Expedition Provision
Zest for Adventure can offer a Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition Section programme at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels tailored to meet your requirements. However, the following is a typical walking expedition programme format:
Expedition Information Session
Purpose: explaining to participants and parents how the expedition programme operates
Timing: first half of autumn term, evening, ½ hour (typically combined with the school's launch evening)
Expedition Preparation Session (may be combined with Expedition Planning Session)
Purpose: reminding participants how the expedition programme operates, enabling participants to choose their expedition teams
Timing: second half of autumn term, lunchtime, ½ hour
Expedition Planning Session
Purpose: demonstrating expedition equipment and discussing options for obtaining it
Timing: first half of spring term, after-school, 1½ hours
Expedition Briefing Sessions (x 3)
Purpose: finalising arrangements for the expedition
Timing: the week before each expedition, lunchtime, ½ hour
Foundation Training Expedition
Format: skills training day and then an accompanied training walk: for all participants who have not successfully completed a DofE expedition programme previously
Duration: 2 days, 1 night (Bronze, Silver and Gold)
Timing: second half of spring term or first half of summer term
Location: The Chiltern Hills (Bronze, Silver and Gold)
Training and Practice Expedition (may be combined with Foundation Training Expedition; optional for Bronze)
Format: shadowed expedition
Duration: 1 day, 1 night (Bronze); 3 days, 3 nights (including accompanied training walk) (Silver); 4 days, 4 nights (including accompanied training walk) (Gold)
Timing: second half of summer term
Location: The Chiltern Hills (Bronze); The Cotswold Hills (Silver); The Brecon Beacons (Gold)
Qualifying Expedition
Format: remotely supervised and independently assessed expedition
Duration: 2 days, 1 night (Bronze); 3 days, 2 nights (Silver); 5 days, 4 nights (including accompanied acclimatisation day) (Gold)
Timing: first half of autumn term
Location: The Chiltern Hills (Bronze); The White Peak District (Silver); The Dark Peak District (Gold)
Expedition Presentation Session (optional for Bronze)
Purpose: participants giving their presentations
Timing: the third week after the Qualifying Expedition, lunchtime or after-school (depending on number of teams)
Expedition Provision Prices
Exact prices will depend on the details of the programme that you would like us to provide, as well as on your location and on the staffing requirements of your local DofE Licensed Organisation. Full details will be provided on request, but typical prices per participant are as follows:
Bronze Expedition Programme
All entrants (with 2-day Training and Practice Expedition): £200.00
All entrants (with 1-day Training and Practice Expedition): £180.00
All entrants (without Training and Practice Expedition): £140.00
Silver Expedition Programme
New entrants: £350.00
Bronze award holders: £300.00
Gold Expedition Programme
New entrants: £500.00
Bronze or Silver Award holders: £450.000
VAT will be added to all prices at the applicable rate.
Accredited Leader Scheme
This is a scheme to accredit suitably-experienced school leaders to be able to lead on expeditions on exactly the same basis as Zest for Adventure Expedition Leaders. This scheme benefits participants because they are working with leaders who know them and are familiar with the procedures of both the school and of Zest for Adventure. In addition, the school benefits because the price of the expedition programme is reduced.
Safety
All trainers, supervisors and assessors are appropriately qualified in walking leadership and first aid. All assessors are all nationally accredited DofE Assessors. All expedition leaders have enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service clearance. They carry appropriate safety equipment with them at all times.
All expedition leaders are required to successfully complete our leader induction programme prior to the start of each expedition season. They are then regularly monitored throughout the season.
All participants are required to have successfully completed an accompanied training expedition before being allowed to undertake an unaccompanied expedition. Teams carry appropriate safety equipment with them at all times.
Zest for Adventure is regularly inspected by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and holds an Adventure Activities Licence for Trekking.
Zest for Adventure holds membership of Pharos Response, which provides us with comprehensive emergency response support in the event of a serious incident.
Zest for Adventure is insured with Activities Industry Mutual and holds £5,000,000 public liability insurance for mountain walking.
Quality
Zest for Adventure is regularly inspected by The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and is an Approved Activity Provider for the Expedition Section for Expeditions on Foot.
All our programmes are thoroughly reviewed prior to the start of each expedition season, and on an ongoing basis, to ensure that they continue to lead the way in Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition provision.
We run a comprehensive leader training programme for our expedition leaders prior to the start of each expedition season.
Integrity
Zest for Adventure is a member of the Institute for Outdoor Learning and is committed to abide by its professional Code of Conduct.
Experience
Zest for Adventure has been successfully providing Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions since 2010.
All our expedition leaders are experienced and enthusiastic Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition specialists.
Support
Our team provides the following support to schools:
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Regular expedition communication with participants and parents (where required, at extra cost)
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Liaising with school staff to arrange school expedition staffing (where required)
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Production of all documentation and submission of expeditions on Evolve (or similar) and to the DofE (where required)
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All expedition communication with school staff (where required)
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Production of laminated route maps for teams and leaders for each expedition
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Production of comprehensive team and leader packs for each expedition
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Production of detailed assessor’s reports at the end of each expedition programme
Flexibility
Where participants are unable to attend all of their school's scheduled expeditions, we are able to transfer them over to our open expedition programme to complete their missing expeditions. Depending on circumstances, we offer them significantly reduced prices (often completely free of charge) in this case.
References
We are able to put you in contact with some of the DofE Managers of the schools we work for, if you would like to obtain references on us prior to committing to booking one of our expedition programmes.
