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Public Benefit

Cheltenham College is closely involved in developing long-term relationships with partner schools and charitable organisations. Through these links our aim is to build on a shared vision that makes an outstanding and meaningful difference to our local community.

 

Enhanced Partnership with All Saints’ Academy

College has established an ‘Enhanced Partnership’ with All Saints’ Academy (Cheltenham). This partnership began in 2015 and was formalised in 2018 with the signing of a MOU. Current partnership activities between College and the Academy include the following:

  • Termly leadership team meetings
  • Annual HODs meetings and social
  • Shared CPD Teaching and Learning
  • Stretch and challenge GCSE exam preparations (Maths, Physics & English)
  • Oxbridge mentoring
  • Oxbridge interview workshops for UPA students
  • Mini MBA annual programme
  • Shared Drama workshops and trips
  • Shared drama production
  • Shared departmental moderation
  • MDR provision for ASA pupils
  • Community Action programme – Academic Work Experience
  • Community Action programme – Sports Leader Work Experience
  • Public Speaking workshop and competition
  • Librarians networking event
  • Shared Science A-Level Practical

 

Future partnership activities include College offering 10+ work placement opportunities for Year 12 pupils from the Academy.

College is proud of its established partnership with All Saints’ Academy and attributes its ongoing success to the following factors:

  • Full and public support from both Headteachers
  • Key problems identified & addressed – logistics, communication, suspicion.
  • Mutual benefits/objectives identified
  • Partnership champions communicate and meet regularly
  • Shared Anglican ethos
  • Non-ideological/political
  • Shared commitment to local community
  • Annual joint HODs meeting
  • MOU agreed and signed

Cheltenham Education Partnership

College was a founding member of Cheltenham Education Partnership (CEP) – an equal partnership comprising 12 of Cheltenham’s state and independent secondary schools, together with the University of Gloucestershire. These schools are supported by a number of the town’s important organisations – Cheltenham Festivals, The Cheltenham Trust, the National Cyber Security Centre, Cheltenham Christian Arts Festival, Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and the Diocese of Gloucester.

The structure of CEP includes a Steering Group  and an Operations Group. The full-time CEP Coordinator chairs the Operations Group meetings and leads the administration, planning and delivery of the Programme of Activities.

The aims of CEP, to which College has invested professional staff time and financial support, are as follows:

  • Ensure the best interests of young people are at the heart of education initiatives in Cheltenham.
  • Provide outstanding educational opportunities for young people in Cheltenham.
  • Reach out to all young people with potential regardless of social, economic or educational background.
  • Provide stimulating professional development for teachers and update areas of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes.
  • Promote mutual respect amongst education professionals and students across the state and independent sectors.
  • Foster social cohesion in Cheltenham.

 

College pupils attend a number of CEP events and College teachers are responsible for offering the following CEP provision:

  • GCSE Latin programme
  • Literary Society
  • Sinfonietta
  • RS Conference
  • Science lecture

Supporting Social Mobility

College continues to partner with the charity ‘The Talent Tap’. The mission of The Talent Tap is to support students from less advantaged backgrounds to access opportunities, support and networks which they are unable to gain through their own home environments. Since 2017 College has sponsored 12 students from All Saint’s Academy to access Talent Tap’ multi-year programme (training, introductions, coaching and internships).

Community Action Programme

College continues to strive to awaken in our pupils an awareness of the social context of the all-round education they receive. The overriding aim is to connect our pupils with communities of disadvantage, deprivation or disability. The Community Action Program (CAP) continues to offer a strong presence within the locality of Cheltenham. Over fifty pupils from Year 12 took part in the program in a variety of settings including visits to Care Homes, Schools and Cotswold Riding for the Disabled.

We continue to offer a number work experience places at the Cheltenham General Hospital for those Upper Sixth pupils who wish to study medicine at university. This has been invaluable for them and their personal statements, giving them experience of working in a hospital setting.

In service week (June 2022) a group of 14 Year 10 pupils completed a Community Action Project based at a local Animal Shelter. The brief was to help the team at the shelter to get ready for their annual Open Weekend.

College continues to work with local charities and educational bodies in our ongoing endeavours to widen public access to the schooling we provide. Our sports facilities, including the Swimming Pool, are made available to local primary schools at minimal cost.

Charitable Fundraising

At the start of the academic year 2021-22 the Pupil Leadership Team (PLT) elected to support the work of Pied Piper Appeal, a local (Gloucestershire) charity. A variety of fundraising events were organised by the PLT, including a whole school Colour run. In addition, pupils pledged to continue supporting the charity ‘Active Impact’, a Gloucestershire based disability charity. At year’s end, the total raised for The Pied Piper Appeal was in excess of £11,000 whilst a further £4,000 had been raised for Active Impact.

In the Summer term of 2022, Houses collected non-perishable food for the foodbank of Cheltenham Open Door (over 600 items were donated). In response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, a concert was held in Chapel with College pupils performing alongside nationally renowned musicians. Donations in lieu of tickets were made to the DEC and this event raised in excess of £6,000.

Supporting International Schools

During 2021-22 College donated £16,100 from its Humanitarian Aid fund towards supporting schools and pre-school centres in Nepal, Kenya, South Africa and Romania. Our main focus is to:

  • Offer educational opportunities to disadvantaged children
  • Contribute to building and renovation work
  • Fundraise for specific projects
  • Monitor achievements and performance.