Junior Duke
At Brailes School, as part of our wider curriculum, all pupils in Years 3-6 are encouraged to take part and complete the Junior Duke Award programme each year. This award has been running in schools since 2007 and has helped thousands of children aged 6 to 12 to realise their abilities and, for some, to discover new talents and passions. It aims to increase children’s independence, confidence, responsibility and resilience, whilst giving them a real sense of achievement on completion.
There is a different award for each year group:
Year 3 - Bronze Award
Year 4 - Silver Award
Year 5- Gold Award
Year 6 - Platinum Award
Each award level has a selection of 14 challenges, and in order to complete a level, the children need to finish 10 of these successfully. The tasks are designed to be completed at home with the help of friends and family. These include skills such as first aid, eco-awareness, drama, ICT, music and sport, as well as life skills such as cookery, puncture repair, washing bed sheets and litter picking.
On completion of a level, a well-earned badge and certificate is awarded and presented in an assembly soon after they achieved the award and a special celebration at the end of the year. The children should aim to finish their challenges by the end of the school year, so they can move on to the next level. However, they can carry it on into the next year if they have not yet completed them all.
Consent from families is needed in order for their child to be part of the awards for that year and receive a booklet in October, with all of their challenges for the level they are participating in.
Once a challenge is completed, many of the challenges require an assessor in school to assess them - which is a read through of their booklet and self-reflection, look at the photos, or maybe taste the food created and a conversation with the child.
This award scheme is provided free of charge at Brailes in 2024-25 to all children in Owls and Badgers Classes.