SERVICE AND PARTNERSHIPS : THE YEAR IN REVIEW
This year , all our service and partnerships work came together under three core areas : environmental sustainability ; educational partnerships ; and equity , diversity and inclusion . As ever , our engagement has been marked by its strong student leadership and continued creative collaboration with our diverse range of community and school partners .
EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
It ’ s been uplifting to hear the vibrant chatter of primary school students return to campus , with Summer term transition events bringing over 1000 students to the school for a series of team tasks based around a theme of ‘ head , hearts and hands ’ as they prepare to move to secondary school , supported by students from five local secondary schools . Our primary school activities have continued to expand with projects relating to art , drama , science , technology , music , chess , sport and so much more . STEM Week continues to inspire a future generation of scientists with a range of workshops and practical science displays . Students participating in the Kent Academies Network ( KAN ), a university access programme , have also loved returning to in-person events , with the KAN year culminating in two inspiring residential weeks at Cambridge University and at Tonbridge School .
Building understanding of education in the international context has been a highlight for some students , with the FuseSchool team writing the scripts for science videos used across the world , the EduSpots groups working alongside Ghanaian educators to design monthly STEM and literacy challenges , and the Breaking Good group continuing to take part in open science research to support those affected by mycetoma .
EQUITY , DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Meanwhile , the local action team have volunteered with the Sevenoaks Loaves & Fishes Foodbank , and also led Christmas collections for One Big Family : Helping the Homeless in Medway . These and other relationships were strengthened through a studentled Diversity Week in February , when students led a vast array of activities relating to five core areas : faith , culture and race , disability and neurodiversity , gender and LGBTQ +. The highlight of the week was our first culture and faith fair , for which students created a range of stalls featuring food , games , information and fashion .
Following the invasion of Ukraine in February , many students , staff and parents have come together to support people affected in Ukraine , and in the resettling process . You can read more about this in the following article by our Head of Russian , Jon Drury . Alongside this , the conflict and rebuilding service group have continued to build understanding of the causes of conflicts and the rebuilding process , inviting Dr Tejendra Pherali from University College London to share insight into the multiple faces of education in conflict and rebuilding processes .
STUDENT-LED PROJECTS
Students have fundraised for many charities supporting those affected by conflict . A team of Lower Sixth swam the Channel in July , raising over £ 10,000 for Care4Calais . This year ’ s Social Entrepreneurs of the Future in the Year 8 Social Entrepreneurs Programme were Rafferty Van Der Spuy and Pendar Ahmadvazir , who launched their RedistriBoot project , collecting hundreds of quality football boots and selling them on eBay and at local football clubs , increasing access to low-cost boots and raising nearly £ 1000 for War Child in the process .
Following a successful Social Leadership Programme involving 50 students from 12 local schools , this year ’ s school-wide student-led social entrepreneurship challenge saw the 2022 crown being handed to the Moulding Mindfulness group , for promoting wellbeing through pottery , and to Thrive , who proposed an inspiring model for peer-to-peer wellbeing mentoring .
Cat Davison Director of the Institute of Service and Partnerships
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