We are very pleased to be able to facilitate the Duke of Edinburgh Award at St John Henry Newman Catholic School. Opportunities that holding the award can bring are invaluable and introduce participants to exciting and challenging activities. The prestigious award is held in esteem by organisations and employers alike, and the holding of the award demonstrates the dedication and resilience of those who have worked hard to achieve it.

Mrs Eleanor Johnston

Duke of Edinburgh Manager

What do you do on the Duke of Edinburgh Award?

The award is made up of four sections at bronze and silver level: volunteering, skill, physical, and expedition. Participants spend 3 months on two of the first three sections, and 6 months on one of the first three sections.

For the expedition section, participants will spend two weekends exploring various areas of the Lake District. Currently, the practice expedition takes place in the area surrounding Buttermere. The final expedition takes place in the area surrounding Ullswater.

Ideas for these sections can be found using the following link: https://www.dofe.org/do/ideas/

Participants meet once every week after school to learn the skills required such as map reading, compass use, and first aid. Participants also create their own walking routes and route cards using suggested routes.

Who can take part?

At the start of each academic year, pupils from Years 10 and 12 are invited to sign up for the award at bronze level.

Pupils who have already completed the bronze award in Years 10 and 12 are able to sign up for the award at silver level, depending on how many participants wish to continue.

Where can I find more information?

The Duke of Edinburgh website has lots of useful information about the award: https://www.dofe.org/

Please also email Mrs Johnston if you have any questions.

One of the walks Duke of Edinburgh participants complete in preparation for their expeditions is a circular walk from Grasmere to Rydal Caves. The walk, lasting around 3 hours, covers a variety of terrain and has varying levels of challenge. In total, the walk is 9.4km. Together, each group use local maps to plan their route and create tracings of each part of the route, and a detailed route card outlining timings and distance.