Elstree Award

The Elstree Award is based on the principles of the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award which is very popular in senior schools. It offers a real opportunity to develop skills outside of the classroom such as leadership, problem solving and responsibility as well as providing opportunities to serve the community and test their ability to take on a challenge. Year 6 pupils follow the ‘Bronze’ programme, the Year 7 work towards the ‘Silver’ award and the Year eight pupils take part in the ‘Gold’ award – each level becomes more challenging as the pupils progress through the school.

Each child is given the opportunity to work and challenge themselves in a range of activities, pursuits and projects, most of which take place within the safe environment of the school grounds. The programme includes:

• Problem Solving and Leadership challenges
• Camp Craft – cooking a meal outdoors and camping in the wild;
• Presentation skills – presenting a topic to the group or the whole school;
• Living World – learning tree and flower names and growing plants in the School Garden
• Basic First Aid
• Volunteering – organising a charity event and taking part in community service
• Physical – showing improvement in a chosen sport
• Learning a new skill or progressing in a current skill
• Navigation using a compass and OS Maps
• Recycling and conservation (with Art and Geography)

A key element of the programme is the challenging 24-hour Elstree Award camp for the Silver and Gold Awards which gives the pupils the opportunity to take part in initiative exercises and develop leadership skills whilst camping out in our beautiful grounds overnight.

At the end of the year, the pupils are graded and will receive a certificate and there is a Governors’ Prize for the most outstanding pupil in each year group.

Andrew Pilkington