Amesbury Award and PSB

What is the Amesbury award?

Following the death of Prince Phillip in April 2021, conversations with Mr Whybrow began about the creation of a similar venture to the Duke of Edinburgh Award to honour the noble work of Prince Phillip, with an Amesbury twist to it.

The Amesbury Award is available to our Year 7 and 8 pupils, and while it is without a doubt accessible to all, it is designed to be a marathon, not a sprint. The award is based on life skills that are fundamental to our school and the wider world, it is designed to encourage key skills that cannot be taught in the classroom, such as teamwork, resilience, compassion, and a love for adventure. The timing of the Amesbury Award is perfect preparation for those interested in pursuing The Duke of Edinburgh award which commences from age 14 in senior schools.

What does the Amesbury award involve?

Throughout the year pupils will be involved in six different topics: teambuilding, community, the environment, mindfulness, pre-prep and presentation. Each topic will involve teamwork, challenges, communication and trust.

As part of the topics, pupils will go into the community and take part in projects. We are very happy to be partnering with Liphook Foodbank as part of our community work. The pupils will visit the foodbank and develop a greater understanding of their need and influence on the local community, they will then develop a strategy of how they can help support the food bank through the award, such as fundraising in order to bring in more food.

In the Trinity Term, the children will then take part in planning and executing an expedition in the South Downs Way, the Year 7s for one day and the Year 8s for two days and one night. They will be fully involved with the expedition and will work together to make important decisions such as the equipment needed, the route taken and what food is taken.

Why the Amesbury Award?

This year will be the first year of the award being in full swing and is therefore an exciting time in Amesbury’s history to join something amazing that will set your child up beautifully for their senior school adventures, with skills other children have not acquired.

The skills learnt from the Amesbury Award are skills we cannot teach in the classroom, our pupils will complete the award as confident, independent and conscious learners with skills that will benefit them long after they complete their Amesbury journey with us.

This award is something that is unique to Amesbury, it enables our pupils to develop much more than their academic ability, ready for wherever they decide to go following their time here.

Pre-Senior Baccalaureate

Alongside our Amesbury Award, our curriculum is also enriched by our PreSenior Baccalaureate award, an inspiring programme of study lasting for two years. It combines various aspects of the curriculum while allowing freedom to choose an area of interest.

The PSB is a fantastic opportunity to develop vital skills of independent learning, effective use of technology, critical thinking and analysis. The programme allows our pupils to lead their own learning, equipping them extremely well for their entry into senior school.

Through these programmes our pupils gain skills that equip them brilliantly for their senior school journey and beyond.