Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme

Harton Academy has developed a fantastic team of staff that can offer the award at bronze, silver and gold level. Within the 6^th form you can either progress on from bronze level to silver or directly start silver in year 12 if you have not completed the bronze award. We work with the South Tyneside Outdoor and Adventure to offer the gold award in year 13.

Each year we have a growing number of students that take up this opportunity which is great to see and we are also getting many students volunteering to help with the younger students too.

Students are expected to complete the volunteering, skills and physical sections in their own time and the school organises and oversees the expedition section.

The cost of the silver award is £80 and the gold level £120. The school is able to loan out equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, stoves, roll mats, rucksacks and boots if required to help keep the cost of taking part to a minimum.

Outside of academic qualifications it is the most highly regarded qualification that any young person can achieve and this is in the main because of what you have to do in order to achieve the award.

The DofE sections

DofE awards are made up of different sections, and you’ll need to take part in activities within each section to work towards your award.

The sections are:

Volunteering

This is all about helping people, the community, the environment or animals. You’ll spend time doing something useful for a charity or not-for-profit organisation for free.

Physical 

It’s time to get active! Choose any type of sport, dance or fitness activity for this section.

Skills

Broaden your mind and develop your expertise in something you enjoy. Be careful to not choose a physical activity, or something that could count as volunteering (for example, a volunteer sports coach).

Expedition

Channel your inner explorer and have an adventure of a lifetime! You can go by foot, canoe, kayak, cycle, horse ride, wheelchair or sail. This is something your leader will train you for and organise, but you can get thinking about how you’d like to do it and what you’d like to achieve.

Residential (Gold award only)

This is your chance to get away to somewhere new and meet new people. You’ll need to undertake a shared course or activity as part of a group, keeping busy in the day and in the evenings.