TRINITY S C H O O L. Shirley Park Croydon CR9 7AT Tel Fax Headmaster M J Bishop MA MBA

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1 16 th January 2015 Dear Parent I am delighted that your son has expressed an interest in participating in the Duke of Edinburgh s Award Scheme at Bronze level. This is open to all young people between the ages of 14 and 24. In order to gain his Award, he will need to choose an activity from each of the Skill, Physical and Volunteering sections which will see him learning a new skill or developing an existing one, taking part in some form of physical activity, and helping others. One of these activities should be carried out for a minimum of six months, with the other two having a minimum timescale of three months each. Activities may be carried out concurrently. Each of these activities should adhere to the criteria set out by the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Scheme. These are available online, at and lists of suitable activities can also be found on the DofE noticeboard. DofE staff are available to provide further advice and guidance on the selection of activities. In addition, your son will train and prepare for a two-day, overnight practice expedition, with a team of other pupils. Once this has been completed to a satisfactory standard, he will be eligible to take part in an Assessed Expedition. Participants plan and prepare for this as a team, with support from staff. We charge a registration fee of 50 to take part at Bronze level. This covers registration with the Award Scheme, together with the first practice expedition (pupils provide their own food). Once this has been paid via Wisepay, and the attached consent form returned, your son will have an edofe account created for him to record his progress through the Award. Miss Morley (slm@trinity.croydon.sch.uk) is in charge of the Bronze Award, and Mrs Taylor (szt@trinity.croydon.sch.uk) is our Expeditions coordinator. In this pack, you will find further information on the Expedition section from Mrs Taylor and on the process of completing the Bronze Award from Miss Morley. The ethos of the Award is one of self-motivation on the part of participants: it is through their interest and desire to follow an activity in their leisure time that they will gain their Award. The school staff will provide training, and advise and assist where needed. We offer drop in sessions each week when the boys can ask questions about the Award, and pupils are always welcome to talk to us or us with their queries. Beyond this we will not, however, chase boys about their Award. The spirit of the Award is for the boys (not parents or staff) to take responsibility of their own progress and to organise themselves accordingly. Please do encourage your son to check his school regularly, as this is our main method of communication. We also have a DofE area on Gateway, with useful support material and documentation for participants. I look forward to seeing your son s progress through his Bronze Award. Yours sincerely Ms H Benzinski Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator

2 16 th January 2015 Dear Parent Welcome to the Duke of Edinburgh s Award. As Bronze coordinator, I will be the first port of call for your son as he completes his award. Even at Bronze level, the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award is a challenging - but immensely rewarding - experience. It will require your son to be organised, determined and motivated, whilst giving him fantastic experiences that I hope he will remember for life. The DofE team will, of course, provide support and training to guide every pupil through the process of completing their award. I would be grateful for your assistance with the following organisational matters: 1. I will predominantly communicate with students via . Please encourage your son to check his s regularly, and more importantly, act on s as soon as they have been received. 2. Please encourage your son to keep his edofe account up to date. 3. The DofE rewards good communication, independence and self-motivation. If your son has a question or is struggling to overcome a problem, please encourage him to speak to a member of the DofE team (I am always available to suggest solutions) and to take ownership of his personal progress towards earning his award. If he does, the sense of pride and satisfaction that your son will feel on completion of his award will be enormous. In order to complete his award, your son will need to do the following during the course of the year: edofe Whilst in the past DofE was recorded using books, the DofE have introduced an online record keeping system called edofe. Your son will be given an account and he should log in, set his own password and input the relevant contact information. Please make sure that he keeps a record of his log in details. In the first training session, your son will be encouraged to log onto edofe and input his Programme Planner for each activity. This outlines which activities your son will be participating in, for how long, where, and the name of his. He should, therefore, ensure that he has organised his activities by February half-term (although he should, ideally, have already started his activities by then). It is very important that your son keeps his edofe account up to date and is careful to submit information properly. Once evidence has been uploaded, it must be submitted to your son s DofE leader, otherwise it cannot be approved. Similarly,

