D of E failure

37 replies

Jopeg · 17/07/2010 18:19

DD and her group recently failed the expedition section of D of E despite completing the course and not getting lost. They were told "they knew why" they had failed, but they claim not to. Lack of teamwork was mentioned, but they got on fine. Anyone experienced failure or any experience with this?

OP posts:

Greenpatch · 11/08/2010 20:41

Just worded a complaint letter to the head of D of E for the County!

snowmash · 12/08/2010 08:27

If they were putting filling in of the check point thing to say they were OK, they put things like Who do you think? when asked who they were and "closer to death than to the campsite" when asked how they were! on checkpoints, then you may be better off looking for an Open Expedition than complaining (although the County leader may be able to help with this).

When D of E groups plan their route, they do work out the time it will take to do each leg - checkpoints, used with this information, help leaders (and assessors, who may be from outside the school) actually find out who is where.

matumble · 12/08/2010 09:14

not visiting the other genders tents would have been a problem for us, we were a mixed group during foot and mouth so had to hostel instead of camp and all shared the same room in the hostel, including one very well behaved couple!

ravenAK · 13/08/2010 21:48

@ 'closer to death than to the campsite'.

It does seem a bit harsh.

Greenpatch · 14/08/2010 21:07

The way I see it is that as parents if something had happened to them as a result of them not following the safety procedures correctly then we would have had no cause to complain as it would not have been the leaders' fault. It isn't in itself a reason for failing, nowhere on the D of E criteria does it even mention checkpoints or safety for that matter! I think the girls were probably very annoying but that is not a reason to fail them.

Anyway we will see...

snowmash · 17/08/2010 22:47

From a (previous, non-teaching) leaders' perspective, many parents are anxious that we know where their children are, particularly at bronze level. We also do need to be able to find them (for safety). I would guess they fell down on 3 (and/or 2) - safety criteria....but as you say, need to wait and see.

GypsyMoth · 17/08/2010 22:50

when i drove to campsite to collect dd from her bronze expedition,i was highly amused to pass the school minibus,complete with teacher with a pair of binoculars standing on the top,looking for them!

senua · 18/08/2010 09:05

"Looking for them" or "observing them"?
We don't just throw them out of the minibus and hope they come back 48 hours later, we do keep an eye on them. Also, standing atop a hill with his binoculars is a favourite trick of the assessor - he can observe the kids without them being aware and thereby putting on false behaviour.

GypsyMoth · 18/08/2010 11:38

they were a little late back.....had faith in them,but the parents were all waiting and one group had to be picked up....the teacher had gone to see where they were to assess how long they would be

i thought it was a funny sight!

my dd loved DofE. hoping all 3 boys go on to do it too

highby · 16/10/2018 23:11

What was it?

ShalomJackie · 17/10/2018 17:48

Highby it was Eight years ago!!!

highby · 17/10/2018 20:10

I'd read the whole post and then realised how long ago it was, but I was hooked and really want to know the outcome! Those kids will be in their 20's now lol

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