The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme is the leading youth achievement award, offering 14-24 year olds the opportunity to get recognition for the extracurricular activities they undertake and to try new activities, such as going on an expedition. It is also an opportunity to grow in confidence, develop new skills, meet new people and can give an edge when sound people apply for college, university and jobs. At Silverdale, we offer the bronze award in Year 9 and the gold award in Year 12.

• Both levels need students to complete three sections: skill, physical and volunteering.
• For the gold award, they also complete a five day residential, which they need to arrange themselves.
• Both levels undertake two expeditions, a practice and an assessed (see timings below).
• The bronze expeditions are both in the Peak District.
• The gold practice is in the Peak District and the assessed is in the Lake District.

Bronze timescales

• Volunteering section: 3 months.
• Physical section: 3 months.
• Skills section: 3 months.
• Practice expedition: 1 day.
• Qualifying expedition section: 2 days/1 night.
• Students also have to do 3 more months in one of the volunteering, physical or skills sections.

Gold timescales

• Volunteering section: 12 months.
• Physical and skills sections: one section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months.
• Practice expedition section: 3 days/2 nights.
• Qualifying Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights.
• Residential section: undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.
• If students didn't do the silver award, they must undertake a further 6 months in either the volunteering or the longer of the physical or skills sections.

For more information about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, please visit www.dofe.org. For more information about how the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award works at Silverdale, or for those who started an award and need help completing it, please contact dofe@silverdale.chorustrust.org.

Students can sign up for instrumental lessons (group and individual) delivered by visiting (peripatetic) music teachers at Silverdale School and there is also the opportunity to loan instruments. Lessons are available in the following instruments:

• Piano
• Drums
• Saxophone and Clarinet
• Bassoon
• Oboe
• Brass (trumpet, trombone, cornet)
• Flute
• Cello
• Violin
• Guitar (both classical, electric and bass)
• Voice

If students are interested in having lessons on any of these instruments, they should come to see Miss Durham or apply through the Music Hub website.