Dame Allan’s Schools has established itself as one of the leading Duke of Edinburgh’s Award centres in the North of England, boasting record participation, sustained 16-year growth and completion rates believed to be among the highest nationally.

The programme, embedded across the Schools as part of its wider outdoor education and leadership provision, is positioned not simply as a co-curricular option, but as a structured pathway for developing independence, resilience and long-term personal achievement among pupils.

This year, Dame Allan’s is supporting record cohorts across all three DofE levels: 104 pupils at Bronze in Year 9, 75 at Silver in Years 10 and 11, and 52 at Gold in Year 12.

Mrs Cookson, Dame Allan’s DofE lead, says the figures continue to rise year-on-year.

“We are definitely the highest for the North of England and Scotland in terms of registration, but more importantly, I believe our completion rates are among the best nationally,” she says. “Every year, numbers continue to rise. Even during COVID, we still ran expeditions and encouraged pupils to adapt their sections to enable them to keep progressing with their awards.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a youth development programme that challenges young people to step outside their comfort zones. It comprises four sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and the Expedition, with an additional Residential requirement at Gold level.

At Dame Allan’s, Mrs Cookson explains that the award is “the pinnacle of a progressive curriculum in outdoor education” that begins with high-quality outdoor learning at Dame Allan’s Junior School.

“At Senior School level, it starts with climbing club and archery in Year 7, then the Young Naturalist Award in Year 8,” she explains. “By Year 9, there is momentum already built and pupils look forward to DofE because it offers something out of the ordinary – personal development away from academic focus.”

A central pillar of the award is volunteering, which increases in length at each stage – three months at Bronze, six months at Silver and 12 months at Gold.

“It’s a long-standing commitment,” says Mrs Cookson. “Participants support younger pupils in sports or music, but they also work out in the community – charity shops, Scouts, St John Ambulance and Parkrun.”

The programme also includes more specialist volunteering pathways.

“We’ve got pupils volunteering with Edukid, supporting education projects abroad, and some doing online conservation work – mapping remote areas of Africa from satellite images to support disaster management,” she says.

Alongside volunteering, pupils complete skills and physical sections designed to broaden experience and build independence.

“The physical element could be running – Couch to 5K, Parkrun – team sports, swimming, badminton, gym work or yoga,” says Mrs Cookson. “Some even take up Hyrox training or prepare for the Great North Run.”

The skills section is similarly wide-ranging. While cooking remains the most popular skill – requiring pupils to master 26 different meals over six months – others learn to drive or develop skills in coding, chess, public speaking or even Mandarin Chinese.

“It’s about understanding we need to become a well-rounded person,” Mrs Cookson adds. “Looking after physical and mental wellbeing, contributing to the community and developing skills for independence.”

The expedition remains one of the most anticipated parts of the programme.

Bronze expeditions take place in Northumberland, including Hadrian’s Wall, St Cuthbert’s Way and coastal routes. Silver moves into the Lake District and Yorkshire Moors, while Gold includes extended expeditions such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The structure is progressive – two days at Bronze, three at Silver and four days at Gold.

Mrs Cookson describes the experience as deliberately designed to build skills, confidence and resilience.

“We talk about ‘type one’ and ‘type two’ happiness,” she explains. “Type one is instant gratification – it wears off quickly. Type two is like training for a marathon; it’s uncomfortable at the time, but the sense of achievement is much more profound and long-lasting. When pupils complete an expedition, that is the happiness they experience.”

Year 13 pupil Daisy said the expeditions have helped build her confidence.

“DofE has definitely made me more confident in my ability to adapt to challenges, like sudden changes in weather and putting up and taking down tents in really strong wind,” she says. “I’ve also gained a lot of outdoor skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise got, like walking long distances and navigating in remote areas.”

For pupils like Daisy, Dame Allan’s has strengthened its DofE programme further through the Young Leaders initiative, enabling Gold achievers to remain involved by mentoring and supporting younger participants.

“It was seen as a shame that pupils developed these skills and then left,” says Mrs Cookson. “The Young Leaders programme allows them to give something back, while continuing to develop their leadership skills.”

Young Leaders play an integral role in training sessions, expedition preparation, kit management and supporting younger pupils on their DofE journey.

“It’s really powerful for younger pupils to see near-peer role models who have very recently been through the same experience,” she adds.

Charlotte, a Young Leader in Year 13, said DofE has shaped her understanding of both leadership and teamwork.

“Bronze DofE was my first taste of independence and organisation,” she says. “Since then, my confidence as a group leader has grown. But I’ve also learnt the importance of good followership as well as leadership, and how it helps a group of people gel together and work efficiently as a team.”

She believes the whole experience strengthens friendships through shared challenge.

“DofE is basically made to test your friendships, especially when you’re walking for hours in scorching sun or pouring rain!” says Charlotte.

As a Young Leader, she says she has gained perspective on the wider programme.

“It made me appreciate how fortunate we are at Dame Allan’s to have such a thriving outdoor education department,” she says. “Many schools don’t offer DofE, and I sometimes don’t realise how lucky I am.”

Beyond character building, the award – particularly at Gold level – continues to hold strong value after school, when applying to university and jobs.

“It shows motivation, commitment and the ability to finish something you start,” Mrs Cookson says. “These pupils are balancing weekly volunteering, sports and activities with demanding academic schedules. It proves time management and independence.

“And as a result, we see them develop into confident, independent young people equipped with skills, resilience and self-belief that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”