St Leonard's

For several years now, St Leonard’s pupils have been active participants in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award at St Leonard’s has several overlapping aims and objectives. The highlight of our provision is the expedition section which allows us to take our pupils across different year groups, to remote areas. The expedition is a real challenge in an unfamiliar environment and is designed to test out the skills of navigation, teamwork and self-sufficiency which are our primary concern. These are all skills and experiences which we hope will help equip students with the interest and where-with-all to undertake their own ventures in future life. Success is not just in the completion of the task but in being to reflect later that, for example, ‘I have now found a new enjoyment in walking the countryside and experiencing the beautiful surroundings and wildlife’.

The Award also enables students to gain more formal recognition of their achievements in a wide range of cultural, sporting and social action activities which may otherwise pass almost unnoticed in an educational world dominated by exam result criteria. St Leonard’s students have proud records of the highest levels of achievements in so many areas and this enables them to be more publicly recognised. Not only that, but students who are highly accomplished and committed in one area, are challenged to broaden their range of experience through the demand to undertake activities under the remaining sections.

Starting DofE in Year 9, pupils sign up to Bronze level which is completed within the year. The Silver Award is then offered to successful participants in Year 10; being finalised with an assessment expedition at the beginning of Year 11. The most prestigious and challenging of the Award scheme, Gold level, is saved for our post-16 students in sixth form.