King’s Scout Award Explained

The King’s Scout Award is the highest youth achievement in Scouts.

It is available to Explorer Scouts and Scout Network members and is designed to recognise sustained commitment, personal development, service, adventure and leadership.

It isn’t a badge that can be completed in a few weeks.

The award involves a substantial programme of activities and challenges, with Explorers expected to take increasing responsibility for planning, completing and recording their achievements.

The award must be completed before the participant’s 25th birthday. You must be aged at least 16 to start working towards it, and you must be a member of Explorer Scouts or Scout Network for at least 18 months to complete the award.

What Does the King’s Scout Award Involve?

There are several parts to the award.

You need to complete:

24 nights away, including at least 12 camping nights.

Six International, Community and Values (ICV) activities, with two from each area.

A presentation covering your award.

You then choose between holding the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or Gold Gateway Award, or completing the five King’s Scout Award Challenges.

Those challenges cover:

Skill

Physical activity

Service

Expedition

Residential

The award is therefore about much more than one big expedition.

It is a long-term journey that combines different types of personal development.

24 Nights Away

One requirement is to complete 24 nights away as an Explorer Scout or Scout Network member.

At least 12 of those nights must be camping.

Other Scouting nights away can count too, including nights that have been used towards other eligible awards.

This encourages Explorers to become increasingly comfortable spending time away from home and taking responsibility during camps and expeditions.

It also means that regular Scouting activities can contribute towards the award rather than every night away needing to be organised specifically for the KSA.

International, Community and Values

The ICV section consists of six activities in total.

You need:

Two International activities

Two Community activities

Two Values activities

Some activities completed for the Chief Scout’s Platinum or Diamond Awards can be carried forward, meaning you may need fewer additional activities if you’ve already completed those awards.

The activities should become more challenging as you progress through the Top Awards.

At King’s Scout Award level, Explorers are expected to demonstrate greater responsibility, independence and personal development.

International

The International section is about developing your understanding of the wider world.

This could involve international Scouting, learning about another culture, exploring a global issue or taking part in an appropriate international project.

The important thing is that the activity has a genuine international focus.

It isn’t simply about travelling abroad.

An Explorer could complete an international-themed project locally and still develop a much better understanding of another culture or global issue.

Community

The Community section is about making a positive contribution.

An Explorer might become involved in a conservation project, support a community organisation, help develop Scouting locally or organise an activity that benefits other people.

The key question is:

“What difference did I make?”

The activity should provide an opportunity to contribute rather than simply attend something.

Values

The Values section encourages Explorers to explore beliefs, values and what matters to them.

This might involve learning about different faiths and beliefs, exploring their own values, supporting inclusion or creating activities that help others understand different perspectives.

The purpose isn’t to produce a particular answer.

It is about reflection, understanding and putting values into practice.

The Five King’s Scout Award Challenges

Instead of using the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or Gold Gateway Award route, participants can complete the five KSA Challenges.

These are designed around longer-term commitment and personal development.

Skill

Choose a skill and develop it over time.

It could be something completely new or an existing interest that you want to take further.

The important part is demonstrating progress and lasting interest.

This could involve music, photography, cooking, woodworking, navigation, coding, art or another suitable skill.

Physical Activity

Choose a physical activity and follow an agreed programme.

The aim is to make progress and work towards personal objectives.

It doesn’t have to be about competing against other people.

The focus is on commitment, development and achieving the goals you have set.

Service

The Service Challenge involves providing service to an individual or the community.

You’ll need appropriate briefing and training so that you can carry out the role effectively.

This could include supporting another Scout section as an Explorer Young Leader or volunteering elsewhere in the community.

The service requirement is a longer-term commitment rather than a one-off volunteering session.

Expedition

The expedition is one of the most demanding parts of the award.

It involves:

Training

A practice expedition

A four-day, three-night final expedition

The final expedition must be self-led and self-sufficient, with a clear aim or project.

The practice expedition is a minimum of three days and two consecutive nights.

The final expedition lasts four days and three consecutive nights.

The two expeditions must take place in different areas with similar conditions.

The expedition can be completed by an appropriate method such as walking, cycling, canoeing, horse riding or another permitted mode of travel.

The environment should become progressively more challenging through the award levels.

Expedition Training

Before undertaking the expedition, participants need to demonstrate competence in several areas.

These include:

First aid and emergency procedures

Risk assessment and health and safety

Navigation and route planning

Campcraft, equipment and hygiene

Food and cooking

Relevant countryside, highway and water-sports codes

Observation, recording and presentation

Team building

Proficiency in the chosen mode of travel

This is why the expedition shouldn’t be treated as simply a long camping trip.

It brings together many of the outdoor skills Explorers have developed throughout their Scouting journey.

The Expedition Project

The expedition needs a clearly defined team goal or project.

