At Birkdale Senior School, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is a valued and widely pursued programme that offers students a unique opportunity for personal development. While each participant’s journey is distinct, the overarching benefits of the Award—resilience, leadership and independence—are well recognised. We are proud to support such an outstanding initiative.

Students are first introduced to the DofE in S3, where they have the opportunity to undertake the Bronze Award. This involves completing four key sections: Volunteering, Physical Activity, Skill Development, and an Expedition. While guidance and support are provided throughout, students are expected to take ownership of their own progress, fostering independence and self-motivation. As part of the S3 experience, all students participate in Birkdale’s S3 Camp. Although not part of the official DofE programme, this camp develops essential skills such as camp craft and teamwork and serves as valuable preparation for those pursuing the Bronze Award. The Bronze Qualifying Expedition typically takes place in May, with students navigating routes across the Hope Valley in the Peak District National Park under the supervision of our dedicated teaching staff.

Reflecting our commitment to providing a broad range of outdoor and developmental opportunities, Birkdale does not offer the Silver Award in-house. However, students wishing to pursue it may do so through external providers, such as Adventure Expeditions, a reputable organisation that regularly partners with us in delivering high-quality outdoor experiences. For S4 students, we offer a variety of enriching adventure-based alternatives in place of the Silver Award.

The Gold Award becomes available in the Sixth Form and spans both the Lower and Upper Sixth years. It follows the same structure as the Bronze level—Volunteering, Physical Activity, Skill Development, and Expedition—but with significantly greater challenge and reward. The Gold Practice Expedition takes place in the mountains of Snowdonia, followed by the Qualifying Expedition in the Lake District National Park. These expeditions offer memorable experiences that foster resilience, character, and lifelong skills. We are proud to continue working with Adventure Expeditions to deliver these advanced and rewarding challenges.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a renowned British institution, recognised and respected worldwide. To learn more about the Award and its impact, click here: Birkdale Outdoor Education

The Gold expedition is a challenging but rewarding four-day, three-night walk through some of the country’s most beautiful and imposing surroundings. This has taken place in North Wales, and in the NE of the Lake District, which takes place after the Upper Sixth (Y13) students have completed their final exams. In the Lower Sixth (Y12) participants undertake a shorter, three-day ‘practice’ expedition. Both ventures are remotely supervised by an organisation called BXM Outdoors, which works alongside a team of Birkdale teachers, who also have many years of experience in leading such expeditions. Training for these begins early in the Lower Sixth with a practice walk in the Peak District, where those involved can begin to hone navigation and key skills. Route-planning and preparation work takes place in several after-school sessions in March and April, ready for the Practice expedition at the end of the summer term. Once this has been completed, and after a much-needed break, work for the Qualifier begins in earnest.

Of course, the expedition is only one aspect of the Gold D of E experience, and pupils are well supported by the school, in conjunction with the Sheffield D of E office, as they work through the other sections of the award. Some examples of adventures that have fulfilled the criteria for this section are: Learning to drive (Skills section), participating in the school’s link programme to Tinsley Meadows junior school as a Wednesday afternoon games alternative (Volunteering section), and trampolining classes through Ponds Forge (Physical section).

The D of E award at all levels is a hugely worthwhile endeavour, with the added bonus of demonstrating key skills to universities and potential employers. Make sure you don’t miss out!