The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award aims to provide an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development for young people, which is of the highest quality and widest reach.

The key principles are that the Award is:

• Non-competitive
• Flexible
• Available to all
• Balanced
• Voluntary
• Progressive
• Focused on achievement
• Enjoyable
• A marathon, not a sprint!

There are three separate Award levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – with different minimum starting ages and periods of participation. The minimum entry age for Bronze is 14 years, Silver is 15 years and Gold is 16 years. At Dover College, those in Year 9 have the opportunity to undertake the Bronze Award, Silver is done in Year 10 and the Gold is started in Year 12 (although not finished until the end of Year 13 at the earliest). While it is best to start at Bronze and work up this is by no means the only way and students regularly start at Silver and Gold Award level as direct entrants.

At each level participants undertake an activity from each of the following sections:

• Volunteering
• Physical Recreation
• Expedition
• Residential (Gold Award only)

Participants track their progress using the online eDofE system.

Those who complete their Gold Award are invited to St James’s Palace where they are presented to a member of The Royal Family and presented with their Award certificate.

Our Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator is Mrs Samantha Bushell.