Getting started
Visit www.theaward.org.uk to read about the aim and requirements of the Award. Enter the main site and using the site navigation menu, visit the following areas: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, Expedition and Residential Experience.
Read the key requirements, process sections and ideas areas for each section of the Award. Set up a Duke of Edinburgh lever arch file to store all your information and work. The following section headings are useful:
- General information on the Duke of Edinburgh Award
- Service Section
- Skills Section
- Physical Recreation Section
- Expedition Section
- Residential Experience Section
Begin the process of deciding which activities you would like to undertake by visiting the choices drop-down menu on the Award's website for the Service, Skills and Physical Recreation sections. Accompanying some of the activities is a detailed work programme – ensure you read a few of these work programmes to familiarise yourself with the detail with which you will need to plan your own activity.
Complete the Planning Forms (available to download from the QE Learning Resources Area) for the Service, Skills and Physical Recreation sections. These plans will be submitted to the Award Leader (Miss Northover) for checking. You must ensure that the following are completed:
- Length of each activity (Requirements: 1 x 6 months, 1 x 12 months, 1 x 18 months)
- Brief overview of the plan
- Detailed planning of the aims and targets including any training requirements and planning for progression & improvement over the programme. This must be discussed with your mentor. The mentor must be involved in planning, monitoring & reviewing your activities and must sign the log book to confirm the work undertaken each week. Take your information about the relevant section with you for the mentor to read.
- Name, address, contact telephone number and signature of agreed mentor for each activity.
- Signature of parents to confirm consent to you undertaking each activity
The deadline for the completion of planning forms will be published by Miss Northover each year. You should then be ready to start the Gold Award. Keep track of the 1 hour activities undertaken each week for each section in your activities log book. Entries should include the date, one line to describe the activity and the signature of your mentor. You should also make a record in your diary comprising four or five lines to describe the activities, challenges and improvements. Remember to link the diary entry to your aims and targets for the section. You must also attend review meetings with Award leaders to discuss your progress and check the above written records.