3 once an activity report has been submitted, it must be marked as an s report, otherwise that section cannot be marked as completed. Activities As I m sure you are already aware, your son will need to complete three different types of activity: Volunteering, Skill and Physical. Your son should have already chosen these activities and the for each. Please be aware that a family member is not able to assess an activity. Activities can be backdated to the date that your son turned 13 ½. If your son is struggling to find suitable activities, there are lots of suggestions on the DofE website and on the Trinity Gateway. If your son requires more help, I am more than happy to discuss his activities with him. Two of your son s activities should be attended for 3 months and one for 6 months. Your son should record his progress with his activities using the Activity Log that can be found on the DofE section of the Gateway. This asks students to fill out a record of every time they have attended their activity, and asks for the s signature for confirmation. Students should also keep any evidence they obtain over the course of their activity, for example, photographs. Once an activity has been completed, your son will need to obtain a short written report from the of the activity, confirming his attendance and outlining his achievements. This, along with any evidence that your son has collected, should be scanned and uploaded to his edofe account, and the written report should be marked and submitted as the s report. A member of DofE staff will then be able to sign off that section of your son s award. DofE Drop In To support your son in the completion of his activities, your son will be assigned a half-termly drop in session. These take place during lunchtime on Tuesday, between 1:40pm and 2:10pm. You son will be required to attend for no more than 10 minutes to discuss his progress with me. This helps to quickly identify any problems and to encourage the boys in their progress. If your son is unable to attend, he should see me to rearrange his meeting. DofE Training DofE training sessions will take place every Tuesday between 4pm and 5pm. These sessions begin after half term of the Spring term and continue until October half term, by which time all participants will have planned their final expedition. Training sessions are compulsory as they cover the essential skills needed to complete an expedition safely and successfully. In training sessions, students will cover, amongst other topics, basic first aid and risk assessment, emergency scenarios, map skills, navigation and basic compass work, camp craft (including putting up tents, safely using stoves, appropriate food to

4 take/menus, etc.), how to pack bags, choose suitable boots and other equipment, and route planning. In summary, in order to begin to make progress on their award, your son should begin his activities as soon as possible, ensuring he is recording his progress as detailed above. If you have any queries, please don t hesitate to contact me by slm@trinity.croydon.sch.uk Yours faithfully Sarah Morley Bronze D of E Coordinator

5 16 th January 2015 Dear Parent I am delighted that your son has chosen to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and write to provide you with further information about what the expedition part of the award entails. The scheme is designed to promote self-reliance and, as such, the boys should be organising most aspects of the trip themselves. The boys do, however, receive considerable support and training at school and I dare say that you will become more involved than you may have initially anticipated! Attached are the expedition dates so that you can choose a date which fits in with family commitments, and a copy of the twenty criteria which the boys will be assessed against when participating in their trip. You will notice that each expedition has deadlines which the boys must meet if they are to participate in the expedition on their chosen dates. It is important to note that Duke of Edinburgh expeditions are group trips, with all boys expected to work as a team in planning and executing their expedition. The group passes or fails as one! Please be aware that on signing up to a specific expedition date, your son is committed to attending on this date. Changes can only be arranged under extreme and unforeseen circumstances e.g. serious illness. Should, for any reason, the group size fall below four, the remainder of the group will NOT be able to continue and will, instead, need to reschedule. This is due to Duke of Edinburgh safety regulations rather than Trinity School rules. Whilst it may seem some way off at present, current Silver and Gold expedition dates are also provided so that you can consider whether or not participation will be of interest in the years ahead. In order to assist your son in achieving his award, the School will provide: Weekly training (Tuesday, 4-5pm from after the February half term until their expedition paperwork deadline). This covers navigation, stoves and camp craft, route planning, kit requirements, menu planning and basic first aid and emergency awareness. The loan of some camping equipment (a list of which is enclosed). Pre-expedition meeting with their to approve their finalised route. What the boys must do: Organise themselves into a group of six students, all of whom are committed to the same expedition date. Attend weekly Tuesday afternoon training sessions with Miss Morley to plan their expedition in full (see above). Meet deadlines in requesting kit, providing complete maps and route cards to their expedition prior to the trip.

6 Arrive on the day of the expedition fully ready to depart (no last-minute kit requests, route planning etc. will be allowed). Provide an indemnity form (as this is an overnight trip), by the paperwork deadline. Once they have completed their trip, boys must return all borrowed kit before their expedition section can be signed off. Lost or damaged kit will be billed, with costs spread amongst the group. They also need to make a presentation regarding their expedition, and how it fulfilled their expedition aims, to one of the Duke of Edinburgh staff. I hope that your son will enjoy his Duke of Edinburgh experience and completes it with exciting tales of difficulties overcome and challenges met. If there is further information you require then please do let me know. Otherwise, please remember to keep these dates close to hand for regular progress-report checks. What you need to do: Sign up to one of the dates listed by Wednesday 21st January by ing me your choice of expedition date (i.e. 19 th -20 th October 2015 or 7 th -8 th April 2016). You will already have paid to join DofE by now, which covers both DofE registration and the practise expedition. The payment for the real expedition must be made using Wisepay. The invoice will be added when we have confirmation of his expedition date, and will be due by the assessed expedition paperwork deadline (see list under relevant expedition dates). Queries relating to Bronze training: Sarah Morley; slm@trinity.croydon.sch.uk Queries relating to Bronze expeditions: Suzanne Taylor; szt@trinity.croydon.sch.uk Kind regards Suzanne Taylor DofE expeditions coordinator szt@trinity.croydon.sch.uk

