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Introduction to the Gold Award at West
Derby School
Please Note; All details in this section
are for the Gold award
This
website is for those who are interested in joining the
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at West Derby School and for
those who have joined already.
We have
provided students with the opportunity to undertake the award
at our schools for the past twelve years and have helped
many young people achieve success in the scheme.
To achieve the award at gold
level participants have to pursue a hobby or interest,
called a
Skill in the
award, and participate in a
Physical Recreation
activity for twelve months, these
activities will hopefully be something they are doing
anyway.
They will also have to undertake some form of
Community
Service , which
we may be able to arrange in school.
The fourth part of the scheme is the
Expedition ,
which involves training for and undertaking a four-day hike
carrying all the required food and kit. The training for this
will be covered during enrichment lessons on Wednesday
afternoons , two one day walks, a practice weekend and the
expedition itself, the weekends will hopefully take place
in June and July after the exams.
The
Gold Award has a fifth component, the residential, where
participants have to undertake a five day activity in a
residential setting.
This
represents a substantial commitment in terms of time and
effort for the young people involved but it is
worthwhile as they will gain a nationally respected award
recognised by employers and institutions everywhere and join
in an experience which will build their self reliance and
team skills.
The
scheme is subsidised for Y12 students by
funding from the enrichment scheme, but some
contributions will be required for the residential and for
travel expenses for the expedition.
Each
participant will be expected to provide a waterproof coat, a
sleeping bag and a pair of boots that will give some ankle
support (usually about £15 from TJ’s or Soccer Sports). They
will also need to provide their food for the expeditions as
planning a menu is an important part of the
expedition.
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