a 3 day/2 night practice and a 3 day/2 night assessed expedition; at Gold a training day, a 4 day/3 night practice and a 5 day/4 night assessed expedition.

D of E is a marathon, not a sprint.  It requires dedication and perseverance. Participants have ready access to help with paperwork and their D of E account and each participant and their parents receive termly status reports.

The quality of the pupils’ personal development is outstanding, with its highly effective emphasis on their welfare, safeguarding and well-being.

— Latest ISI Report