Bronze: 3 or 6 months
Skills normally lasts three months. You must choose either Skills or Physical as your longer, six-month section. If you choose Skills, plan for six months of coding activity.
DofE Skills · Live online · 1:1
Your DofE award.
Your coding journey.
Build a skill you can take beyond your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Learn to code through projects that interest you, with individual attention from a qualified UK-based tutor.
Book a DofE term for £450 + VAT: 10 hours of live 1:1 online tuition plus a two-hour self-paced practical assignment. A minimum of one term is required, with your learning plan tailored to your experience, goals and agreed DofE duration.
DofE Skills section · Required activity periods
How long does each award level take?
DofE requires regular activity averaging at least one hour a week over your agreed period. This can include your lessons and agreed independent coding practice; it is not a requirement to buy a paid lesson every week.
Silver: 3, 6 or 12 months
Skills lasts three or six months; either Skills or Physical must be the six-month section. If you enter Silver without Bronze, add six months to either Volunteering or your longer Skills/Physical section. If Skills is that section, it lasts twelve months.
Gold: 6, 12 or 18 months
Skills lasts six or twelve months; either Skills or Physical must be the twelve-month section. If you enter Gold without Silver, add six months to either Volunteering or your longer Skills/Physical section. If Skills is that section, it lasts eighteen months.
These are Skills-section timescales, not paid lesson counts or the total duration of the whole award. Check the official DofE timescales and confirm your personal requirements with your DofE leader before booking.
How DofE coding works with Geeky Kids
From your DofE term to your assessor’s report.
- 01
Agree the activity and duration
Tell us your Bronze, Silver or Gold level, coding experience and goals. Confirm your required duration, activity suitability and assessor arrangements with your DofE leader. Together, we shape a learning plan around those requirements.
- 02
Book your DofE term
Each term costs £450 + VAT and includes 10 hours of live 1:1 tuition plus a two-hour self-paced assignment. The minimum booking is one term. We check tutor availability and agree your schedule and learning plan before confirming the booking.
- 03
Attend your 10 hours of tuition
Work with your tutor through the concepts and projects in your personalised plan. Your tutor explains each step, gives individual feedback and prepares you for the practical assignment. We agree how the lessons and practice fit your required activity period.
- 04
Complete your two-hour self-paced assignment
Put your lesson skills into practice in your own coding project. The assignment is designed to be straightforward if you attend all the lessons and follow the guided work. Keep your code, screenshots and activity record as evidence of your own progress.
- 05
Review your work and complete the report
At the end of your agreed activity, we review your projects and progress evidence. Once you have attended the agreed lessons, successfully completed your practical assignment and met the agreed duration and evidence requirements, we sign off your coding activity with an assessor’s report for your Skills section. Confirm submission arrangements with your DofE leader; your DofE team handles the final approval, and this does not sign off your other award sections.
What does one term include?
10 hours of live 1:1 online tuition plus a two-hour self-paced assignment: 12 hours of planned learning. A minimum of one term is required. We agree the lesson schedule and any further activity or additional terms needed to match your DofE requirements.
What is the price?
Your DofE term costs £450 + VAT, including the 10 hours of tuition and two-hour self-paced assignment. We confirm the schedule and tuition arrangements before booking. An introductory lesson is an optional, separate offer available across all our tuition services.
What is the practical assignment?
Your tutor helps you choose a project suited to your interests and experience: for example, a Python game, a JavaScript website or a Minecraft Java mod. Your two-hour self-paced assignment builds on your 10 hours of tuition and is designed to be straightforward to complete if you attend every session and follow the guided practice. Your tutor explains what is needed; you complete and demonstrate your own work.
Your DofE questions, answered.
Can I start without any coding experience?
Yes. No prior experience is necessary. We can start with the foundations and build confidence through manageable projects. If you already code, we will discuss more advanced challenges that develop your skills.
Can you support Bronze, Silver and Gold?
We can help you shape a coding skills plan for any of these award levels. Tell us your level, required duration and any previous participation. Confirm the activity and timescale with your DofE leader before booking.
Will one term complete my DofE Skills section?
Not necessarily. Each £450 + VAT term includes 10 hours of live 1:1 tuition and a two-hour self-paced assignment: 12 hours of planned learning. A term is not a guarantee of DofE completion. Your required activity period depends on your award level and previous participation. We agree how the term fits that period; further activity or additional terms may be needed.
How do you sign off my activity at the end?
Once you have attended the agreed lessons, successfully completed your practical assignment and met the agreed activity-duration and evidence requirements, we sign off your coding activity by providing an assessor’s report for your Skills section. Your DofE leader confirms submission arrangements and your DofE team handles final approval. This does not sign off your other award sections.
Is the two-hour assignment difficult?
The two-hour self-paced practical assignment builds directly on your 10 hours of tuition. It is designed to be straightforward to complete if you attend every session and follow the guided practice. Your tutor explains the requirements and helps you build the skills step by step; you still need to complete and demonstrate your own work.
Can I fit tuition around school or start soon?
Private lessons offer flexible scheduling around your commitments, subject to tutor availability. Share a few suitable days and times, plus any deadline, and we will check the options. A start date is confirmed before you book.
What is the minimum DofE booking?
The minimum DofE booking is one term at £450 + VAT: 10 hours of live 1:1 online tuition plus a two-hour self-paced assignment. We agree the schedule and any further learning needed for your DofE duration before you book.
Can I try an introductory lesson first?
Yes. We offer an optional one-hour introductory lesson at £50 + VAT across our tuition services. It is a separate option if you would like to try tuition first; the DofE programme itself requires a minimum booking of one term.
Ready to plan your next step?
Send your award level, coding interests and a few days and times that suit you. Nicholas and the Geeky Kids team will help you explore a suitable plan and check tutor availability.
Enquire about a DofE term ↗Activity approval and completion requirements should be confirmed with your DofE leader. We do not guarantee an award or a particular completion date.