Can the Big Experience count toward my Duke of Edinburgh’s award?

Unfortunately, no. BE is a compulsory part of the year 9 curriculum and so does not meet the Duke of Ed Award requirement of being a voluntary activity.

Additionally, the service component time frame is too short and therefore does not qualify for any level of the Duke of Edinburgh.  

Can the Community part of CUE count towards my Duke of Edinburgh’s award Service?

Yes, but only if you approach your community placement organiser and arrange to complete some extra time to fulfil the required hours for Duke of Ed.

On its own the community aspect of CUE does not qualify as the time frame is too short for a 3 month commitment. It is also, importantly, not voluntary! However, if you pursue additional service with the contacts you develop through CUE then this would meet the requirements.

Remember you need a minimum of 1 hour a week 2 hours a fortnight, or 4 hours a month for the required time per level of the award, bronze silver or gold.

Who should my assessor be?

Your assessor need to be over 18 years old.

Your assessor needs to be qualified in the area they are assessing i.e. coach, teacher, Scout leader, or Dance teacher.

Your assessor can not be a person in your immediate family. 

Must have a working with children’s check (WWCC) 

What school activities are available for me to do my Adventurous Journey?

The great news is there are several options at St Leonard’s College for Adventurous Journeys. These include:

Expeditions

• Outdoor Education Extension Programs

Exploration

• Community Sport Fitness Camps
• Language trips
• Snow Sports Development Camp

When do I have to finish my Duke of Edinburgh’s award?

There is no time limit, you have until you are 24 to complete all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. As a guide you could potentially complete the award in the following time frame

Bronze – 7 months

Silver – 8 months if you have done Bronze or 13 months for direct entrants.

Gold – 13 months if you have done silver or 18 months for direct entrants.     

Can I back date previous activities if I don’t have my online record book?

It may be possible to back date activities, as long as your supervisor is happy to sign off you have done the required work. Obviously, the timeframe needs to be reasonable and there are no guarantees that this can work.