“Our mission – To inspire, guide and support young people in their self-development and recognise their achievements.
Our vision – To reach more young people from diverse backgrounds and equip them as individuals to succeed in life.”

Aldersley’s Duke of Edinburgh Department

The Duke of Edinburgh Award at the Amethyst Academies Trust

All students have the opportunity to take the award at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. The Trust is a Direct Licensed Organisation and is able to deliver the awards independently. Since 2013 there have been over 1500 students who have taken the award and at present approximately 200 new students per year are enrolling. During 2022 28 separate expeditions with 673 students went to Cannock Chase, The Long Mynd area of Shropshire, The Peak District and Snowdonia. The Trust is now one of the largest organisations offering the DofE award in the Midlands and England.

Regardless of circumstances, we want our students to leave school well-equipped with the life skills needed to become well-rounded individuals. We aim to encourage thoughtful students, inspire opinionated voices and develop enquiring minds and challenge them to achieve the awards.

All our programmes are driven by the following ten guiding principles, which are at the heart of everything we do:

• Non-competitive – Achievable by all – Voluntary – Personal development – Personalised
• Balanced – Progressive – Achievement focused – Demand commitment – enjoyable

TheTrust offers:-

• The Bronze award in Year 9 with expeditions to Cannock Chase and The Long Mynd
• The Silver award in Year 10 with expeditions to Cannock Chase and The Long Mynd/Stiperstones
• The Gold level in Years 12/13 with expeditions to The Peak District and Snowdonia

Year 9 Curriculum – Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award

Students are trained in the following areas for the 2 Expeditions (1 as a practice and 1 assessed).

• How to put up a tent
• How to cook on a trangia stove
• Know what clothing and equipment is needed
• What food is needed
• Physical preparation ready for the expedition
• Learn navigation techniques
• How to pack a rucksack?
• Health and Safety on expedition

How will pupils be assessed?

At the Bronze and Silver levels students are assessed internally by qualified staff (Mr Grimshaw/Miss Price/Tattersall) and then externally verified

At the Gold level external assessors are brought in

General information about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) was founded in 1956 by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and is renowned as the world’s leading youth achievement award.

Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Young people will achieve a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award if they show persistence, commitment and personal development over a period of time. Every activity must be successfully completed and assessed. Completing a DofE programme equips young people for life and work, and is recognised by employers and universities alike. Through their DofE journeys young people develop resilience, confidence and a ‘can do’ attitude as well as the social and communication skills that businesses are calling out for. Where it is run DofE programmes are delivered in the UK under licence by over 3,500 partners (Licensed Organisations) who offer it in DofE centres such as youth clubs, voluntary organisations, schools, academies, colleges, universities, young offender institutions, hospitals, homeless shelters and businesses, which are run and supported by around 40,000 adult volunteers.

DofE programmes

Anyone aged between 14 and 24 can do a programme at one of the three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. There are four sections at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. Below are examples of the type of activities young people can do for each of their sections…

Volunteering – Helping people – Community action and raising awareness – Coaching, teaching and leadership – Working with the environment and animals – Helping a teacher, neighbour, elderly relative, charity or community organisation.

Physical – Team and individual sports – Water sports – Racquet sports – Dance – Fitness – Extreme sports and martial arts, walking to school instead of taking the school minibus/car.

Skills – Creative and performance arts, music – Care of animals and natural world – Life skill – Learning and collecting – Media and communication – Science and Technology, learning how to cook at home.

Expedition – On foot (Amethyst Trust at present only offer this method) – By bicycle – By boat – By canoe or kayak – By wheelchair – On horseback.

Residential Gold level only – Service to others – Environment and conservation – Learning – Activity based.

How long does a DofE programme take to complete?

There are three levels of programme participants can do which. Once completed, these lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Participants have until their 25th birthday to complete the level they’re working on and achieve an Award.

How to take your tent down