The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) at King James I Academy provides students with a valuable opportunity to develop essential life skills, build confidence and enhance their personal development beyond the classroom.

Participation in DofE encourages students to show commitment, resilience and independence through its four key sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. Students are supported by staff throughout the programme, helping them to set goals, manage their time effectively and take responsibility for their own progress.

The Volunteering section strengthens students’ connection to the local community, allowing them to give back while developing empathy, teamwork and a sense of social responsibility. This supports the Academy’s strong focus on community engagement and active citizenship.

Through the Physical and Skills sections, students improve their health and wellbeing, discover new interests and develop talents that can continue beyond the Award. These sections promote perseverance, self-discipline and personal pride.

The Expedition element challenges students to work collaboratively, problem-solve and demonstrate leadership in unfamiliar environments, building confidence and resilience while creating memorable shared experiences.

The DofE Award also supports equality of opportunity at King James I Academy by helping students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to build cultural capital, raise aspirations and access experiences that strengthen future education, training and employment pathways. Completion of the Award is highly valued by colleges, universities and employers, enhancing students’ CVs and future prospects.

Overall, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award plays an important role in promoting personal development, wellbeing and character education at King James I Academy, supporting students to become confident, capable and responsible young people.

We offer the DofE Bronze Award from Year 9 upwards and the DofE Silver Award from Y10 upwards. This is open to all students.