Volunteering
Read about the volunteering section on the DofE website.
Aim
To encourage service to individuals and to the community.
Principles
This section is based on the belief that members of a community have a responsibility to each other and voluntary help is needed.
Young people should identify the voluntary service required to gain some knowledge of the needs of those whom they are assisting and then receive briefing required to give that service. The value of participation in the volunteering section comes from giving practical service and appreciating the needs of the community.
Requirements
Participants are required to carry out a practical volunteering activity for others. Consideration should first be given to the proposed form of volunteering to be followed and so that the volunteering can be undertaken with competence and insight.
The time requirements for this section are available on the bronze, silver and gold pages. There is flexibility as to how the hours are spent within the total time span, as long as there is regular involvement throughout, averaging at least an hour a week.
Physical
Read about the physical section on the DofE website.
Aim
To encourage participation and improvement in physical activity.
Principles
This section offers a wide range of programmes in the belief that:
- Involvement in some form of enjoyable physical activity is essential for physical well-being.
- A lasting sense of achievement and satisfaction is derived from meeting.
- A physical challenge.
- Sports are enjoyable in themselves and can lead to the establishment of a lasting active lifestyle.
- Young people should have the opportunity to make a choice, then discuss and agree a personal programme of participation and achievement.
Requirements
- Assessed participation in an activity and achievement of individual progress.
- Achievement should be measured by regular participation and improvement in personal performance over the minimum period of months.
- Each participant should discuss and agree their performance with our award leaders, including the content and the appropriate goals. A means of measuring performance and / or progress could be the attainment of a national governing body award or standard.
- Participation should be undertaken in accordance with any national governing body safety requirements and, where possible, through clubs or organisation approved by the relevant governing body.
The time requirements for this section are available on the awards page.
Skill
Read about the skill section on the DofE website.
Aim
To encourage the discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interests.
Principles
This section should encourage young people to pursue activities within a wide range of practical, cultural and social environments. The skill section offers young people a wide choice depending upon their personal preferences, abilities and the opportunities available. The skill may be an existing interest or something entirely new.
Requirements
Participants should follow an activity and show progression and sustained interest over a period of time, leading to a deeper knowledge of the subject and the attainment of an increased degree of skill.
The time requirements for this section are available on the awards page.
Please note that the only sport related activities which are counted as a skill are:
- Snooker, pool and billiards
- Cards (bridge)
- Chess
- Clay target shooting
- Cycle maintenance
- Darts
- Fantasy games
- Fishing/fly fishing
- Flying
- Gliding
- Historical period reenacting
- Karting
- Kite construction and flying
- Marksmanship
- Model construction and racing
- Motor sports
- Power boating
- Sports appreciation
- Sports officiating
- Table games
- War games
Please note that archery is not a skill, but is physical.
Expedition
Read about the expedition section on the DofE website.
Aim
To encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery by preparing for and carrying out an adventurous journey as part of a team.
The expedition stage of the award is what is considered the fun and different part. At Stockport Grammar School we prepare the pupils as much as possible but a great deal of the work relies on good time management skills from the pupils. This training is given during days like speech day and a comprehensive list can be found on the DofE diary.
We encourage our bronze and silver expeditions to take place in the Peak District (White Peak and Dark Peak). However at gold there is scope to go further afield from the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales to the Tramuntana mountain range in northern Mallorca.
Training given
- Route planning – including writing a route plan for a practice and qualifying expedition
- First aid training
- Mountain safety training
- Practice walks
- Lyme Park – bronze
- Kinder – silver
- Yorkshire Dales – gold
- Map / compass reading
- Food advice and menu planning
- Rucksack packing
- Purpose work
Qualifying expedition timescales
| Level | Duration | Minimum hours of planned activity each daytime |
| Bronze | 2 days and 1 night | 6 hours |
| Silver | 3 days and 2 nights | 6 hours |
| Gold | 4 days and 3 nights | 6 hours |
Residential
Read about the residential section on the DofE website.
Aim
To broaden young people’s experiences through involvement with others in a residential setting.
Principles
To introduce young people to some form of purposeful enterprise in the company of others who are not known to them.
Benefits
The residential project should give young people the opportunity to:
- Meet new people
- Experience an unfamiliar environment
- Build new relationships and show concern for others
- Work as part of a team towards shared goals
- Accept responsibility for self and others
- Develop communication skills
- Show initiative
- Enjoy living and working with others
Requirements
- Go away from home for a residential for minimum of 5 days and 4 nights
- Be in an unfamiliar environment
- Accept no payment for what you do
- Develop new skills, interests, offer a service etc
- Not be with people that you know – please see Steve Pownall or Mrs Groves for clarification if unsure so as not to jeopardise the activity counting as the residential part
- Can be in the UK or abroad
- Communal accomodation with the people you are working with
Do not book your residential until it has been checked by Steve Pownall or Mrs Groves. Please note that school trips do not count.
When you return you need to complete a brief report which needs to include the following information:
- Where you went
- Dates
- What you did
- What you got out of it
- Cost
- Photographs
- Contact details for residential – links to website, email, telephone number and the name of person in charge
- Report can be submitted typed or handwritten
