The Duke of Edinburgh Award

Hope High School is a provider of the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) This award aims to help young people take part in various challenging activities. It helps our pupils develop key skills for their time at Hope High, further education and later life.

Pupils from Year’s 9,10 and 11 will have the opportunity to participate and progress through the Bronze and Silver awards, with expert guidance from Hope High School staff.

Taking part in this award develops a young person’s confidence and helps to develop their self-esteem, as they learn more about themselves in various environments.

The award comprises of four elements; Physical, Skill, Volunteering and the Expedition. The award is highly regarded by colleges and employers alike and it also provides our pupils with a great opportunity to improve their ability to work within a team. Pupils will initially work towards their Bronze award; some pupils will then move onto the Silver Award. From this they can follow on and progress to their Gold in further education.

Bronze Award

Over the past year our pupils have shown that they can adapt when faced with big changes.

For their skill element of the award pupils have learnt and practiced bushcraft skills, where they have shown confidence and the ability to safely light and maintain a fire which they have then cooked over. With the restrictions that we were faced with, due to Covid-19, pupils worked on their cooking skills at home, before being able to complete this section around a fire as a group. Pupils also had the chance of tying knots, lashing and demonstrated their ability to put up a basic shelter.

For their physical section of the Bronze Award pupils took part in hiking. Starting this section our pupils walked across different terrain and progressed in distance. During lockdown pupils worked on their own fitness programmes at home before hiking again in the local area around our school once lockdown restrictions were lifted. This section was finished looking at basic navigation skills and the group working as a team to lead on a number of routes around Beacon Country Park.    

At the start of their voluntary section pupils demonstrated great determination by working together, in supporting the National Trust to maintain cleanliness, with litter picking at Formby beach. When unable to travel due to covid-19 restrictions, pupils completed this section by litter picking at Beacon Country Park and in the the local area around the school site.

Over the 3 sections pupils have persevered, shown resilience and the ability to work as part of a team. They have proved that they are ready to take on the Bronze Expedition when they are able to.

Curriculum Information - Duke of Edinburgh