Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Bronze, Silver and Gold Award
Programmes: 2014-2015
Dear Parent/Guardian
As in previous years, this academic year the school will be offering students a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
(DofE) programme at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. We will be offering the Bronze Award to students in
Year 10, the Silver Award to those in Years 11 and 12 and the Gold Award to those in Years 12 and 13.
The scheme is being co-ordinated by Alison Richards with the expedition programme being organised by
David Goss, from Zest for Adventure, a locally-based DofE Approved Activity Provider. This letter is to
invite you along to an Information Meeting on the evening of Thursday 11 September (Bronze Award) or
Thursday 2 October (Silver and Gold Awards). This meeting is intended for students and their parents or
guardians.
Leading youth charity the DofE gives all young people the chance to develop skills for work and life, fulfill
their potential and have a brighter future. It is well recognised and respected by both universities and
employers. Further information about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme at the school will be given
at the Information Meeting and will be posted on the DofE section of the school website. At this meeting,
full details will be given of what the scheme is and how it will be operated at the school. Full details of the
costs involved will also be provided. In summary, the main costs incurred are:
Award Scheme Fees
 Bronze: £90.00
 Silver: £120.00
 Gold: £150.00
This fee covers enrolment with the DofE plus management and support throughout the programme.
Expedition Programme Fees
 Bronze: £200.00 in total
 Silver: £300.00 in total
 Gold: various expedition options available – discussed in detail at the meeting
This fee covers all expedition training, supervision and assessment costs, as well as campsite fees.
Participants will need to provide their own equipment, food and fuel. (Participants will be issued with
detailed information indicating what they will need to provide and where they can obtain it.)
A full list of meeting and expedition dates for the year will be provided at the Information Meeting and
will be posted on the DofE section of the school website. It is important that you check that your child will
be able to attend all the dates given before enrolling them onto the programme. Many of the dates are
compulsory. For your information, some of the meetings will be at lunchtime and some after school. The
expedition dates will be as follows (participants will have a choice between two expedition programmes
for Bronze but only one for Silver):
Bronze Expedition Programme 1
 Bronze Training Expedition: Saturday 28 February to Sunday 1 March 2015: The Chiltern Hills
 Bronze Practice Expedition: Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 April 2015: The Chiltern Hills
 Bronze Qualifying Expedition: Saturday 6 to Sunday 7 June 2015: The Chiltern Hills
Bronze Expedition Programme 2
 Bronze Training Expedition: Saturday 5 to Sunday 6 September 2015: The Chiltern Hills
 Bronze Practice Expedition: Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 September 2015: The Chiltern Hills
 Bronze Qualifying Expedition: Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 October 2015 : The Chiltern Hills
Silver Expedition Programme
 Silver Training Expedition: Saturday 21 to Sunday 22 March 2015: The Chiltern Hills
 Silver Practice Expedition: Saturday 2 to Monday 4 May 2015: The Cotswold Hills
 Silver Qualifying Expedition: Saturday 27 to Monday 29 June 2015: The White Peak District
Detailed arrangements for all the expeditions will be advised nearer to the time (participants will need to
be involved in the planning process). Full attendance at all the expeditions, and the corresponding
preparation sessions, is compulsory.
In accordance with the requirements of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, expedition teams will be given
progressively more independence as the programme develops. On the Training Expedition they will be
accompanied at all times, on the Practice Expedition they will be shadowed, and on the Qualifying
Expedition they will be remotely supervised. There will be at least one qualified expedition leader and one
additional adult per two expedition teams (of up to seven participants per team). Detailed plans for all
the expeditions will be approved by the school’s management and by Buckinghamshire County Council
before the expeditions go ahead.
If you would like more information about the DofE scheme being offered at the school, please come along
to the appropriate Information Meeting, at which full details of the scheme will be explained and there
will be plenty of time for questions and answers:
 Bronze Information Meeting: Thursday 11 September 2014, 18:00-19:00, School Theatre
 Silver Information Meeting: Thursday 2 October 2014, 18:00-19:00, School Theatre
 Gold Information Meeting: Thursday 2 October 2014, 19:15-20:15, School Theatre
We hope that this is of interest to you and, if so, we look forward to seeing you at one of the Information
Meetings.
Yours faithfully,
Alison Richards
Alison Richards
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School DofE Co-ordinator
2 Meadow Way
Wing
Leighton Buzzard
Bedfordshire
LU7 0TG
Telephone: 01296 688492
Mobile: 07751 594963
Email: alisonrichards07@gmail.com
David Goss
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School DofE Expedition
Provider
Zest for Adventure
15 Firs Path
Leighton Buzzard
Bedfordshire
LU7 3JG
Telephone: 01525 850368
Mobile: 07900 410327
Email: david.goss@zest-for-adventure.co.uk