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Original poster

Dropping out of DoE award

62 replies

EauDeChlorine · 26/02/2018 19:38

DD signed up to do her DoE award a few months ago. Unfortunately and without going in to specifics DD now strongly feels that she wants to drop out. (Her father has since become very unwell amongst a few other things) DD suffers from anxiety and feels the DoE and the commitment it takes is too much pressure. I have today approached the school, explained and asked if DD could withdraw and if I could get some of the monies we had already paid refunded considering no activities had started yet. Unfortunately all I got from the school’s finance department was “no, we don’t refund monies that have already been paid” and then when I asked for contact details of the relevant DoE department so I could contact them directly and see if they would be prepared to help the school didn’t want to provide that information either. I don’t think this question is unreasonable bearing in mind we have paid £250 and activities don’t start until June. If DoE don’t want to arrange the refund than so be it but at least I should be able to ask them.

Any advise greatly appreciated. Thank you

OP posts:
LIZS · 26/02/2018 21:01

Iirc completing a level is not time limited, so the registration fee could be carried over for her to start at a later date. The extra should be refundable.

Original poster
EauDeChlorine · 26/02/2018 21:01

All we were told was that the estimate cost was £250. That £50 was to secure the place and the remainder to cover the trip which takes place in June. So I really don’t get why i’m being told that all of the monies we have paid are non-refundable. And at no stage were we told that there are cheaper routes to the same award.

OP posts:
Teenmum60 · 26/02/2018 20:57

They MUST tell you of any additional costs and what they cover This is on the DOE site - did they do this ?

Original poster
EauDeChlorine · 26/02/2018 20:49

I honestly was not aware about the differences in cost but reading the comments here I don’t understand why we were charged so much money in the first place. This is not an independent school. Does anyone know if a body that regulates these issues. I’m feel like we are being conned here! thanks

OP posts:
TeenTimesTwo · 26/02/2018 20:47

all training - done free by committed staff
camping fees - yes
toilet hire - they stayed at a camp site
qualified staff and leaders - only the assessors
hire of ruck sacks - we had to buy our own
trangias - school owned
fuel - yes
tents - school owned
maps - we provided
compasses - we provided
coach transport to and from the accreditation sites for the qualifier trek - parents dropped and picked up
D of E bronze registration fees - yes valid
licence costs - yes valid.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 26/02/2018 20:38

That's a lot of money! We didn't have to pay anything for DS to enrol or complete his activities, but I don't know if that is because he's doing it through cadets in a unit linked to his school and funded by the Dept for Education. I can't imagine that it would be fully funded if it costs £250 per enrollee, so I suspect that PP are right and the school have charged that arbitrarily.

Original poster
EauDeChlorine · 26/02/2018 20:35

The school said £50 deposit (which fair enough if I don’t get the this back) and
The price includes: all training, camping fees, toilet hire, qualified staff and leaders, hire of ruck sacks, trangias, fuel, tents, maps, compasses, coach transport to and from the accreditation sites for the qualifier trek, D of E bronze registration fees and licence costs.
The latter I would expect to get at least a partial refund considering the trip takes place in June?

I assumed that the cost was standard and set be the DoE? If this is not the case than someone is on a nice little earner here.. Hmm

OP posts:
Knittedfairies · 26/02/2018 20:28

As someone upthread said, DofE try to keep the costs down so the extra is down to the school. What did they say the £250 was actually for when your daughter signed up?

cantkeepawayforever · 26/02/2018 20:26

DofE itself definitely doesn't cost anything like that amount.

DD has finished all 3 of her Bronze activities, and has a weekly training meeting for her expeditions (which will be in late Spring). We have paid £40. I expect the only other costs to be a modicum of personal equipment (they provide the big stuff like tents) and personal food.

I do know another local school where a LOT more is charged - much closer to your fee, with I think extra fees for special 'courses' and 'training'.

Definitely the school not DofE.

TheFrendo · 26/02/2018 20:25

EaudeChlorine,

Does the school use some third party outfit to run the DoE course?

Teenmum60 · 26/02/2018 20:20

The DofE endeavours to keep your costs down so the current Welcome Pack, which includes the participation fee, is £20 for the Bronze Award, £20 for Silver and £27 for Gold. There may be additional costs for activities and Licensed Organisations that run the DofE, such as schools, may add a small fee to cover their costs, expedition/transport costs etc.. If a school, club or whatever charges you more than this, it is because they include additional costs to them, such as administration costs etc. They MUST tell you of any additional costs and what they cover.

TeenTimesTwo · 26/02/2018 20:15

DofE don't charge anywhere near this for registration, so the money has gone to the school.
This will be to do things such as pay for their own tents and other camping equipment, and pay for external assessors for the final weekend. Might also be to pay for staff time doing this extra curricular activity.
Mind you, £250 is very steep, way more than our school asked for.

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