DofE Silver Walking Expedition

Guiding your students to success in their Silver Award

With years of experience in delivering Silver Duke of Edinburgh Walking Expeditions for schools, we are proud of the programmes that we have perfected. Choose from 6 or 7 day Expeditions for your Practice/Training and Qualifying programmes, or let us know if you are looking for a bespoke package.

Expeditions that help students learn life skills, grow in confidence and release their inner explorer.

6 or 7 days

5 nights

£348pp to £406 + VAT (Min. Group size 14)

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Overview

Exploring more adventurous terrain than on the Bronze Award, our Silver DofE Walking Expeditions give students the chance to step further into the world of adventure.

On Silver Expedition, there will be comprehensive training and remote supervision helping participants hone skills such as navigation and teamwork. Throughout, our experienced instructors ensure a safe and rewarding DofE experience.

Itinerary - Day by Day

6-day programme

Training and Practice - 3 days includes:

1-day Expedition training
2-day/2-night Practice Expedition

Qualifying - 3 days includes:

Refresher Training and Expedition preparation
3-day/2-night Qualifying Expedition

7-day programme

Training and Practice - 4 days includes:

2-day Expedition training
2-day/2-night Practice Expedition

Qualifying - 3 days includes:

Refresher training and Expedition preparation
3-day/2-night Qualifying Expedition

To view the itinerary options, expand this panel:

Silver Training and Practice

Day 1: Arrival day

Our Expedition training framework covers all relevant core elements required for the Silver DofE Award, to include:

Reviewing / checks of kit and equipment
Route planning, navigation and map skills
Putting up tents
Group cooking task (using stoves)
Safety and basic first aid

Day 2: Training day

Teams will take part in practical training sessions, practicing essential Silver DofE Expedition skills. With guidance, they will also plan their Practice Expedition, marking the routes on a map for each day.

Navigation skills in difficult terrain
Campcraft (tents, stoves, food prep)
Packing a rucksack
Route planning
Safety and emergency scenarios

Days 3/4: Practice Expedition

The Silver DofE Practice Expedition gives students the opportunity to apply their training in real Expedition conditions.

Teams travel independently, with remote supervision, to a campsite (wild camps are possible, depending on location). Further training by the instructor might be given along the way, which could include:

Emergency scenarios - what to do and how to manage
Navigation skills and techniques, putting them into practice
Expedition skills in the outdoors
Team work - how to work effectively in a group

When the teams arrive at camp, to a warm welcome and a cheer, it’s time to put the tents up and start cooking – all with supervision and support from our instructors to ensure ongoing learning and safety.

At the end of the Practice Expedition, there will be time for reflection, feedback, celebrating achievements, questions and a full debrief. A report will also be produced by our DofE instructors which can be used as evidence of completion for the students to upload to their eDofE account.

Silver Qualifying Expedition

The Qualifying Expedition is the final assessed section of the Silver DofE Expedition programme.

Participants complete a 3-day / 2-night journey while being remotely supervised and assessed by accredited DofE assessors.

Arrival day

Full kit checks on Expedition morning before leaving
Distribution of group kit and emergency contact cards
Route plan and map check for Expedition route
Refresh of emergency procedures
Meet-up points reminder
Off into the hills for an exciting Silver Expedition adventure

Days 1/2/3: Qualifying Expedition

Ongoing assessment and remote supervision by our qualified DofE assessors
End of Expedition debrief and reporting

The DofE Silver Qualifying Expedition will involve ongoing observation using remote supervision, as well as meeting up in person with our DofE accredited assessors. GSM trackers are also given to each group for additional safety and means of locating.

There will be a full debrief by the assessing instructors at the end of day 3. This provides an opportunity for participants to reflect, identify proud moments, achievements, learnings and ask questions.

A full report is produced for each student, which is to be uploaded to their eDofE account as evidence of the Silver Expedition Award completion.

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What's included?

Tents (2 & 3 person)
Group 1st Aid Kit
Tracking Device
Water Purification
Stoves/Pans & Gas
Maps & Map Cases
Coloured Rucksack Covers
Camping Fees
Group Shelter

Our Services

Indoor training facility. Offering a great area for training and preparations, regardless of the weather.
Comprehensive training. Covering all aspects of the DofE syllabus.
Supervision by highly qualified staff. Ensuring your safety throughout the expedition.
DofE Accredited Assessors. For the Qualifying Expedition only - helping you feel relaxed and encourage you towards completing your expedition.
Personalised Report. Highlighting areas of improvement, recommendations and achievements during the expedition process.

You will need to arrange

Our Silver DofE Walking Expedition packages cover almost everything, however, we do require some input, planning and organising from the school / group.

Recruiting your students to sign up to their Expedition to fulfill their DofE Award. We can assist with information on how to do this.
Complete any in-house administration within your organisation to authorise the Expedition.
Keep in touch with participants to distribute information and ensure they are registered with DofE for the Silver Award.
Transport to/from the Expedition venue. Our expedition locations are chosen for their ease of access via public transport. This may be a coach or minibus. Some groups arrive by train to keep costs low.
We provide 1 free staff place for every 14 participants. They must attend the Expedition to ensure pastoral care for the participants.

Resources

Have you discovered our library of resources yet? We have been busy curating a knowledge base to help support your students, with interesting blogs, videos and tips to prepare for their expedition.

DofE Expeditions for all DofE Expedition guidance for participants

Did you know?

It is a DofE requirement that the Practice Expedition must take place in a different area from the Qualifying Expedition.
Participants wanting to take part in a Qualifying Expedition must complete a Practice Expedition in the appropriate environment and at the correct level. This may have been with a different provider. The Expedition must be signed off on your eDofE record or log book and you must provide us with evidence.