Duke of Edinburgh Expedition
Duke of Edinburgh Expedition
Map reading
Katakanu expedition
Duke of Edinburgh Expedition

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

Coordinator: Mr S.R. Heath

Oundle offers all levels of the Award Scheme: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The scheme is entirely voluntary and no pupil has to drop another activity in order to pursue an award. It offers a constructive individual challenge, enjoyable activities and encourages personal development. It also helps to develop initiative and organisation, and always includes an expedition, which has sometimes been completed in a foreign country. At any one time, from the Third Form to the Upper Sixth, almost half the school is involved in the scheme, making Oundle's Award Group one of the largest of any school in the country.

The Award is a four Section Programme with three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. A specific time on Wednesdays from 5.00 p.m. is set aside for the pupils to receive instruction and guidance.

Bronze Award: Mrs T.E. Raftery

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award Information for parents.

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh, Letter to parents. Posted 17/03/08

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh, Kit List

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh, Sample Service letter

This involves:
Service (helping the community)
Skills, for either three or six months (a hobby, skill or interest);
Physical Recreation, three or six months (sports, fitness);
Expedition (on foot) where pupils plan, prepare and undertake a two day and one night venture in the area local to Oundle, which is supervised by staff. Pupils will also undertake a practice expedition in the previous week. Pupils are expected to have completed their Skill, Service and Physical Recreation strands before the expedition, which takes place in the last week of the Trinity Quarter. This year the Bronze Award has attracted over 150 Third form pupils..

Silver Award: Ms A. Dean and Mr W. Gough

At this level the participants follow a similar format to the Bronze section of the Award, however, the commitment to each section is a further six months. The Expedition section is a three day and two night venture on foot, cycling, horseback, or a water venture. Several of the Silver Teams are currently undertaking a new cycling venture in the Peak District. The expedition takes place in the Michaelmas Holiday or the long exeat in the Easter Quarter. Participants who do not hold their Bronze Award must undertake a further six months in either the Service or the longer of the Skills/Physical Recreation Section. All strands must be completed by the start of the Easter Holiday.

The Silver Award attracts a large proportion of the Fifth Form.

Silver Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions, Letter, May 2008

Gold: Mr S.R. Heath

The Gold Award follows logically from the previous sections, but requires a longer time commitment focusing on a 'marathon' rather than a 'sprint' adage. The Expedition section incorporates all the ventures offered by the Silver Award, but participants do have the opportunity to go Sailing.

However, the Gold Award does have a Residential Section that pupils must undertake. This involves a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for five days and four nights. Previous Residentials have involved many of the trips run by the School, for example, attending the AAAS in the USA, the SCIC in conjunction with the CCF and the Mencap holiday delivered at Oundle School also counts towards the Residential Section

Participants who do not hold their Silver Award must undertake a further six months in either the Service or the longer of the Skills/Physical Recreation Section. 70 pupils took part in the Gold Award during 2006/2007.

Duke of Edinburgh Award website

Midlands Region Duke of Edinburgh website

The Award Year Out, a Gap year opportunity.

Expedition Dates 2007/2008

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Consent Letter

Expedition Kit List

Sample route cards, and the Green Form, will be avaialble for download from the School internal servers. Please contact Mr Heath if you experience any difficulties.



Page last updated Mon 19 May 2008 16:04