Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Worth has a large and active Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme with almost ⅓ of pupils taking part each year and we are proud to have the highest achievement rate among independent schools in the South East region. The Award aims to provide an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development for young people, which is of the highest quality and widest reach. It helps our pupils to become well-rounded, ambitious and adventurous individuals and is recognised by universities and organisations around the world for the self-improvement and charitable works a young person must undertake to earn this coveted Award. 

At Worth, all pupils in Year 9 are automatically entered for the Bronze Award, Silver is then optional for pupils in Year 10 and the Gold Award is usually started in Year 12 (although not finished until the end of Year 13 at the earliest). While it is best to start at Bronze and work up, this is by no means the only way and pupils regularly start at Silver and Gold Award level as direct entrants.

With the help of a well-resourced framework, pupils choose their tasks and set their own objectives to attain their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, which require increasing levels of commitment to:

• Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
• Physical activity: improving in an area of sport, dance, fitness or other physical options.
• Acquiring skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.
• Undertaking an expedition: planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey.

Pupils must complete an additional shared residential activity which involves staying and working away from home to achieve the widely respected Gold Award, which offers exceptional opportunities for personal development and forging connections which last a lifetime.

It’s what I describe as a do-it-yourself growing up kit. _{HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh}