Sent to Parents and Carers of Year 9 Students on 4/11/2026
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
I am delighted to let you know that we are about to launch the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE). I am the DofE Manager for Westbourne Academy and I wanted to write to let you know more about what is involved. Today in the Year 9 assembly, I talked to students about this opportunity.
Why do DofE?
Doing their DofE is a brilliant way for your young person to discover just how much they are capable of. It gives young people the chance to make new friends, follow their passions, learn new skills and make a difference in our community. Achieving a DofE Award is a great way to impress future employers and post-16 providers too. It helps young people to see themselves differently and gain a new level of confidence. We always say that after taking on your DofE, you know that whatever life throws at you, you are ready to deal with it.
The DofE is non-competitive and a powerful way for every young person to build belief in themselves, whatever their background, interests and abilities.
How it works
To achieve their Bronze Award, your young person will need to complete four sections – Volunteering, Physical, Skills and the Expedition.
Young people can choose what they would like to do for the first three sections, and we will provide all the guidance and support they need. The Expedition involves spending two days and one night in the countryside. We provide comprehensive training beforehand to ensure everyone is fully prepared and has the best possible experience.
Next steps
We hope lots of our young people will take this opportunity to get involved with DofE. The registration cost is £33 per person and there will be an additional cost of approx. £25 for transport and accommodation.
If your child is interested in taking part but the cost is prohibitive, please do speak to me as we may be able to arrange financial support as we have been allocated a limited number of funded places by the DofE award.
This payment should be made through MCAS once your child’s application has been accepted. There will be limited places available on the Bronze Level Award. Therefore, we have developed an application process to help us decide who would benefit most from completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award. If your child would like to take part, please help them with their application which requires your signature. Printed copies are available for collection in school from me in room C22 at break and lunch. A downloadable copy is also attached below.
DofE Appliation Form For Y9 Students
Duke Of Edinburgh Parents Carers Guardians Information Booklet
The deadline for returning completed application forms is Monday 16 November 2026.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at school on 01473 466164 or by email. The DofE website dofe.org – has a lot of useful information too.
Thank you for your support. I hope you will agree that the DofE is the perfect way for your young person to feel ready for anything.
Regards
Miss G Kelly
Team Leader for Geography & DofE Manager
Email: georgia.kelly@attrust.org.uk
Academy vision: Westbourne is an inclusive academy. We support all students, regardless of starting point, to achieve their potential and develop the skills necessary for employment and life.
Academy values: Be Safe, Be Thoughtful, Be Accountable and Be Respectful.
General queries to: wes-office@attrust.org.uk or 01473 742315