In September 2022, St Michael’s launched the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), which is the world’s leading achievement award for young people.

The DofE is designed to challenge young people between the ages of 14 and 24 to obtain a standard of achievement and endeavour in a wide variety of active interests – to serve their communities, experience adventure and develop and learn outside the classroom.

How the DofE Works

There are 3 levels to the award: bronze, silver, and gold. St Michael’s offers the bronze award to our Year 9 students, with the silver award offered to Year 10 students who have already completed the bronze award. The selected students will achieve the award by completing a personal programme of activities, which are broken down into four sections:

• Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community
• Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance, or fitness activity
• Skills: developing practical and social skills as well as pursuing personal interests
• Expedition: planning training for and completing an adventurous journey

 

Why DofE?

The DofE award is a fantastic addition to the curriculum and complements our school values. The programme offers students the opportunity to develop different skills, ranging from leadership to organisation, thus setting them up for their next phase of education. It is worth noting that many employers and universities particularly value the award.

If you would like further information about the DofE programme, please contact Mr Tolley at Benjamin.Tolley@st-michaels.sandwell.sch.uk