Evidence for DofE and Gateway Award

Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - you need to register for the award before you start and ensure you follow the programme guidance Find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Gold Gateway Award - The award open to anyone with a learning disability with a programme designed to be inclusive of all abilities and should be undertaken after the 16^th Birthday.  Find out more about the Gateway Award.

For the King’s Scout Award challenges an assessor over 18 who is not related to the participant should be chosen. Ideally, they should be someone knowledgeable about he activity such as a football coach.

If you’re not using Gold DofE or Gateway, you’ll complete the five King’s Scout Award Challenges instead. These are designed to reflect long term commitment and personal development.

You’ll complete a skill for either six or twelve months, showing clear progress and lasting commitment. You’ll do the same for a physical activity, following an agreed programme and working towards specific goals.

For service, you’ll volunteer for a full twelve months. This must include appropriate briefing and training and can involve helping with another Scout section as a Young Leader or supporting the movement as an adult volunteer.

The expedition is a major part of the award. It’s a self led, self sufficient, four day, three night expedition in wild country, with a clear aim and proper preparation. Each day must include a minimum of eight hours of activity, with at least half of that being journeying. The final expedition must take place in a different area to your practice.

The residential requires you to spend five days and four nights away in an unfamiliar setting, sharing accommodation with people you mostly don’t already know. This could be a course, volunteering project, or activity based experience. In some cases, it can be split into two blocks within a year, as long as it’s the same activity.

The King’s Scout Award isn’t about doing everything again, but it is about proving that what you’ve done meets the rules. Plan early, be consistent, label reused evidence clearly, and always check age requirements. If in doubt, explain more rather than less, clarity is one of the most important parts of passing the award.

Check out our Top Awards opportunities page for ideas and suggestions about what you could do for all sections of your Top Awards.

• Physical & Skill - one section needs to be completed for six months and the other for 12 months.
• Service - this section needs to be completed for 12 months.
• The time commitment is an average of an hour per week over the period.
• Members who’ve not completed the Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award or the Chief Scout's Diamond Award must undertake an extra six months in either the Service Challenge or the longer of the Skills or Physical Recreation Challenge, so 18 months in total.

• This activity should be a hobby or interest and not a sport or physical activity.
• This can be an existing interest or something new.
• Objectives should be set at the beginning of the activity with your assessor. These should be challenging but achievable.
• Activities can include driving, playing a musical instrument or Air Rifle Shooting.

• This should be a physical activity such as walking, team sports, attending a gym or any other fitness programme.
• You should set a challenging but achievable goal with your assessor.
• For those unable to complete a physical activity due to medical reasons, this could include physio.

• There should be some briefing and training before starting the placement
• Scouting Service can include helping as an Explorer Young Leader, Adult Volunteer or Campsite Service. Other options can include environmental work, helping with an after school club or helping in a charity shop.
• The activity should not be fundraising for a Scouting trip you are attending, unless it is towards the community project you are undertaking.

• You should complete the training listed in the KSA requirements including first response.
• A 3 day, 2 night practice expedition should be undertaken by foot, cycle, horse, canoe, boat or dinghy.
• A four-day, three-night qualifying expedition should be undertaken by the same method and in a similar environment but in a different area to the  practice. This expedition should have an aim.
• Expeditions need to be self-led, self sufficient and have a minimum of eight hours of activity per day, of  which  at  least half must be  journeying.
• Accommodation should be by camping or other simple accommodation e.g. bunkhouses. All expeditions should be self-sufficient.
• Environment could include rural, urban, or restricted spaces and must a represent a step up in challenge from the previous level and be a challenge to the individuals in the group.

• Undertake a five-day, four-night residential project in an unfamiliar setting, using shared accommodation. There should be at least five people in the group, the majority of which are unknown to you.
•  Residential Projects may include training courses, environmental and conservation projects, volunteering or be activity based. The residential could be split into two blocks within 12 months, as long as the same activity is completed.
  • The Residential project should start before noon on the first day and finish after 3pm on the last day.
  • Shared accommodation should be used, staying with family or friends is not acceptable.
  • The majority of participants and staff should be unknown – up to 50% can be known, but where possible they should spend time in groups with people they do not know.
  • Groups should consist of at least 5 participants who are meeting for the first time, although they do not need to be doing the King’s Scout Award.
  • Events such as the World Scout Jamboree, World Scout Moot, Roverway and similar events are suitable for this requirement of the award (but cannot then be used for another section of the award).
  • You should discuss your choice of residential with your mentor or leader in advance to ensure it meets these requirements.
  • Participants with additional needs may request reasonable adjustments which might include requesting time away from activities, attending with a carer or their leader. For further guidance see our Supporting people with additional needs pages.

• Ensure the dates are the correct duration in months for each section.
• Ensure you record your objective for each section on the form
• Ask your assessor to write a statement which shows your progression against your aims for each section. You assessor should confirm you have done the activity for an hour per week for the service, skills and physical sections.