Page 33 - Highlights

Community
Ella Woodford, Wednesday Club
Some 125 Year 12 pupils were involved in a wide range of activities in the community. They helped in charity shops, visited residential homes and helped with activities sessions for disabled adults at the Chaseley Trust. In a new placement this year, pupils have been visiting elderly residents at the Tweed care home and entertaining them with much appreciated musical interludes. At St Andrew’s Prep they have worked as classroom assistants in the Prep and Pre-Prep. Homework Club sessions ran on Monday afternoons, where College pupils mentored Year 11 pupils from a variety of local schools and, on Wednesday afternoons, our linguists ran conversation sessions in French, German and Spanish for pupils from another local school. A small group of pupils were involved in campaigns on human rights issues through the College Amnesty Group, while others have organised bingo sessions and quizzes for local elderly residents in the Wednesday Club. Some pupils helped out in the College community, assisting with junior sports and activities, and directing Year 9 drama productions.
Pupils maintained wheelchairs in the Arndale Centre for the Shopmobility service and, during the colder months, helped to set up the Winter Night Shelter for homeless people in Eastbourne. Members of the Gardening Group and the Green Team worked to improve the environment, including undertaking gardening projects at Chaseley and taking part in weekly beach-cleaning sessions and other environmental initiatives.
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Under the leadership of Everest mountaineer Dan Tebay, the College Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award scheme is bigger and more successful than ever. Since its inception in 1956, the scheme has been an integral part of the school fabric. It is highly respected by employers who value the soft skills that are developed as part of the Award which sees pupils helping the community, becoming fitter, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for the Gold Award, working with a team on a residential activity.
This year, pupils at the College were over six times more likely to complete the coveted Gold Award than pupils on average across the south east. Fifteen completed their Gold Award which is more than any other school in the county. The director of WildCountry Consultants who worked with our pupils during their four-day assessment on the Brecon Beacons said: ‘One of the best Gold groups yet, they really took it seriously and performed well. A credit to the College.’ Thirty-five pupils also undertook their practice Silver assessment in the New Forest.
In March, 25 new Golds and 35 new Silvers were enrolled onto the programme. Anastasija Timofejeva and Will Harris were appointed as DofE ambassadors for the College.
Gold DofE assessment, Brecon Beacons
Gold DofE pupils, Brecon Beacons
Silver DofE pupils, New Forest
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