Dear GA Families

I am pleased to announce that Gloucester Academy is offering the Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award to our Year 10 students.

What is involved:

The Silver award requires those taking part to complete 4 sections:

• Skill (learning a skill at least once a week)
• Physical (participating in a physical activity at least once a week)
• Volunteering (being involved in an activity that benefits others once a week)
• Expedition (completing a training and assessed 3day hike with two nights overnight camp).

Volunteering, Skill and Physical Section

Students will be assisted in their selection of appropriate activities and monitored throughout the delivery of the award program.  Students will complete their Skill section by attending an in-school lunchtime or after-school enrichment and their Physical section by attending their timetabled Period 6 Elite Sport session.  It may be that students have activities outside of school that are appropriate for Volunteering, however if not many opportunities will be made available within the school, of which many will be during school hours (before school/lunch times/after school).  The timescales for each section are as follows:

• Volunteering section: 6 months
• Physical: 6 months (12 months if your child did not complete Bronze).
• Skills sections: 3 months

Expedition

The expedition consists of 3 days walking with two-night camping.  There will be a practice and final expedition.  The dates for these expeditions are:

9^th - 11^th June 2023   - Silver Practice Expedition

14^th - 16th July 2023 - Silver Final Expedition

Participants will be expected to have their own personal kit including walking boots; however, the school will have many items such as tents, cooking equipment, sleeping bags, rucksacks that students may borrow if needed.  We will provide information on any kit that may need to be purchased for the expedition in due course.  Financial support may be available in certain cases.

Please contact the school if you would like to discuss this further.

Costs

GA will cover all costs involved in completing the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award.  This includes:

D of E registration fee

Practice and Assessed expeditions

If your child chooses not to complete the award during the year, there will be a £25 fee to cover all costs associated with the award.

If your child would like to partake in the DofE Silver Award, please return the enrolment form attached.

I look forward to guiding the students through this exciting new challenge.

Yours sincerely

L Blick

Miss L Blick

Duke of Edinburgh Manager