how important is DofE?

How many of them weren't from highly affluent backgrounds?

Surely CV-wise it just shouts I AM MIDDLE CLASS?

Yeah, sure. Because every middle class DC has DofE.
Look at Eastpoint's post: only 9,848 people got Gold last year.

Surely CV-wise it just shouts I AM MIDDLE CLASS?

DD1s Gold was a talking point in job interviews, but totally irrelevant to uni applications. Achieving three levels does show a massive commitment (although it's handy if they can include stuff they do anyway ), and so good for job applications.

DD2 will finish her Gold this summer, and for her it's much more of an achievement as she has a medical condition which ordinarily would stop someone managing almost all the sections. She told the school that her doctors were happy for her to do the expedition, and her doctors that school were happy, so got permission from both sides .

DD3 has started Bronze this year, I'll be encouraging her to carry on as it will be good for her, not sure that she'll be so convinced as she'll have to leave her phone at home for the expeditions .

There were roughly 500,000 students who went through UCAS last year so it's not that common. A few of my friends DC did gold and I think it's quite onerous. They don't give it away.

It was not for my kids though.

I just looked on the DofE website and there were 9,848 gold awards presented last year. 76,448 candidates achieved their bronze awards. In dds year 50 people originally signed up for the DofE gold award & I think about 24 went on the expedition but not all of those will complete the Award. It will probably be around 15% of the year in the end.

D of E was valued more highly when not EVERYONE did it.. Now schools push it and having it on your UCAS is a bit meh..

I'd say doing some volunteering in a charity shop once a week, done of your DDs own volition (ie not school organised) looks much better IMO

My DD has just done finished everything for her Gold. She is continuing with her volunteering, which is with AgeUk and worked with another charity over Christmas. She discovered she likes being outside, their expedition was on the Brecon Beacons in foul weather but she'd like to go back with her friends. Her group got on really well and they had a lot of fun. I don't think she even mentioned it on UCAS as there isn't enough space for something which doesn't relate to the courses she's applied to. A friend of mine who does graduate recruitment does look out for it as it shows candidates have stamina (the activities at Gold last up to 18 months), can plan and get on with people.

My son has done bronze through army cadets. He loved it and will definitely do silver and gold but he is a very outdoorsy, sporty person, very much a joiner and not especially academic. He loved the challenge and the structure and was so proud of himself when he passed. My friend's daughter has just completed gold, aged 18. She said it was a fabulous experience.

Oh my word, my spelling! I blame the ipad!

Hi Alpaca, no, not Public School, a very middle of the road, needs improvement,school. But, what it lacks in academics,is made up for in pastoral care and old fashioned giving students new experiences.

My point is that soemtimes kids dont know they will enjoy something until they try. My DD obtsined new friends and confidence from DoE but when I was persauding her it was because i knew she could enjoy the experience. The question I would ask is, "does my child enjoy being outside, are they able to include other stuff that will count towards the skill, team and volunteering? It doesnt have to be that onerous.

It sounds like she has plenty on her plate at the moment. Maybe instead she should think about NCS in the summer after GCSEs.

My dd's school didn't offer it until 6th form & then she changed for 6th form... She did voluntary work that she arranged herself (not through altruism, was required for her uni application!)

Ds could do DofE at school but has chosen not to. He goes to scouts so may do it through that route but it will be his choice.

It's great for some kids but not for others. Doing it for UCAS is nuts.

PeaceandlOve if your dd applied to work with us, I think we'd assess her DofE in its own right. Unless she's come from one of the well known public schools, we'd assume she'd chosen to do herself and respect her achievement in its own right.

Even if she came from one of the well known public schools we'll still look.

I got a husband out of it. And a trip to meet prince Edward. No ucas or CV value though

Also I can't be the only potential employer out there who hasn't noticed that every single child from the public schools has done DofE up to Gold as it's part of the curriculum? I'm much more interested in what a person chooses to do themselves, not what their school and parents choose for them.

Actually, my DD completed her DoE to gold last year. Initially she was reluctant, i persuaded her and what a good thing it was too. She was an academic shy person but doing the DoE helped her to mature. It did add much to her personal statement on its own, but the fact that it developed her leadership skills mto the extent that she was selected to do the DoE young leader scheme did!

You never know where it will lead, in our house we have a give it a go, and a fair chance policy.

Also, just to add the kids who already do lots of extra curricular stuff are the ones who find it easiest to complete the scheme.

I think these days most people reading CVs, personal statements and the like have now wised up to the fact that most young people do it because it might look good, not because they enjoy it. Agree that something organised under your own steam would be more impressive.

Just so long as people realise that stuff like this has absolutely no impact at all on UCAS forms.

My dtds (now in Year 12, lower sixth, age 17) have done it up to Silver. All their mates did it too, and the fact that all the mates have also decided to drop it to concentrate on their AS's and A levels has been a big part of their decision to stop.

Independent volunteering should have just as good an effect on your dds CV as a DofE.

I do think DofE is a Good Thing, it can help kick start teenagers who really weren't sure about what they were up to, but it is not and shouldn't be a necessary stage of every young persons' life.

As someone who reads CV's I would only take notice of D of E if it was a bit unusual eg talked about something specific.

I'd be more inclined to be impressed by sonething independently organised or relevant to someone's individual interests/talents.

It's fun for them, but not important for your average UCAS application.

My ds enjoys the expedition side of it.

I didn't do it (the teachers stopped doing it due to people wanting hairdryers and stuff on the expedition). I still went to a red brick uni and got a first class degree. Nobody has ever asked me about it.

If she fancies volunteering at all (for d of e or not) how about Brownie's, guides, cubs, etc, or a charity shop or animal rescue? My DD helps at an orchestra for younger children, she loves it.

In general I would say now as an adult that people should try volunteering in areas they enjoy, whereas as a child heavily influenced by rather too much Christianity I would have said that I should do voluntary work that scared me or which was something I would hate to do. So I always ended up not signing up or ducking out of it because I'd asked about things that seemed completely beyond me.

This website for vinspired looks good. (Disclaimer: I know nothing about the organisation).