Dropping out of DoE award

I agree with a pp that it sounds as though she's not done anything and is panicking.

Can you not try and coax her through it? Dd did her bronze award a few years ago in very challenging circumstances and actually she found the volunteering a real tonic.

Blimey! We paid £20 for DS to do Bronze DoE - we have been warned that there will be equipment costs but DS and his friends between them have been able to borrow all the tents, cooking stuff etc they need and he already had the hiking clothes and boots.

That said, is the school won't refund, she still has several years left to complete - will the school allow her to defer until next year when she may feel more able to cope with it? She could go straight to Silver if she wants to stay with friends who've done Bronze this year.

My dd completed her bronze D of E recently. I can't remember exactly how much I paid but it was 8n the region of £30-£40. We had the option of purchasing equipment or providing our own and the price was the same either way. The school hired what was needed and the teachers volunteered. I would ask for an explanation of what on earth all that money is going on whether she does it or not.

TBH I think the kids are supposed to "run" most of it themselves. The school sort the expedition but everything else is down to the students themselves.

I'm really surprised that your DD has been signed up for months and done nothing, it is possible to complete the whole of Bronze DoE in 6 months. I suspect that at least some of the reason your DD wants to drop out is that she doesn't have a clue what she is supposed to be doing and the whole thing is hanging over her, she knows she should be doing something but doesn't know what and how.

I'd be tempted to try and arrange a meeting with the HoY who runs the scheme, not about the money (to start with...otherwise they will fob you off again) but to find out what was supposed to be happening and whether your DD has missed activities. Tell the HoY you will be contacting the DoE if you aren't satisfied with the answers.

I run DofE bronze for £130. However, that is entirely dependent on volunteers and not having to pay cover for staff or bring in external staff.

They may have already incurred costs for the trip in June. Other hidden costs are expedition team training, safety kit. It all adds up!

Who is actually doing the expedition training - your dd must know that, or she can ask other kids. If it's someone they don't know then it's obviously an external company - ask the school manager/bursar to tell you who. If it's a teacher then they're dong it themselves and you can ask how much they have paid out so far for kit, campsite etc. Again there will be a school manager or bursar who manages admin and finance staff - go to them, then the head.

It really does depend on the school . My ds is D of E organiser / coordinator at the school he works at and he’s doing it on a shoe string as the school is not in an affluent area and they are trying to be inclusive . He has chosen local places for the training and the actual weekend which has also made it a lot cheaper . I think the whole thing will cost the participants less than £50 . His have all started their volunteering and their other activities though so that the expedition is the final part to tick off the list . The problem with giving you money back will be that they would have to charge everyone else more to cover the shortfall and that’s not really fair when your dd has just changed her mind .

EauDeChlorine Write to the school Finance Officer, copy in the School Governor and state that you will contact DOFE HO if they do not refund the costs that have not been incurred :

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Gulliver House, Madeira Walk, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1EU
T: 01753727400

E: [email protected]

How much dd is doing her DofE bronze

£20 registration and the camping trip will cost no more than £20 either

They are ripping you off

In the school I teach in the d of e co-ordinator has a TLR (teaching and learning responsibility) of about £2.5k extra a year and gets an extra free (which another teacher would be effectively needed for) each week. Maybe some of the money goes towards that? Surely your dd knows who runs DofE so could approach him/her herself, or at least give be you their name so you can ring them directly. I really think you should be allowed most of your money back.

I very much doubt that the school is making a profit. Our school charges a similiar amount for the practice and final expedition. They employ an outside company to train and run the expeditions and to provide the kit. The school don't have enough trained expedition leaders for 80 year 9s to participate. Those on pupil premium pay a lower rate.
I am surprised that they haven't started the other sections as there is no need to wait.

Our school charges a similar amount, or probably even more now. They employ external assessors to train and run the expeditions, and that is what costs the money. It is a hideous amount, but I can see why it costs that much, when teachers are stretched to the limit and just don't have the capacity to train and then assess expeditions.

Dd is doing bronze. We paid I th8nk £75 which includes tent/backpack and equipment borrowing. She’s been volunteering since September and learning a skill. A club meeting every week after school to plan the trip. Practice walk next week and then a practice camp in May I think (thought that might be the actual camp).

They also had weekly after school DofE slot where they did the trainings needed for the expedition. Scheduled in were also a 1 day Saturday walk and a practice whole weekend.

Eau
To do Duke of Edinburgh bronze they need to do
Volunteering
Skill
Physical
Expedition
The first 3, two have to be done for 3 months the other for 6 months.
The young person is meant to organise these themselves.

The training centre (ie school) usually takes responsibility for ensuring the expedition is properly trained for and organised. e.g. teaches them the necessary map reading, tent putting up, use of trangias etc.

If she joined up at the start of the academic year I'd expect her to be well underway with at least 2 of the first 3 by now.

DD had done her physical and skill by this time of y10 and had started her volunteering. (Her school only supported starting in y10 so young-in-years weren't left behind). To do the final expedition you had to have completed 2/3 of the other sections and be underway with the 3rd.

They have to do a skills and a volunteering and a physical element. I think it's three or six months for each. Aren't they starting anything until June then? In which case surely someone can take her place.

Eau,

DD found all 3 of her activities - skill, sport, volunteering - herself. It's something the school monitors, but doesn't provide. Their main input is into the expedition, which the students can't necessarily do individually.

With D of E I wouldn't expect a refund as the price is for a certain number of students and there wouldn't be anyone to take her place. (They would need to do months of volunteering etc to qualify.)