This could involve researching an area, investigating a subject, contributing to a community project or developing another suitable skill.

The project gives the expedition a purpose beyond simply travelling from one place to another.

There must also be at least eight hours of planned activity per day, with at least half of that time spent journeying.

Residential

The Residential Challenge involves spending five days and four nights in an unfamiliar setting.

The accommodation is shared and the majority of the people taking part should be people you don’t already know.

There should be at least five participants in the group.

A residential could involve training, conservation, volunteering or another suitable activity-based project.

The purpose is to place you in a new environment where you need to work with other people and become more independent.

It doesn’t need to be a holiday.

In fact, a residential that challenges you to learn, contribute or work with unfamiliar people can be far more valuable.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

There is another route through the Challenge section.

Instead of completing the five KSA Challenges, you can hold the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or Gold Gateway Award.

The King’s Scout Award is closely linked with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, so some young people choose to work towards both programmes together.

If you’re considering doing both, speak to your leader or mentor early.

Planning the programmes together can help avoid unnecessary duplication.

The Final Presentation

The presentation is the final activity you complete for the King’s Scout Award.

You need to make a presentation covering the different elements of your award to a suitable audience.

The purpose is to inspire and motivate other people to achieve the award.

It doesn’t need to be a professional production.

The important thing is being able to explain what you’ve done, what you’ve learned and what the experience has meant to you.

Keeping Your Evidence

Don’t leave your record keeping until the end.

Keep evidence as you go.

Photographs, notes, certificates, route information, project records and reflections can all help demonstrate what you’ve achieved.

The official KSA Logbook and Completion Form is used to record the award.

Each requirement needs to be signed off by an appropriate assessor, and the completed award then goes through the relevant approval process.

A good logbook doesn’t simply say:

“I completed it.”

It explains what you did and provides evidence that the activity met the requirement.

Can Earlier Awards Help?

Yes.

There is a useful progression between the Explorer Top Awards.

Activities completed for the Chief Scout’s Platinum and Diamond Awards can potentially contribute towards the King’s Scout Award where the current requirements allow it.

For example, completing the Diamond Award can reduce the number of additional ICV activities required for the KSA.

This is one reason why it is worth planning your awards as a journey rather than treating every award as completely separate.

How Long Does It Take?

The King’s Scout Award is deliberately a substantial commitment.

The Skill and Physical sections have different minimum timescales, with one requiring six months and the other 12 months.

The Service section requires 12 months.

There are additional requirements for some participants depending on previous awards, so check the current guidance before planning your timescales.

The best approach is to start planning early.

Don’t wait until you’re approaching the age limit before checking what still needs to be completed.

What Makes a Good KSA Project?

A good project isn’t necessarily the biggest one.

It should be something that genuinely challenges you.

Ask yourself:

What am I trying to achieve?

Why does it matter to me?

What skills will I need?

What could go wrong?

Who can help me?

How will I demonstrate my progress?

What will I learn from it?

Those questions can turn an ordinary activity into a meaningful achievement.

Take Ownership

The King’s Scout Award is designed to encourage young people to take increasing responsibility.

Leaders and mentors can provide support, advice and guidance.

But the Explorer should increasingly be the person making decisions.

Plan your expedition.

Choose your project.

Organise your service.

Set your goals.

Keep your evidence.

Reflect on your progress.

That sense of ownership is one of the most valuable parts of the award.

Don’t Leave It Until the End

One of the easiest mistakes is thinking:

“I’ll sort the paperwork out later.”

Don’t.

Start your logbook early and keep it updated.

Make sure activities are eligible before relying on them.

Keep track of dates.

Record who assessed each requirement.

Speak to your mentor if you’re unsure.

The current Scouts guidance specifically encourages participants to use the latest KSA Logbook and Completion Form and to check the requirements carefully before submitting.

What Happens When You Finish?

Once your award has been completed and approved, you become a King’s Scout Award holder.

Young people whose KSA is approved by UK Headquarters in one calendar year are invited to a National Day of Celebration and Achievement at Windsor Castle in the following calendar year.

It can be a memorable way to celebrate the end of a major Scouting journey.

Final Thoughts

The King’s Scout Award isn’t simply about collecting the biggest badge in Scouting.

It’s about what happens while you’re working towards it.

You learn to commit to long-term goals.

You develop practical skills.

You serve other people.

You challenge yourself physically and mentally.

You learn to plan expeditions.

You work with people you may not know.

And eventually, you look back at everything you’ve achieved and realise how much you’ve developed.

👑 THE BIG IDEA

The King’s Scout Award is a journey, not a checklist.

Choose challenges that matter to you.
Take responsibility for your progress.
Learn from setbacks.
Help other people.
Keep going when things become difficult.

By the time you finish, the most important achievement may not be the badge itself.

It may be the person you’ve become while earning it.