• 01822 614231
  • office@tavistockcollege.org
Tavistock College - Together: we care, we challenge, we excel

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Tavistock College is registered to operate the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and is supported by the Devon Awards Office; the College has a qualified expedition assessor and D of E leaders who can set up eDofE internet registrations and eDofE accounts, it also has a representative on the Tavistock District Award Scheme Committee.

The Award is a challenging programme of activities which encourages students to learn new skills, to help others and to experience adventure which will give a great sense of achievement. Students are expected to take responsibility for their individual training programmes and will need to give significant commitment in their own time, by attending after school briefings, evenings and weekend training sessions in order to complete an award.

All work for the Award is undertaken in the participants own time and is carefully monitored by the operating authority so that while a spirit of adventure is generated all aspects of safety and supervision is covered.

The award is open to all young people from the age of 14 to 25 years and students leaving Tavistock College can continue to participate in the Award through the West Devon Open Award group based in Tavistock or at other registered educational establishments throughout the U.K.

The Bronze Award

DofE-BronzeEntry level: 14 years.

However, students in Year 9 at Tavistock College can register and attend training sessions associated with the scheme. (Please note: the Devon Awards office have stated that students must be a minimum of 13 years and 9 months to undertake the bronze practice walk or practice expedition.)

The Four sections covered by the Bronze programme are:

VolunteeringSkillsPhysicalExpedition
Aim; to encourage students to work to support individuals and to the communitySkills: Aim; to encourage the discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interestsAim; to encourage participation and improvement in physical activityAim; to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery by preparing for and carrying out an adventurous journey as part of a team.
Duration:
3 months3 months3 monthsPlan, train and complete a 2 days [at least 6 hours during the daytime] and 1 night expedition.Teams must be minimum 4 students, maximum 7 students

Students are expected to spend 3 months on each of the sections, plus an additional 3 months on a section of their choice. During this time students need to undertake a regular commitment averaging at least an hour a week.

Please refer to the The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website for more detailed information.

The Silver Award

DofE-SilverEntry level: 15 years

The Four sections covered by the Silver programme are:

VolunteeringSkillsPhysicalExpedition
Aim; to encourage students to work to support individuals and to the communityAim; to encourage the discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interestsAim; to encourage participation and improvement in physical activityAim; to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery by preparing for and carrying out an adventurous journey as part of a team.
Duration:
6 monthsOne section for 6 months and the other section for 3 monthsOne section for 6 months and the other section for 3 monthsPlan, train and complete a 3 day (at least 7 hours during the daytime) and 2 night expedition.Teams must be minimum 4 students, maximum 7 students

Direct entrants must undertake a further 6 months in either the service or the longer of the skills or physical recreation sections

Please refer to the The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website for more detailed information.

Participants are expected to take responsibility for their own training programme and will be encouraged to continue with the activities beyond the minimum time requirements of the respective Award in order to meet any personal objectives.

The Gold Award

DofE-GoldEntry level: 16 years of age.

This award covers the same four sections as bronze and silver but for greater time duration and in addition there is a 5th residential section where students undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.

VolunteeringSkills & PhysicalExpeditionResidential
12 monthsOne section for 12 months and the other section for 6 monthsPlan, prepare for and undertake a 4 day 3 night venture.Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and four nights

Please refer to the The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website for more detailed information.

Additional Information

Expedition training sessions and ‘drop in / catch up’ sessions are held during lunchtimes and after school. Practice walks are normally held after school and during weekends from May to June and practice expeditions during June / July with assessed final expeditions taking place after all the preliminary training has been completed. Students are also expected to arrange equipment and parental transport to and from expedition training locations. Please note that as the final expeditions are often dependant upon the availability of external assessors these may take place during September / October.

Are You Interested?

To begin the Award each student is required to submit a completed Duke of Edinburgh Awards registration/parental consent form and to pay a participation fee to the DofE charity, the current costs (as of 1st March 2018) are:

  • Bronze £22
  • Silver £22
  • Gold £29

Payments by cheque should be made payable to ‘ The Dartmoor MAT’ and in addition, the parental consent form needs to be completed and forwarded to:

Andy Jerrett
Tavistock College
Crowndale Road
Tavistock
Devon, PL19 8DD.

Student details are sent together with payment for the participation fee to the Devon Awards Office, a student registration number, and eDofE password will then be allocated to each student; this identification number should be kept for referral as it will be required each time students ‘log on’ to the eDofE system on the internet.