North Road Academy is a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) provider. The DofE is a nationally recognised award that perfectly illustrates the school’s commitment to providing high quality extracurricular activities to complement excellent academic attainment.

The components of the award also reflect our desire to equip students with relevant life skills that will also serve them well as they make their way towards the next step in their education and employment.

We offer the DofE Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Students from years 9 to 11 volunteer to take on the challenges posed by the different aspects of this award. Students achieve the award by completing a personal programme of activities broken down into four sections:

• Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
• Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.
• Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.
• Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey in the the form of a residential.

For the Gold award, students must complete five sections, with the additional activity being a residential. The residential requires students to complete a shared activity by working and staying away from home.