7 DUKE OF EDINBURGH: 20 CONDITIONS, EXPEDITION SECTION: 1: Your expedition must be by your own physical effort, without any motorised or outside assistance. 2: Your expedition must be unaccompanied and self-sufficient. 3: Your expeditions must be supervised by an adult who is able to accept responsibility for the safety of you and your team. 4: Your expedition must have an aim. 5: You must be properly equipped for your expedition. 6: You must have completed the required training and practice expeditions. 7: At least one practice expedition must be undertaken at each level of the programme, in the same mode of travel in a similar environment to the qualifying expedition. 8: You and your team must plan and organise your expedition. 9: You must be assessed by an approved accredited Assessor to the DofE. 10: There must be between four and seven people in your team. 11: You must be within the qualifying age of the DofE programme level. 12: Participants must be at the same level of assessment. 13: Your team must not include anyone who has completed the same or higher level expedition. 14: Your overnight accommodation should be camping. 15: Your expedition must be the minimum number of days required for your DofE level. 16: Your expedition should normally take place between the end of March and the end of October. 17: Your expedition should be in the recommended environment for your DofE level. 18: You must do the minimum hours of planned daily activity for your DofE level. 19: You should cook and eat a substantial meal each day. 20: You must create and deliver a presentation after your expedition to complete the section.

8 Kit requirements Items listed in bold may be borrowed from school. They must be collected from and returned to DofE stores only and at pre-arranged times. See deadlines. Waterproof jacket (essential) and trousers (advised). Rucksack Sleeping bag Sleeping mat (advised) Tent Sturdy walking shoes which support the ankle. Water bottles Compass OS Map Map case Flipflops / other shoes for campsite (advised) Clothing: thin layers advised, plus fleece(s). NO JEANS. Include plenty of walking socks. Torch Basic first aid kit including blister plasters (advised) Stove Cooking gas Mess tins / other tins for cooking & eating Matches Remember to also pack sufficient food, rubbish bags and any other personal items required.

9 Duke of Edinburgh Dates and Deadlines: Bronze (Cost 50 on sign up to cover registration and practise expedition, 30 for subsequent expeditions) For trip on 14 th -15 th April 2015 Friday 6 th February: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week commencing 9 th Feb (week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition (Annual trip. 2015: 4 th form and above only) For trip on Sat 30 th Sun 31 st May 2015 Friday 8 th May: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week commencing 11 th May (leaving one full week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition (Operating 2015 only: 4 th form and above only) Main 3 rd year practice expedition: Summer Field Day, Thurs 25 th and Fri 26 th June: Friday 15 th May: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their group leader Week commencing 18 th May: Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition leader. Kit to be collected Tues 16 th Thurs 18 th June Kit to be returned Mon 29 th or Tues 30 th June, NO LATER. (Annual trip) For trip on Mon 19 th Tues 20 th October 2015 Friday 2 nd October: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week 5 th October (leaving one clear week afterwards before expedition): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition (Annual trip)

10 For trip on Thurs 7 th Fri 8 th April 2016 Friday 5 th February: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week commencing 8 th February: Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition (Annual trip) Subsequent dates for 2016 and beyond are annual equivalent. Appropriate deadlines as above, will be published in January Summary: Practise: Summer field day 3 rd year Assessed trip: Choice of October half term or Easter (allowing mop up in the following year) Unless otherwise stated, for Bronze, Silver and Gold awards: ALL KIT TO BE RETURNED BY THE END OF THE FIRST SCHOOL WEEK AFTER AN EXPEDITION KIT NOT RETURNED BY THE END OF THE FOLLOWING WEEK WILL BE INVOICED. KIT MUST BE COLLECTED, BY ARRANGEMENT, A MINIMUM OF 1 WEEK BEFORE THE EXPEDITION, with the exception of summer expeditions, see below. Silver (Cost 75 on sign up to cover registration and practise expedition, 50 for subsequent expeditions) For trip Tues 14 th Thurs 16 th April 2015 Friday 6 th February: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week commencing 9 th Feb (week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition. For trip Fri 31 st July Sunday 2 nd August 2015 Friday 15 th May: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week commencing 18 th May (week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition For trip Tues 20 th Thurs 22 nd October 2015 Friday 2 nd October: Deadline for participants to arrange a meeting with their Week commencing 5 th October (leaving one clear week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps, all submitted during meeting with expedition Subsequent dates for 2016 and beyond are annual equivalents with exact dates confirmed in January of that year. Practise and real trip: to be chosen from the above dates (allowing mop up in the following year)

11 Gold ( 100 on sign up to cover registration and practise expedition. Further 100 for Gold expedition. Costs beyond 2016 may be subject to change due to needing external Mountain Leader participation). For trip Fri 27 th Tues 31 st March 2015 (practice expedition) Week commencing 9 th Feb (week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps submitted. For trip Mon 6 th Fri 10 th July 2015 (main expedition) Week commencing 23 rd May (week before half term): Expedition paperwork, kit requests, maps submitted.