Duke of Edinburgh

[Dragonsandcats]

My year 9 dd, not overly academic but does quite a few extra curricular activities has the chance to do D of E at school. Her dad is really pushing for it as he says it is great for her cv. I’m not fussed as she’s quite busy already, and neither is she. Does anyone know if it does look really good on a cv? Should I be pushing her to do it?

This is my experience too "I think it just looks like your come from a family with the money and time to allow you you do it. DD enjoyed the experience but I'm not sure it adds much to a CV."

DS hast been able to finish his as I don't have the time to support him and ferry him around. His mates parents have more time and contacts and have blitzed it.

I’ve been involved in the programme as an adult too, and it is certainly possible to do it for no cost - we had a bank of waterproof outer clothing, boots to borrow (although obviously your own boots would be best) bags, sleeping bags etc - I think there was a nominal charge for the bus but this could be fundraised for (which could also count towards the award itself)

Everyone bought their own food but the food we brought was just things like plain ramen noodles, smart price pitta breads and peanut butter, etc., due to having to carry it all. I think I spent £4 on my food for the whole event, plus if it’s done through a school those who normally get a free school meal got food packages made for them.

It is certainly possible to do it for free or for very little cost and I object to people stating it’s “middle class” when I was brought up in a very working class family, in a working class town, and it was accessible for us. Similarly I have helped get kids through it and cost certainly wasn’t a barrier.

My brother did it back in the 80s and we were by no means rich (things may have changed). He dropped out having got his Silver and discovered nightclubs and Ecstacy 🤣 Not that he told Mum that.

I think D of E is fantastic - but only if they want to do it. If she isn't fussed then I wouldn't push her. But if she's up for it then it does build confidence, learn different skills and good for CV too.

You shouldn’t have to. What organisation is he doing it through. What activities does he already do? What sections is he struggling with?

I think it was useful for my DC when it came to getting first part time jobs alongside studying.

Was going to say this. Having hobbies and out of school experiences helps candidates at interview as they can cite examples of teamwork, leadership, inspiring others etc.

Our school charges between 1 and 300 hundred pounds for the DofE and then you have to buy equipment on top of that. It's super expensive compared to scouts which is £65.

You also need appropriate clothing and this isnt always possible to borrow for free, same as waterproofs etc and walking boots. You really need suitable and appropriate clothing else the whole experience will be miserable if your equipment isnt right.

I personally think it's super misleading that you keep insisting it's a totally free thing to do

I didn’t say it’s totally free for everyone, but it’s certainly possible to find places you can do it for free, which may not be schools or scouts. Charities are a good place to start. And generally, charities will have free equipment to borrow.

It doesnt add to a cv unless you get to Gold and then it's about showing commitment. However it does improve the independence of a lot of young people. I'd encourage it for that, not for a cv.

Dd1 is currently doing silver and is loving it. She's been pushed miles out of her comfort zone and has risen to it superbly!

wine it was through school. His karate group wouldn't support his activity and school army cadets never replied to his emails asking for help. I couldn't get him to parkrun every week for months either. It's been a bit of a nightmare tbh.

I think that comes down to personal perception/area. Here it is seen as the opposite, a gateway to get support to do things your parents either cannot afford or do not know how to support their child to do. There is regularly fund raising at local supermarkets to help fund DofE group in our area.

In that way it is good to help enhance these kids CVs. But if you have a family with money to allow you access to these type of activities anyway it would not make much difference if you did independently or through DofE.

And your point is...

My ds did the Duke of Edinburgh last year and loved it......we found out too late but there are bursarys available for low income households to help cover the costs. Having said that the only thing I really had to but were his walking boots and a decent sleeping bag. The rest I borrowed.

That is exactly my experience. I did skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, and canoeing, all through my doe. All free. We had Lottery funding and also did local fundraising through the charity. Nobody in the group was “wealthy” by any definition of the word. They also transported us around. I’m genuinely shocked that it’s viewed as “privilege” in some areas; and at some of the prices people are paying to participate! That’s certainly not my experience.

And his boots were £60 Berghaus ones, I think I paid 40 for a sleeping bag and mat. Not a small sum of money but not out of reach for most people to put away £10 a month or ask about the grant if they really can't

No I don't think it really adds anything to a cv and universities couldn't care less.
My daughter did bronze and the last expedition was the most horrible experience of her life. She said the other team members were mean and nasty. Another girl with type 1 diabetes on another team was abandoned by all but one teammate when she had a hypoglycaemic episode.
I have heard some kids love it - I guess it comes down to the group. But she should only do it if she's in to that sort of thing. The expeditions are about 20k plus walking a day, carrying a heavy backpack. The volunteering, skill and sport are what you put in to it.

I'm going to go against the grain and say it is useful for a CV if they might want to get a Saturday/holiday job in the future while they are still at school and have absolutely zero work experience.

I would also guess that if they try the bronze and enjoy it, they are more likely to do the gold in the future, which does have some CV/UCAS value.

Is your DD likely to continue in education after 18 or will they be looking for a job? I have some experience of recruiting school leavers (office/admin work). Part time work/D of E/other extra curriculars count for more at that stage when their CV is empty.

I did it to silver. I really enjoyed it, I did benefit from it eg resourcefulness /dealing with types of different people.

It also gave me something to chat about that wasn't school/random activities during job interviews when at school/college. People do seem to be impressed by it.

I would encourage her (but not force her).

Well, it was certainly brought up when I applied for university and for graduate jobs.

It's been irrelevant since, but it helped me get me that initial foot in the door and launch a successful career in a competitive industry. If it's an option, I'd certainly recommend it.

Personally, I think it's worth noting that D of E covers several elements, and most children are not going to do all or enjoy all of those elements outside of D of E. There is therefore a character building element to it.

I know some people who wouldn't have done any volunteering otherwise, and it helped round them out from obnoxious teens into nicer humans.

I know others (including me) who were shit at sport, and got a huge boost of self-confidence in surviving what we thought would be an unsurvivable experience.

I would encourage your DD to give it a go. Not all children have access to D of E through school or Scouts, so if she has the opportunity, it's something to be seized.

I don’t think it’s that good for your cv as so many do it.
however, done correctly it’s a great way of getting some skills and is a gateway to being able to access them.

You need to be 14 to do Bronze for Duke of Edinburgh
You can start during the school year that you turn 14. My DD started at 13 and 2 weeks, as she has a late August birthday. However, you can't start gold until you are 16.

ooops posted before finishing. I think higher up the silver and gold do look good on your cv, and as someone says it’s a good opener for something to discuss.

anything that widens kids experiences is surely positive.

locally it’s the middle classes that do it, again this could be for CV reasons, cost reasons, having done themselves.

What was there reason for not supporting it?

All they need to do is complete an online form once the final expedition has been done and wrote a short statement.

They don't need to do anything else and it takes a maximum 5 mins to complete.

How pathetic they can't even spare the time to support one of their pupils