Islamia Schools Students on the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Expeditions | 2025
Students from Brondesbury College (BCB) and Islamia Girls School (IGS) have spent the past academic year working toward their Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Awards. They made steady progress through the Skill, Physical, and Volunteering sections, and then wrapped up the final term by completing their expeditions.
Students from Years 9, 10, and 11 took part in the outdoor training and qualifying expeditions, across three locations: Essex, Brighton, and the Chiltern Hills. Working in teams, they navigated rural routes, pitched tents, cooked their own meals, and demonstrated excellent perseverance and teamwork.
The Bronze expedition included two days and one night of activity, with students completing 35 km hikes and at least 6 hours of activity per day.
The Silver expedition extended to three days and two nights, with 7 hours of daily activities and 45km of hiking.
Event dates and locations
- 21–22 June: Bronze Training at King Edward VIII (Riffhams) Scout Park, Chelmsford
- 27–29 June: Bronze Qualifier & Silver Training at Parkwood Campsite, Brighton
- 4–6 July: Silver Qualifier in at Braidwood Scout Campsite, Chartridge, Chesham
Why we did it
The DofE Award fosters Personal Growth; engaging young people in experiences that build confidence, resilience, leadership skills, and teamwork. Physical activity and time spent in nature reduces stress, improving mental health and overall well-being.
The DofE Award is also an opportunity to prepare students for the future. Taking part in it shows that a student is motivated, dependable, and able to see things through—something that’s increasingly recognised by employers and universities.
Over the course of this year, participating students have benefitted from learning new skills, and improving on existing hobbies while creating lifelong memories on adventures with their peers. They’ve gained a taste for setting themselves personal challenges and experienced the satisfaction of service through volunteering and social responsibility.
We’re proud of our students for completing this challenge, as the first-ever cohort to undertake the DofE programme at both schools. They tackled the practical challenges of this expedition as it pushed them beyond their comfort zones, culminating in a real sense of achievement and camaraderie.
Well done to everyone involved.
What is the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is a globally respected youth awards programme founded in the UK in 1956 by Prince Philip. Aimed at young people aged 14 to 24, the Award encourages individuals to engage in activities beyond the classroom to serve their communities, gain practical skills, improve fitness, experience adventure, and foster independence.
At the Bronze and Silver levels, participants complete four core sections:
- Volunteering – offering unpaid service to individuals, communities, or environmental causes
- Physical Recreation – participating in sports or fitness for at least one hour per week
- Skills – developing personal interests, such as music, coding, or cooking
- Expedition – planning, training for, and completing a self-reliant adventure journey
Each section requires consistent commitment (typically an hour per week) over a defined period:
- Bronze: minimum of 6 months, plus an extra 3 months in one selected section
- Silver: minimum of 6–9 months, with an extra 6 months in one section if Bronze was not previously completed
Gold includes the same sections plus a Residential project, but that was beyond the scope of this initial launch.
