Outstanding Community Initiative

Bolton School Boys' Division

Many independent schools create positions in residence, but Bolton School Boys' Division developed a unique scheme for the academic year 2010-11. In partnership with the Imperial War Museum at Salford Quays, the school secured one of the museum's highly trained interactors, Helen Breedon, to work within its history department. Helen's brief was to use her experience to bring history to life in the classrooms of the Boys' Division.

Enrichment days at the museum were offered to the school's gifted and talented historians, to members of the History Society and to A-level historians. The boys interviewed a Holocaust survivor about his experiences and made promotional films for the museum.

Helen took history into the wider community too, delivering sessions to local primary schools.

The scheme also acted as a template for other departments, with both English and Art employing professionals in residence.

Caterham School

Caterham School created the Rob Davey Society (named after retired head, Rob Davey) to formalise the provision of community service, fundraising and public benefit.

These activities have given a focus so that annual fundraising has steadily increased, as have the number of activities undertaken by pupils. Students have used events to raise £150,000 for charities, while also supporting many local projects and ventures.

There are two key projects:

Lerang'wa Primary School in Tanzania. The school has raised money for books, desks, cupboards, teachers' accommodation and solar panel electricity. Each year a group of Caterham teachers and students visit Lerang'wa. The teachers coach the Lerang'wa teachers and Caterham students mentor pupils in English, maths and sports.
Nagydobrony School in Ukraine. The annual Ukraine expedition has become an important aspect of sixth-form experience.

Giggleswick Junior School

Giggleswick Junior School has created a culture of community involvement. The early years department took funded places to enable the community to access it. The EYU provides sessions for local children under the age of 3 at no charge.

The local toy library was due to close in nearby Settle. It now uses the school's library. Each month a large number of young parents collect toys for their children to enjoy.

It is active with local sports clubs, particularly cricket and rugby, and provides staff to help run sessions. Last year a new mountain bike trail was installed and has been opened up for use to the public and bike clubs to use. The local primary school uses its sports hall to enhance its PE provision. The astroturf is hired to local football and hockey clubs, while the theatre has become a community theatre and shows films on Sundays.

Winner: Windlesham House School

The Odyssey weekend took place at Windlesham House School on 3-4 July 2010 and was opened by HRH Princess Michael of Kent. It was one of the most ambitious and advanced music festivals ever staged by a school in the UK. Over 1,500 children performed on a specially built rock concert stage in a weekend festival that united the whole community with hundreds of visitors.

It provided children not only from Windlesham House School but from nine local primary schools with an experience of a lifetime and raised funds and awareness of Sparks, the children's medical research charity. 1,500 local primary school children from West Sussex performed on the Saturday on the rock concert stage. The Saturday evening had airshows from the Red Devils parachute team, messages from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, music, fireworks, and lights from the surrounding South Downs.

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