Aylesbury Grammar School The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award   Silver Award Programme: 2016-2017

Format of Meeting Information about the DofE Award nationally Demonstration of the DofE website Information about the DofE Scheme at the school General questions Individual questions – after the meeting

Levels of the Award At Aylesbury Grammar School we are offering the following: Bronze Award: Years 9 and 10 (expeditions only in Year 10) Silver Award: Years 11 and 12 Gold Award: Years 12 and 13 All participants have until their 25th birthday to complete the award Once started with DofE, participants can complete it at another centre: they just need to arrange to transfer their account

Sections Volunteering: 6 months Physical: 3 months Skills: 3 months Plus an extra 3 months for either the Physical or the Skills Section – participant’s choice which one. Direct entrants must do one of these sections for 12 months Participation every week, averaging 1 hour per week. All activities must be unpaid and extra-curricular Expedition: 2-day Training Expedition, then a 3-day Practice Expedition, then a 3-day Qualifying Expedition Total time commitment: average of 250 hours to successfully complete the award (Bronze Award holders)/300 hours (direct entrants)

Completing the Award For each section of the award, participants need to: Set objectives and choose a qualified assessor Submit programme planners and get them approved Submit evidence and personal comments at the end of each section Get signed off by their assessor and submit assessor’s report Submit entire section and get it approved Full information is on the DofE website: www.dofe.org

Recording Progress Means of recording progress: eDofE Website: Text entry Activity logs Photographs Video or audio files Activity programmes Team lists Course syllabuses Documents Certificates Letters of thanks Only evidence submitted onto the eDofE website can be accredited

Approval of Awards The procedure for approving awards is: Participant uploads and submits evidence each week DofE Co-ordinator checks and either approves or queries evidence (giving reasons) When section is complete, participant submits section DofE Co-ordinator checks and either approves or rejects section (giving reasons) When DofE Co-ordinator has approved all four sections (Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition), award is automatically sent to DofE Verifier for final approval DofE Verifier checks award and either approves it or requests additional information or evidence When DofE Verifier has approved award, participant receives automatic email confirming this from DofE Certificate and badge are presented by the school

Lunchtime Sessions Launch Meeting: Wednesday 2 November 5 x Award Sessions: 4 in autumn term 1 at start of spring term Expedition Preparation Session: end of autumn term 3 x Expedition Briefing Sessions: the week prior to each expedition Formal session takes about half an hour with time at the end for individual questions For the Launch Meeting and Award Sessions the Silver and Gold Groups will be combined

After-school Sessions Expedition Planning Session: start of spring term This session lasts for a full 2 hours straight after school Expedition Presentation Session: 2 weeks after Qualifying Expedition This session lasts for 1½ hours straight after school

Expedition Section The Expedition Programme comprises: Training Expedition: 2 days Practice Expedition: 3 days Qualifying Expedition: 3 days They all involve carrying full expedition equipment and undertaking overnight camps The Training Expedition will take place in the Chiltern Hills. The Practice Expedition will take place in the Cotswold Hills. The Qualifying Expedition will take place in the White Peak District They are all compulsory: any participants who miss any expeditions will need to arrange to complete them at a later date or with another approved expedition provider

Expedition Dates Training Expedition: Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 April Practice Expedition: Saturday 15 to Monday 17 July Qualifying Expedition: Saturday 21 to Monday 23 October (Autumn Half-term Holiday) These expeditions will be “Open” Expeditions booked directly with, and organised by, Zest for Adventure – they will be publicly advertised on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website and students from other schools will be participating They will not be official school visits and will not have any school staff attending. They will, however, follow the same operating procedures as school expeditions, with the same staffing ratios

Applying for Expeditions Application and payment deadline: end of second week of spring term

Costs Award Scheme: Award Scheme Fee: £120.00 – payable on enrolment. Non-refundable   Expedition Programme: Expedition Programme Fee: £300.00 in total – payable in full by the end of the second week of the spring term. Non-refundable Equipment Hire: typically £22.80 per expedition (depending on what you need) – hired from Adventure Learning Foundation’s DofE equipment store at Green Park. Refundable deposit required All Expedition Travel, Food and Fuel. Current train prices: Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh: £18.10 return (without railcard) Milton Keynes to Buxton: £32.00 return (without railcard)

Participant Numbers Award Scheme: Numbers not planned to be limited in any way Expedition Programmes: Numbers planned to be limited to 4 teams of 7 participants per team If numbers exceed this, participants will be offered places on an alternative Expedition Programme

Communication Communication with participants is by: Lunchtime and After-school Sessions Email Messages: to participants School Website: The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award section In addition, key information, particularly regarding expedition arrangements, will be emailed to parents We need to be kept informed of any changes to email addresses Application deadline: end of November (direct entrants)/end of autumn term (Bronze Award holders)

What Next? Read the Launch Letter, Scheme Information and Calendar (available on the school website) Complete the Enrolment Form (available on the school website) and hand in to the School Office Make payment of the £120.00 Award Scheme Fee by ParentPay Attend the Launch Meeting at 13:45 on Wednesday 2 November in B5

How Parents Can Help Read through this Presentation, the Launch Letter, Scheme Information and Calendar Put all dates in diary Read through regular meeting notes Check eDofE website account regularly Ensure any equipment is ordered on time

Contact For information about the Aylesbury Grammar School DofE Award Scheme, please contact the school’s DofE Co-ordinator: Alison Richards Telephone: 01296 688492 Mobile: 07751 594963 Email: alisonrichards07@gmail.com For information about the Aylesbury Grammar School DofE Expedition Programme, please contact the school’s DofE Expedition Provider: David Goss Telephone: 01525 850368 Mobile: 07900 410327 Email: david.goss@zest-for-adventure.co.uk