It is important to try to find ways to make progress towards your DofE Award.  During the lockdown this could be difficult in some sections but there are ways to make progress and log your activities, which might be modified but can still count.  It is more important than ever to add valuable activities to your free time, restricted as it is, and ultimately to improve your cv and UCAS by achieving your award… so here is some advice on what you can do.  As usual, please contact dofe staff for help. 

For those nearly completing Bronze, Silver or Gold, you have an extension to our deadline: try to aim to get everything complete by May half term or just as soon as possible. We will process awards as usual quickly as we can.

For those who started their Bronze, Silver or Gold this academic year, please get your edofe up to date: login to your edofe account and add all the details to your section activity details and submit for approval.

How do you complete activities?

Even if we return to school sometime in the summer term, it is likely that disruption to some of your activities will last for months. Think about which ones will be most likely to be disrupted for a long time. You might have to slightly change the way you approach some of your DofE activities. 

So you have 3 options for your 3 different sections:  

1.       Carry on – You might be able to continue with what you’re doing with only slight modifications which are still in line with your current section aims.  Hopefully, this can be sorted directly with your Assessor without changing what you do or having to request a complete change of activity (see below). For example, continue practicing your music and keep recordings, or do online lessons, or keep fit at home to build strength for the season ahead. This is all certainly do-able IF you keep EVIDENCE as a diary log of activity and agree everything with your assessor…they should certainly be understanding. This approach shouldn’t hinder your ability to complete your Award within the normal timescale. 

For SPORT: The best recommendation for most people would be not to change activity formally on edofe but to continue, your SPORT but during lockdown count running or some other activity as a complimentary training activity to improve your stamina for your primary sport.  Students can provide evidence of running as an interim fitness programme and get back to their primary sport when possible.  This is more straightforward than swapping sports… just include running as a fitness programme. 

For SKILL: as above, try to cary on with your SKILL but adjust what you do so you can accomplish activity at home.  If you do cooking, carry on, if you did chess then go online etc etc.  Don’t change activity if possible. 

For VOLUNTEERING: it’s more tricky but even here you could do some related activity.  If you volunteered for Brownies, you could work on new activities (for their badges?) to bring to the pack when you return.  Video these or make a plan or poster to show off your ideas.  For conservation: start a wildlife garden, research some technical aspects of volunteering to make into a project.  CHECK all these ideas with your assessor to see if they will accept these as EVIDENCE… they should!

2.       Change – If it impossible to carry on then you might consider request to change your activity on eDofE.  However, this can only be done once so you cannot change back again when things get back to normal. As a result please be absolutely sure to choose something you can carry on with and finish e.g. you might also be able to do a new skill or volunteering at home which can then be opened more widely once we are back to normal.  You can change activity once you start the next Award. 

3.       Delay – You can stop an activity completely until you’re ready to begin again. We do not recommend this for all your sections as it makes it difficult to achieve everything, particularly for the longer Gold Awards. There is also no guarantee that activities and opportunities will restart immediately so be careful here.  

Important: you will need to agree any changes to your section with your assessor 

Who can be my assessor?

Parents should not be your assessors.  Assessors can monitor the activity you do through the evidence you provide. Just like your remote teachers, your assessors do not need to personally observe all your activities but simply assess your progress and regular participation through the evidence you provide.

Evidence should include discussion of goals and a diary log of your activity, photos or video clips of your work, certificates, longer text descriptions or a phone call. Assessors can be a suitable adult who can verify your evidence and vouch for your achievement and write a report on your achievement, they do not need to be present at every event.

Whatever you choose to do during lockdown.. please carry on with as much dofe as you can. Keep evidence like a diary log of your activity to show your assessor that you have completed one hour a week minimum of your section activity.  You can then upload all this evidence to eDofE afterwards.  

Here are useful pages with more section ideas during the shutdown 

https://www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference 

https://www.dofe.org/coronavirus/faqs-participants 

 

What about our expeditions?

The Bronze May expeditions are postponed. We will sort things out on return and this will not impact your Award.

The Silver Practice expeditions are being planned for August.  An email has been sent with details. Please ask if you have not received the email.

An email has been sent with regard to GOLD expeditions.  Please ask if you have not received this email. 

For Gold students… your residential might well be delayed or postponed but will still be required to pass your Gold.  If you can, please keep ahead, check bookings and get on courses as soon as they become available.  It is likely they will be booked up quickly and early.

Any questions at all please contact DofE staff who will be happy to help you. 

Mr Collins / Miss Cuthbert