Can I use the course for my DofE Skills section?

Yes. Introducing British Sign Language can be used for the three-month Skills section of a Bronze or Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, subject to approval from your DofE Leader.

You should speak to your DofE Leader before you begin. They must agree that the course is suitable for your programme and approve your choice of activity and Assessor.

How it work

You should study the course regularly for around one hour each week over at least three months.

The course contains ten sections and approximately 20 hours of material. You do not have to complete every section, but you must take part regularly throughout the full three-month period and show that you have worked towards your goal.

Please do not complete most of the course in a few days or leave your study until the end of the three months. We use your course activity and progress when preparing your Assessor’s Report and cannot confirm regular participation where the course has been completed in a short period.

Getting started

Enrol on the course here: https://www.british-sign.co.uk/enrol

The learner’s own name must be entered on the enrolment dashboard (after payment), even when a parent, school or another person has paid for the course.

This is the name that will appear on the learner’s course account, certificate and DofE Assessor’s Report. Please make sure it is correct before the learner begins.

You do not need to contact us before starting the course.

Assessor details

Name: Simon Harvey
Role: Course Tutor
Email: hello@british-sign.co.uk

Some DofE forms also ask for a telephone number. We do not operate a telephone support line, so this can be left blank.

Setting your goal

Before starting, you will need to agree a suitable goal with your DofE Leader.

For example:

To gain a basic understanding of British Sign Language and develop my visual and non-verbal communication skills.

You may wish to choose a more personal goal based on why you want to learn BSL.

Requesting your Assessor’s Report

Once you have studied regularly for at least three months, request your Assessor’s Report here:
https://enrol.british-sign.co.uk/dofe/

You will need:

• your course username
• your DofE participant ID

Your course username is not your email address. You can find it in the welcome email sent when your course account was created.

After submitting the form, you will receive an email containing a confirmation link. You must follow that link to complete your request.

We will prepare and submit the report directly to the DofE portal within 14 days.

Please use the online form rather than emailing us to request a report.

Using the course for a six-month section

The course is designed to support a three-month Skills section.

We cannot provide an Assessor’s Report stating that the course was studied for six months.

If you need to complete a six-month Skills section, speak to your DofE Leader before you begin. They may agree that you can combine the course with further BSL learning, but our report will cover only the course activity we can verify.

Completing the course

You do not need to pass every assessment or complete the entire course before requesting your DofE report.

The report is based on regular participation, the progress you have made and your work towards your agreed goal over the required period.

Finishing the course and earning its certificate is separate from completing your DofE Skills section.

Updated on: 03/08/2026