Hereford Cathedral School

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Hereford Cathedral School

Hereford Cathedral School is an independent operating authority for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The Award is available to any pupil who is at the appropriate age. It is a modular programme, with activities undertaken at three levels, generally completed in the 4th - 6th Years.

Enrolment for each level of the Award will cost £35. This fee is payable to Hereford Cathedral School and in part subsidies the Operating Authority Licence Fee. All pupils must register and pay their registration fee before any activity can count towards their Award. ( This includes pupils at Hereford Cathedral School undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh's Award activities in the school's CCF.)

The cost of the individual components within the Award will be outlined in advance and subsidised as far as possible to make activities accessible to all; costing will be directly apportioned to those activities undertaken by a participant, payable by cheque in advance. Expedition costs are fully inclusive except for the purchase of expedition food that will remain the responsibility of the participant.

The School will continue to provide basic camping and expedition equipment.

2009 was a very successful year for DofE with more than 40 pupils gaining their Bronze Award, 12 their Silver and 15 attaining their Gold Award.

It was a busy year for expeditions with 70 Year 10’s taking part in both practice and qualifying expeditions. These were undertaken on foot, in the Wye Valley and in the Black Mountains, and one group of 8 chose to undertake a water expedition in open canoes along the Shropshire canal!

There was less activity in year 11 mostly due to impending GCSE’s and other school commitments. Although one group did carry out a three day expedition in the Black Mountains, in what turned out to be a very hot period in early July. However the sixth form turned up in force, 22 of them, to complete their qualifying Gold expedition in a very wet North of Scotland at the end of August.  Practices for the Gold expedition had taken place earlier in the year on Dartmoor.

It was a most demanding qualifying expedition due to the very wet weather and the midges.  One of these participants has now finished the Gold Award and received her certificate from St James’ Palace.  The others should be completing the Award during this their final year at HCS.

We are now in 2010, and again the Award is proving popular. Over 50 pupils in year 10 have registered on the scheme and should have completed the shorter sections of the Award and are now preparing themselves for the Expedition phase which gets off to a start in April and will hopefully have concluded by the end of May, with groups going out on Expedition virtually every weekend (each group has to complete two expeditions).

18 pupils have registered at Silver and 33 on the Gold Award.  The Silver expeditions (3 days) will be taking place after GCSE’ s in  June/July and in late August.  Gold Practice expeditions and explorations (4 days) will be taking place during the Easter holidays in both the Black Mountains/Brecon Beacons and on Dartmoor.

15 Gold participants will be completing their Gold Qualifying Expedition in the Spanish Pyrenees from mid to late August.

All in all a very busy year ahead, and many thanks to all the HCS staff who continue to support the Award throughout the season.

Please contact Mrs N Nicklin if you require any further information.

01432 363522 

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The Requirements