Fyling Hall School has been offering the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to its boarding school and day school students for many years now. It is available for day and boarding students from year 9 up.

Fyling Hall’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Groups – 2024

This year plenty of Fyling Hall School’s year 9 pupils wanted to do their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We have 2 large Bronze groups. There is also a silver group.

On the weekend of the 11th – 12th May the Bronze group had a practice expedition for 2 days and 1 night. One group walked from Littlebeck to Lealholm. The other group did this in reverse. Both Duke of Edinburgh’s Award groups camped in Esk Valley. Unlike the last practice walk, the weather was great! Participants really improved their navigation skills. They enjoyed the countryside and, most of all, camp life. Groups cooked up some tasty food to keep them going, like cookies for dessert, and beans on toast for a hearty breakfast.

Head of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme at Fyling Hall Mrs Trotter explains, “It’s great for our young people to do the D of E, to get out of their comfort zone and discover unknown strengths, especially during the expedition section. These are the parts of your life you will look back to in 20 or 30 years time!”

The students  in both bronze and silver groups are working hard on the other sections of the Duke of Edniburgh’s Award. These include; physical, skills and volunteering. For volunteering, many participants help out with training younger children in their sports clubs, but we also have participants working at the Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary.

For their physical, they play cricket and hockey, dance, and do martial arts. For their skills, they cook, bake and learn to sing or play an instrument.

The Bronze groups will have their qualifying expedition the weekend after our half term holiday (8th – 9th June). We wish them the very best and are hoping for some good weather.

Receiving The Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award At Buckingham Palace

The Gold Award is a huge acheivement. It takes at least 12 months and a lot of work to gain a gold award. It gives participants skills and confidence and is also highly respected by universities and employers meaning it can help with applications.

In recognition of the achievement recipients of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award are invited to Buckingham Palace to receive their award. Head Girl, Aimee recently travelled to the palace for the award ceremony!

A number of public figures gave short talks in various locations around the Palace gardens, along with garden games, tea and cupcakes and a talk from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.  HRH walked around speaking to the awardees and discussing the experiences of completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, he was especially interested in how the expedition went, where it took place and also what food was taken!  

What Do the Awards Involve

You can start the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award from age 14. It includes a minimum of three month’s activity in Volunteering, Physical, and Skills sections as well as the Expedition. The expedition involves training for and completing a two-day and one-night expedition. 

At silver level you must do 6 months of volunteering, plus 6 months in the physical or skills section and 3 months in the other. The expedition is three days and two nights.

At Gold Level volunteering will be for 12 months (more if students have not previously completed the silver award) and 12 months for physcial or skills sections and sixth month for the other (more if silver was not completed). The Gold Award expedition is 4 days and three nights and there is an additional residential activity to complete. 

For more about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Fyling Hall School please contact Mrs Regine Trotter.