The DofE Silver Award is offered to students from Year 10 onwards and also has four sections: Volunteering, Skills, Physical and Expedition. The timescales are longer for some of the sections, it will take you at least 6 months if you’ve already achieved your Bronze, or 12 months if you’ve jumped straight into Silver.

The DofE Silver Award at a glance:

• Volunteering section: 6 months
• Physical and Skills sections: One section for 6 months and the other section for 3 months.

If you didn’t do Bronze, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.

Students are entitled to carry on activities from their Bronze award but we do encourage them to try something new. This is particularly relevant as they begin to consider future employment or training in a particular field. All students are expected to manage their DofE participation by regular use of their eDofE account.

Silver Expedition
As with Bronze, the expedition section is delivered by the school DofE team and our AAP. Our Silver training day usually takes place in May with the practice expedition following in the June of each year. Qualifying expeditions take place either at the end of July or the start of the autumn term when students are in Year 11.

• Training: 1 day at school
• Practice Expedition: Forest of Dean, 3 days/2nights
• Qualifying Expedition: Wye Valley, 3 days/2 nights

Silver Award (Video)

At The Cottesloe school, the Gold Award is offered to students in Year 12 and just like Bronze and Silver, it has the Physical, Skill and Volunteering sections that sit alongside the expedition.    The big difference at Gold is you’ll also do a residential section – staying away from home for five days and four nights doing a shared activity with people you don’t know.

Gold DofE Video

For Gold, you’ll need to do your programme for at least 12 months if you’ve achieved your Silver Award, or 18 months if you’ve started at Gold level without getting your Silver – even if you’ve done Bronze. This is why at Cottesloe we start the award at the beginning of Year 12, so it can be spread over the two years of Sixth Form study.

• Volunteering section: 12 months*
• Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months*
• Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights
• Residential section: Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.

The Cottesloe expeditions are spread over Years 12 and 13 to lessen the impact on academic study.  The practice expedition usually takes place in the Cambrian Mountains, Mid-Wales in July.  The Qualifying expedition in Northumberland is timetabled at the beginning of Year 13.

*If you didn’t do Silver, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections.

Residential Section

For your residential section, you need to undertake a shared activity or specific course with people you don’t know, in a residential setting away from home and in an unfamiliar environment. Evenings are often as much a part of the experience as daytime activities.

This section must be done with an organised group, registered charity or Approved Activity Provider. You must join it individually and not with an existing group of friends or as part of a school or youth group trip. You will be staying away – anything from an activity centre or camp to a boat or barge – but you cannot stay with friends or relatives.

The residential activity should normally take place over at least five consecutive days with a minimum of four nights spent away. In exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of your Licenced Organisation (please speak to Mr Curtis), this commitment can be spread over two weekends. However, it must involve at least four nights away within a 12-month period, during which you do the same activity. 

For more information please use the following link, Residential Section Checklist

Gold Award Celebration Events

All young people who achieve their Gold Award are invited to a celebration event at a Royal Palace, attended by a Member of The Royal Family.

Students who achieve their Gold Award with us will visit London with the celebration taking place at either St James’s Palace or Buckingham Palace Gardens.

Year 11

• Friday TBC September 2025 DofE Silver TRAINING/PRACTICE Expedition
• Friday TBC September 2025 DofE Silver QUALIFYING Expedition

Year 10

• Thursday TBC October 2025 Y10 DofE Silver TRAINING/PRACTICE Expedition
• Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th March 2025 Y10 DofE Silver QUALIFYING Expedition

Year 9

• Thurs 20th March 2025 DofE WAVE 1 Bronze TRAINING Day
• Fri 21st March 2025 DofE WAVE 2 Bronze TRAINING Day
• Mon 31st March – Tue 1st April 2025 DofE WAVE 1 Bronze PRACTICE Expedition
• Mon 28th – Tues 29th April 2025 DofE WAVE 1 Bronze QUALIFYING Expedition
• Mon 19th – Tues 20th May 2025 DofE WAVE 2 Bronze PRACTICE Expedition
• Thur 5th – Fri 6th June 2025 DofE WAVE 2 Bronze QUALIFYING Expedition

Year 12

• TBC June/July 2025 (TBC) 2025 DofE Gold QUALIFYING Expedition