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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

If your ds is doing the bronze DOE

30 replies

ihatethecold · 09/09/2014 16:54

What are they doing for the skill part.
We are really struggling.
The school offer short courses but he isn't keen on what they are offering.
So far it's been. Cookery, babysitting or first aid.
He doesn't play an instrument.
The only extra curricular activities he does is karate.
Which is his physical part of the award.

I'm starting to wish we hadn't signed up.

OP posts:

MaureenMLove · 09/09/2014 16:56

If you can hold on until tomorrow, I've just taken over as the rep at my school for DofE! I know very little about it at the moment, but I've got a briefing tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to assist!

Leeds2 · 09/09/2014 17:01

My DD did helping out with the school magazine. Wrote an article for it, proof reading etc.

I know others did helping out behind the scenes with the school drama productions. One friend went to lunchtime Spanish conversation sessions with the Spanish assistant, which helped her with her GCSE too!

If you go on the Dof E website, there are loads of things suggested, but I remember we struggled to find things that DD could access.

MinesAPintOfTea · 09/09/2014 17:03

Dh did amateur radio, I did piano and learnt to drive for gold.

There's a big list of ideas linked to on the right hand side of this page

Original poster

ihatethecold · 09/09/2014 17:03

Thanks Maureen my ds can be quite negative about new things or projects that his mates are not involved in!
If only his skill could be playing Xbox!

OP posts:

charleybarley · 09/09/2014 17:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hakluyt · 09/09/2014 17:32

Could he start learning an instrument?

Hpparent · 09/09/2014 17:43

Does he like art or craft or wood working? What about joining the school choir for a couple of terms. Is there an IT or chess club after school? Any of those would be suitable.

Artandco · 09/09/2014 17:46

I took up knitting years ago when I did. With my grandmother! She signed off sheet etc.. I was CRAP. Made 1/8th of a scarf and she finished it for me :)

BigfootFiles · 09/09/2014 17:46

Digital photography?
Learning to code/write an app?

mummytime · 09/09/2014 17:57

Coding could definitely be a skill - he could probably ask an IT teacher to be his assessor.

Original poster

ihatethecold · 09/09/2014 18:14

He is doing computer science as a gcse.
Not sure about the knitting suggestion.

OP posts:

Theas18 · 09/09/2014 18:44

We've managed to allow choir as her volunteering . She's doing badminton at school at lunch time for a sport. For she skill she's crocheting a baby blanket for friends baby!
I don't know if she'll get all of it done. Eldest didn't . they are already very " committed" . it's the expedition that they really want to do!

mummytime · 09/09/2014 18:52

My DD managed to choose mainly things she already does and ad a terms worth of helping at a young children's after school club. Its the only way for busy people to do it.

TeenAndTween · 09/09/2014 19:48

DD1 did DofE bronze last year.
Skill - musical theatre (was doing it already - 6 months)
Physical - ice skating (went every Sat - 3 months)
Volunteering (Primary after school club - 3 months)
We had to be quite organised to fit it all in.

She is signing up for Silver and continuing the volunteering and logging that. Whether she actually goes for silver is still up for debate. She's definitely not doing the expedition this year (y11).

Original poster

ihatethecold · 09/09/2014 20:49

We have told him he has one week to pull his finger out with regards to his skill and volunteering sections.

I'm frankly losing the will to live !
I think I would prefer him to focus on the things that he has to do.
Gcse's. Homework. Karate.

OP posts:

MinesAPintOfTea · 09/09/2014 21:10

Are a few of his friends doing it? What are their skills? I notice there's a few things like collecting/learning projects or Wargaming could be good if there's a few of them and they're quite geeky.

TittyNotSusan · 09/09/2014 21:21

I remember when I was doing gold 20 yrs ago, my friend and I decided to do winemaking for our skill. Unfortunately our teacher disallowed it because I was only 17 even though she was 18. So I did photography instead which was a bit of a cheat because I didn't have to go anywhere, just turn up with some photos every now and then.

I didn't complete it because I went to university and gave up. We still made the wine though!

MrsCakesPrecognition · 09/09/2014 21:31

I remember making waterproof covers for my rucksack and sleeping bag. I had to design them, source the waterproof fabric (not easy without the internet) and toggles etc., sew them and document the process.
Then I used them for all my expeditions.

MillyMollyMama · 10/09/2014 00:29

I am a bit negative about D of E,I am afraid. My DDs did it but I am really not sure of its value. A friend's DD did the Gold and despite predicted A levels of AAA, got no offers from any University at all to read English. I am just wondering these days, who cares if they have it or not?

Having said that, just doing Karate sounds a bit thin. Could he help out at a younger class at Karate. My DD did this with ballet. I thought mine did community and a skill however. Could he do karate as the skill and ask if there is another category rather than physical? Mine definitely did not do physical.

Original poster

ihatethecold · 10/09/2014 06:04

Possibly.
He does go twice a week and is now a brown belt.
All his friends are doing the bronze. They have been more proactive.
I think he wants life to be handed to him in his bed whilst he kills zombies!
Steep learning curve coming up me thinks!

OP posts:

Eastpoint · 10/09/2014 06:11

Could he improve his cardio fitness by going running as his physical and use karate as his skill? He only has to go running twice a week for 3 months & he can do karate as the 6 month component. To demonstrate improvement he can time himself now & at the end.

MuttonCadet · 10/09/2014 06:15

DS did his last year, he's doing GCSE computer science and was able to do a coding project which counted for both.

mummytime · 10/09/2014 07:16

BTW the value of D of E should not be CV points, but personal growth, and doing something outside your comfort zone. My DD struggled a bit with the service as it wasn't something she would naturally do.

You have to do: Physical, Service and Skill as well as the expedition. And for Gold you have to do a residential too.

Hakluyt · 10/09/2014 07:21

DofE is a great thing to do- but please don't encourage your kids to do it because you think it will help with University applications. It won't.

RunAwayHome · 10/09/2014 07:23

Isn't the idea that they come up with something to challenge themselves, start something new, etc, rather than just finding something they already do and fitting it in and making it count, or getting something sorted out at school, which is what a lot of people seem to do these days (of course it can be quite properly possible to use something they already do, if they are really into the hobby and working at it and it is a challenge, but I teach several pupils who just seem to be thinking "oh, I could just use xx hobby that I sort of half=heartedly started one time and my brother-in-law can sign off that I did enough of it as he does that hobby/sport, because I can't be bothered with the hassle of learning something that I'm actually interested in because of the time, effort, required to get there, organise it and so on", etc.) They might end up doing things enough to pass the requirements, but there seems to be much less of the idea of challenging themselves as a bit of personal development, really making an effort, taking initiative, finding time for it all, etc, which is what I thought the real value of the award was - I think it's the decline of that, not the fact that so many people have it, that has led to the fact it's not taken as much notice of now. So many people do it at school, but as a result, they expect to have so much laid on for them, that it doesn't show the same initiative or personal challenge any more. I hope that is only the experience of the few I know who do it through schools where they are pretty much expected to do it. In other places where it's more of a choice, that perhaps doesn't happen.

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