Reflecting on the Dove Award: A Journey of Independent Learning
20 June 2025 - All
The Dove Award, named after our founder Dame Frances Dove, is a unique programme for LIV pupils that encourages reflection, independence and personal growth. Through a range of activities and a self-directed project, pupils develop key skills that will prepare them for life both as they progress through School and beyond. Read on to discover what this year’s LIV had to say about The Dove Award.
The Dove Award was a wonderful experience! Starting in October with the Film Workshop and ending in June with the Award Celebration evening.
The super curricular project was my favourite part, not only did I work on my project digitally, but I also visited many places associated with my project such as my local observatory owned by UCL, Imperial College London and CERN in Switzerland. I also learnt to use Microsoft Sway to present the project and improved my editing skills whilst making a video of the process. The alchemy topic was particularly interesting. To learn more, I read a digital science magazine that contained some very interesting stories. I also loved the Dove Award Celebration Evening. It was so much fun seeing my friends collect prizes for various achievements; I am proud of us all.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Dove Award. I have learnt so much valuable information that will stick with me for a while all the way from Black History Month to my project on alchemy and astronomy.
Anjola
The aim of the Dove Award is to embody the School values of dynamism, mutual respect, balance, trust, encouragement, excellence, innovation and service. We each had to choose a project we were passionate about and think about our goals, what steps we going to take to achieve them and reflect throughout to reach a final conclusion.
I loved seeing the range of topics people chose, from learning to write with their left hand to sculptures of dragons and persuasive essays. My project was based on Italy. I wrote about Italy’s culture, learnt how to cook starters and pasta with tomato sauce from scratch as well as improving my language skills. I loved this project because it was very personal for me and my family, I feel it is something I will continue to learn about and improve on.
I felt extremely proud because I worked completely independently, from choosing which Canva backgrounds to use to consistently reading, revising grammar and watching Italian media. It allowed me to be accountable for myself in an enjoyable way.
It was nice to see everyone’s projects culminate at the Dove Award Celebration Evening. The entire year group, tutors and house staff ate pizza together while we appreciated each other’s projects. I am very thankful that this project was available to us and I had a lot of fun doing it!
Serena
The Dove Award is comprised of three pillars: Community, Flourishing, and Learner. Community emphasises teamwork, Flourishing encourages us to reflect on our daily actions and cultivate kindness towards all. The Learner pillar provides opportunities for independent skill development and exploration of non-academic avenues. I sought help from various departments and the Hall Library and engaged in multiple projects, including a research project on fast fashion and an essay on the Berlin Wall.
To commemorate our collective efforts required in the process, our entire year gathered for an evening filled with enjoyment, felicitations and a delicious pizza feast. I feel privileged to have been noticed for my work in the Learner’s category.
The independent pursuit of knowledge and challenges encountered made a remarkable experience. It was a great way to explore unique topics that required deep thinking and self-discipline. I extend my sincere gratitude to all the teachers and seniors who contributed to making this journey memorable.
Avyanna
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