The Record 2014 - 2015

REVIEWS OF THE YEAR Community Outreach Rev Tom Shaw, Assistant Chaplain

St Edward’s remains an outward looking community. Long-term projects like The North Wall alongside smaller projects arising from individual relationships or pupil activity create space for the mutual enrichment of the School and wider community. The St Edward’s community has been encouraged to see and act “beyond the bubble” throughout the year. The North Wall has continued to make available arts and cultural activities for the community. It promotes education at all levels and makes a substantial contribution to social equity. Last year it attracted a significant schools’ audience, working with around 630 pupils in 19 group bookings from 14 schools. The project continues to demonstrate how the expertise, experience and resources of the School can be deployed for the benefit of the community. It continues to improve the school’s reputation and ensures pupils have access to arts and cultural activities that promote an understanding of, and respect for, the human condition. Several departments have been proactive in forging links with the community. The Café des Sciences outreach has been very effective. It has inspired engagement with science and increased environmental awareness. It takes an interactive lecture and activities, with themes like ‘Shark Attack’ and ‘Coral Reef Crisis’, to primary and secondary schools. The Classics department has continued to work with the Warriner Partnership of Oxfordshire primary schools to support the teaching of

Greek. The PSHE department have been working with Good Lad – an organization that aims to promote positive masculinity, and in doing so, to enable men to deal with complex gender situations and become agents of positive change within their social circles and broader communities. A workshop program has been developed that can be rolled out to secondary school pupils. This is a project specifically designed to contribute toward the long-term development and social equity of the wider community. Readers Make Leaders was an initiative run in partnership with Blackbird Leys Academy Trust (three primary schools in Blackbird Leys), Cherwell, MCS and St Edward’s. It involved 300 primary school pupils and 300 Year 10 pupils. The Year 10s had to purchase a book to give, choose a poem to share and reflect on being a leader in the public space. The primary school pupils encountered role models and were encouraged and inspired to read books and poetry. It successfully bridged the social, cultural and economic divide between North Oxford and Blackbird Leys. Feedback included: “I wish you could have come round the playground with me and heard our children talking. They all absolutely loved it - every single one of them was beaming and full of how wonderful their partners were and how much they enjoyed the morning. ” Teacher, Pegasus Primary

26