The Chronicle, Autumn 2018

17 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Readers Make Leaders, for instance, and other more ad hoc engagements, often associated with DofE. Many staff were running activities, but I suppose this would be the first formal programme of community service. How has this changed? I think the main difference has been in the range of regular activities available. I have only really been active in this role since January this year, so to see the level of take up so far has been very pleasing. We have pupils involved in a local community farm project working with children who have a range of learning difficulties (see page 6), others give one-to-one support to children with Autism at the Endeavour Academy, some take arts and crafts sessions at Northern House

which is true, but they don’t immediately see that they will also be helping themselves. It also opens their eyes to opportunity: two pupils took on the subject of Autism for their Extended Essays last year and are now considering studying Psychology after working with autistic children. What are your plans for further developing the Programme? In an ideal world I would like to see a regular space on the timetable for community service, perhaps for all Lower Sixth. We already do a good job of making our facilities accessible to the wider community, but we are so fortunate with what we have here, and what we will shortly have through the Quad Development, that I would like to see us doing even more.

Primary School, whilst others coach sports at Wolvercote Primary or give musical concerts to elderly residents at the Lady Nuffield Home. We also have pupils who joined a sign language choir which performed at the Royal Albert Hall recently (see below). How does this benefit our pupils? Simply, I think it prepares them better for life, but I also think they become better academically as well. I have seen pupils who were perfectly able, but often struggled to fully engage, come to a single session on one of our projects and suddenly you see leadership, you see them taking responsibility and using their initiative. Before they have come I think there is a sense among the pupils that they will be helping others,

Paula Diaz Rogado

Teddies pupils with their chums from the Oxford-based sign language choir Handy Voices at the Royal Albert Hall where they performed a major concert in November. Pictured are Vivienne Shao, Lola Mora Balil, Yoan Mihaylov, Valerian Purik, Helena Beccle, Bunny Lytle, Ella Leeson and Aimée Joubert.