Statement of Intent for Duke of Edinburgh

We aim to prepare our young people for their future by giving them the opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills that will equip them to be successful independent adults with essential skills for life and attributes for work. Knowledge and understanding of problem-solving, time management, team-work, communication and motivation is of great importance for:

• the young people’s future at home;
• their potential future employment,
• building relationships and overcoming disagreements with friends and those in the community;
• accessing the wider community and communicating with people of different roles in our community

We therefore place high priority on these within each of our units/sections of D of E.   

Furthermore, our curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish and become the very best that they can possibly be. We will teach and support the development in the four sections outlined in the D of E Bronze Award programme: volunteering, skill, physical and expedition.  These will also be supported by a clear knowledge and skills progression relating to the students’ individual needs and key themes that are outlined in their EHCPs. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built upon and sequenced to maximise the learning of all students. Throughout their D of E journey, the young people and their leaders will set personal challenges and push personal boundaries for the young people to inspire, guide and support them through their own self-development and to help them recognise all of their achievements as well as accepting of those challenges they have faced and recognising how they have overcome them building on their resilience.

Despite D of E being part of the KS4 curriculum, many of the skills required and built upon in D of E are skills that they have been progressing throughout their time in school in other curriculum areas. This is where they are exposed to different skills and interests, physical activities, volunteer and careers week as well as individual visits. Each of the D of E sections will have a broad timeframe (3 to 6 months of each section being taught for 2 hours a week) to allow the students to embed the skills through other areas of the curriculum and apply them in a variety of settings in the wider community.

Our intention is that D of E also focuses on and supports the young people’s creativity and interests to engage and enrich their experiences in school and the wider community. Through this programme, we aim to build aspirations and self-belief to enable them to be successful independent adults by embedding communication with both their peers and the wider community, support the wide community through volunteering projects and develop their independence skills both within the home environment and the in local community.