Duke of Edinburgh Award
Finborough School’s Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme was first established in 2002, and currently the majority of the senior school are enrolled.
There are four main elements at Bronze and Silver Levels:
1. Service
The aim of the service section is to encourage service to individuals and the community. This has ranged from Child Care at Finborough Nursery and Combs Pre-school; Pond Conservation; Police Course; Elderly Care at Finborough Court; Care in the Community; Army Cadets; First Aid and Fire Courses; and helping with the Brownies.
2. Physical Recreation
The aim of the Physical Recreation Section is to encourage participation and improvement in physical activity. This has ranged from rugby, football, cricket and golf, through to netball, hockey, power boating and karate.
3. Skills
The aim of the Skills section is to encourage the discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interests. This has ranged from skateboarding, looking after pets, kite flying, ceramics and motocross through to horse riding, learning a language and designing the Duke of Edinburgh Award website.
4. Expeditions
The aim of the Expeditions section is to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery. Expeditions have been successfully carried out across much of Suffolk with extremes of weather from tremendous heat and sunshine through to freezing cold and wet! We have been fortunate in that only group got seriously lost, and apart from gigantic maize stalks and ploughed footpaths, nothing too serious apart from the odd twisted ankle has happened!
In 2003 we introduced the of Silver Level participants, and in 2004, Gold level students were mentored by Suffolk County Council.
At Gold level there is the Residential project. Participants undertake a shared activity in a “residential setting” away from home for five days and four nights. They will not know anyone on the course and the aim should be a voluntary placement such as holiday camps with disadvantaged children; archaeological work or it could be something like rebuilding dry stone walls and coastal paths.
For more information on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award please visit www.theaward.org or contact us at Finborough.
