Duke of Edinburgh

ICHS are proud to offer students the opportunity to pursue the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award. Every year, many students embark on their DofE journey to achieve their goals and maximise their personal growth through the completion of four sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skill, and Expedition. This is a globally recognised award that our students strive to complete not only at the Bronze level, but also at Silver and Gold to further their progression.  

At ICHS, we enjoy supporting our students to become well-rounded individuals and the DofE award is a great chance for young people to develop their soft skills and interests, all the while being acknowledged for their efforts in volunteering and pursuit of developing themselves. If you want to find out more, please continue to read the information below. We will endeavour to keep this page up to date, so parents/carers have the latest updates on the DofE award. 

Any questions, please email dofe@ichs.org.uk and we will be happy to help. 

Note that ICHS works with an external company, Let's Get Out, to lead the students on their expeditions (practice and assessed). There is a webpage for ICHS parents/carers and students, so please navigate to https://letsgetout.co.uk/ichs to find out more or answer any FAQs. 

Levels and requirements

There are three levels to the programme. When you’ve successfully completed them, they lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

Bronze

• Age: 14 - 25th birthday

• Completion time: 6 months

• Activities:

  • Volunteering (3 months)

  • Physical (3 months)

  • Skills (3 months)

  • Expedition (2 days, 1 night)

  • Plus a further 3 months in either volunteering, physical, or skills.

• Weekly commitment: Each section should average an hour per week.

Silver

• Age: 15 - 25th birthday

• Completion time: 12 months (or 6 months if you've already completed Bronze)

• Activities:

  • Volunteering (6 months)

  • Physical and Skills (one for 6 months, the other for 3 months)

  • Expedition (3 days, 2 nights)

  • If you didn't complete Bronze, you must complete a further 6 months in either Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.

• Weekly commitment: Each section should average an hour per week.

Gold

• Age: 16 - 25th birthday

• Completion time: 18 months (12 months if you've already completed Silver)

• Activities:

  • Volunteering (12 months)

  • Physical and Skills (one for 12 months, the other for 6 months)

  • Expedition (4 days, 3 nights)

  • Residential (5 days, 4 nights)

  • If you didn't complete Silver, you must complete a further 6 months in either Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.

• Weekly commitment: Each section should average an hour per week.

ICHS Student Testimonies 

Bronze - “It was a short break away from school, while still having fun with friends. DofE was an enjoyable experience which allowed me to develop my map reading and teamwork skills. It came along with many laughs and jokes, and my team finished the entire expedition first. All in all, DofE, while seeming like a daunting task, is a wonderful opportunity that not only comes with an exciting expedition but also pushes you out of your comfort zone to complete your volunteering, skills and physical.” 

Bronze - “Excellent - great way to stay active and engaged and diversify a lifestyle that could just include staying at home and doing revision. Expedition is great - good fun if you pick the right group to go with and really isn't as long as it feels.” 

Bronze - “DofE bronze was a great experience; i learnt lots of new skills from volunteering, expedition and physical activity. I also got lots of exposure to the workplace and made dozens of memories with my friends on the expeditions.” 

Silver - “Taking part in DofE was a really adventurous and rewarding experience. Doing the expedition with my friends made it even more fun, and working together helped us get through the tougher moments. I learned new skills, built confidence, and realised I could push myself further than I expected. I enjoyed it so much that I’m planning to do Gold next. Overall, it was a memorable experience that I’m proud of.” 

Silver - “It was a great experience as was able to experience an expedition and camping; something I hadn't experienced before my Bronze award and something I will cherish forever.” 

Silver - “I learnt a lot about how to communicate with people and how every section is linked to the expedition where the countryside camping life is so different to how we live in the city. Also, it is a lot of fun out there as you are with your friends, and you can navigate through a town all by yourself. I enjoyed the part after when we got back to our campsite because we ate after a long time and also, we played football for the whole evening, which made it so much more fun. Personally, I would recommend it because it is a very different lifestyle from what we live here and it can be very fun trying to explore a new life and learn skills that you may not be taught at school.” 

DofE Information Evening 2023-24