Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh Award
Here at Ruislip High School, we are proud to offer our students the chance to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Achieving an Award will give students a variety of life skills, as well as boosting their confidence. Through the volunteering elements of the scheme they will also make a difference to other people’s lives and our local community, be fitter and healthier, make new friends and have memories to last them a lifetime.
There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment; becoming fitter; developing new skills; planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.
One of our students, Pearl, shared her experience of achieving Duke of Edinburgh with us:
"I never expected to love the Duke of Edinburgh experience as much as I do. Every time I finished one expedition, I couldn’t wait for the next! When I started my Bronze Award, I was excited for the expedition but a bit apprehensive about the volunteering section. However, thanks to Ms. Hunter and the DofE website, I discovered so many opportunities across all sections—physical, skill, and volunteering. These could be done both remotely and in person, making the process accessible to everyone.
For my volunteering, I worked at Cancer Research, which was an incredibly fulfilling way to give back to the community. Since I already played guitar, my skills section was covered, and for my physical activity, I took up kickboxing. I ended up falling in love with it, and now I’m working towards my black belt while teaching younger students!
One of my fondest memories was at camp, where we all took part in fun activities like Piggy in the Middle and intense games of Mafia. On my Bronze expedition, I brought a small yellow ball, which became a tradition—every expedition after that, it was a must-have for a big game of catch with the whole camp! I became friends with so many people I never really talked to before and still am close with them to this day.
The evening dinners were the best. After a long day of walking, there was nothing more refreshing than sitting down, eating lots of food, and just talking. That said, the expedition was as much a mental challenge as a physical one. On one walk we found ourselves in a ditch because we we went the wrong way but it was so fun seeing the group come together to find a way out. Spending 10 hours a day with the same group teaches you the importance of communication and teamwork — rather than blaming each other, we learned to support one another. Soon after that we found a giant swing and spent a good lunch break there with a couple other groups. Every person contributed in some way, I learned how to navigate with a map, be part of a team and learn how to prioritise what I need to bring - definitely more food than clothes.
Beyond the adventure itself, DofE has encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and try new things, even when they seemed daunting at first. The whole journey has been so rewarding, and I can’t wait to make even more memories as I take on Gold!"
