The Other Half

EXPEDITIONS Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is a nationally recognised scheme and is the single most sought after non-academic qualification with UK employers. It consists of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold and within each level there are four component parts: Skill, Service, Physical recreation and Expeditions. At Gold there is a fifth section, Residential. Each year approximately 225 boys sign up for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Abingdon School. The school run all their expeditions in house using teachers as supervisors to give the boys the extra support and mentoring that adds value to the experience. By completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award boys demonstrate their team work, commitment and organisational skills; and as a package it gives them the life experiences that develop them into well-rounded young men. Bronze Award There are four Sections in the Award: Service, Physical, Skills and Expedition. Participants will need to show commitment and determination to organise their activities, and will need to do two of the first three Sections for at least three months and one for at least six months. However, with the wealth of Other Half activities on offer it is usually possible to complete these requirements in school. For the Expedition section, initial training takes place in the Fourth Year during the Lent term. Planning sessions and the expeditions themselves follow in the Lent and Summer terms. It is vital that participants attend all these commitments, which are advertised well in advance. The skills covered on expeditions will be learned in real situations and should remain of use throughout life. Boys may also complete their expedition phase by canoe or by sailing. Numbers for this activity are limited. The Bronze level of the award usually takes about a year, but is not time-bound and can extend for longer if needed. Silver and Gold Awards​ The Silver and Gold levels of the award allow participants to build on the skills and abilities they have gained from the Bronze level and apply them in more challenging situations. At Gold the assessed expeditions are normally run in remote areas of the Scottish Highlands. At Gold we offer boys three methods to complete their expedition: walking, canoeing or sailing. Numbers for the latter two activities are limited. Participants will also need to commit to a skill, physical, volunteering and expedition sections. They also will need to complete a residential section where they will take part in a worthy activity for 5 days and 4 nights with other young people they have never met before. Lower School Adventure Trips The aim of the first year trip is to allow the boys the opportunity to experience a wide range of outdoor activities and team building exercises within a purpose-built centre. The activities include abseiling, archery, climbing, a high ropes course and quad-biking. The second year trip provides the opportunity to take things a stage further and includes similar activities to the first year trip, plus canoeing, gorge-walking and hill-walking – all in their natural environment within the Brecon Beacons. Both trips are residential and are organised with fully-qualified instruction. 14