Duke of Edinburgh's Award

At Dartford Grammar School we offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme to students in years 10-13.

We are one of the largest participating schools in the south-east of England, with nearly 300 students regularly taking part annually.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Programme

What is it?

A life-changing experience. A fun time with friends. An opportunity to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.

There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.

What do our students say? 

About the Gold Award: (from Maria)

"Last year I completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award. I think I am speaking for all of the students who completed the award when I say that, surprisingly, the teachers were definitely the highlight of the trip. The support of teachers during the trip was invaluable. This is probably best demonstrated by the fact that, after a very difficult 9-hour day of walking for my group, where seemingly everything that could have gone wrong had, in fact, gone very very wrong, seeing a teacher emerge, driving over a hill towards us, our whole team burst out crying with tears of joy and relief!

I think that the opportunity to see a different, less formal side to the teachers, also really helped create a better learning environment when school restarted where, amongst all the stressful demands of Year 13, everything feels much calmer and more comfortable - knowing you always have some teachers who know you really well you can turn to. It also makes engaging with teachers outside and inside of lessons much more natural, relaxed and just easier in general, and I think the same can be said about teachers interacting with the students.

The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition is an amazing opportunity to get away from the chaotic demands of everyday life and enjoy the challenges of a situation and environment that you’d otherwise likely never find yourself in.”

About the Bronze and Silver Awards (from James)

"My name is James and I am currently completing my Silver award in Year 11. Prior to Silver, I completed my Bronze in Year 10 with the whole year group.

The DofE is a great experience for both students and staff alike. The practice and qualifying expeditions, and their associated planning processes, both serve as a much-needed break from the classroom. Staff have the opportunity to support a group on their route planning and to supervise a group as they embark on their expeditions, and students get to know these members of staff well.

From my own experience, the informal setting of a group planning its route helps students and staff to form a positive working relationship. This is further cemented when staff accompany the group on their expeditions. It seems that both sides enjoy the experience and come out of it with a better understanding of each other, having worked together in a more informal and greatly contrasting setting to a classroom."