Beyond the Classroom

Sandhurst School has been running its ground-breaking “Reaching Rwanda” project for the last seven years, in partnership with the British NGO Survivors Fund. The aims of the project are:

– To inform students about the Rwandan genocide and of the continued plight of survivors of the genocide today.
– To connect students with genocide survivors and enable them to become friends.
– To enable students to become actively involved in improving the life chances of genocide survivors and to see the difference their efforts make.

Our students plan and organise a range of fundraising activities. Money raised has been used in a number of ways to support survivors of the Rwandan genocide and their dependants:

– We are paying for children to get an education in Rwanda
– We have provided cows, chickens, goats and training in animal care and husbandry to genocide orphans
– We have set up income generating businesses to provide a regular income for genocide orphans
– We have built water pumps providing clean water for survivors
– We have created homes for orphans who were once homeless
– We have made friendships to last a lifetime
– The day-to-day work that we do to support this cause is highlighted in our Weekly Newsletters

At Sandhurst School, we are delighted to be able to offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Bronze and Silver level, with all students encouraged to participate in the Award.  The Award is the most prominent youth award in the country, with the students taking part in physical activities, learning a skill, volunteering, as well as completing two expeditions to achieve the award.

The award is aimed at providing for young people an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development.   The completion of all four sections of the award is also looked on very favourably by colleges, universities and employers as evidence of a well-rounded and committed individual. Important dates and deadlines can be found in the school calendar, they are mandatory for all students.

Bronze

Timescale- The Physical, Skills and Volunteering sections must be undertaken once a week, with two of these sections to be completed over three months, and one over six months.  Although students will be assisted in selecting appropriate activities and monitored throughout the delivery of the Award, completion of these sections will primarily be the responsibility of the students taking part. A suggested activities sheet is attached.

Bronze Assessor’s Report

Silver

Timescale- The Physical, Skills and Volunteering sections must be undertaken once a week, with two of these sections to be completed over 6 months, and one over 3 months. If your child did not complete their Bronze Award, they are required to do an extra 6 months either volunteering, or whichever of the Physical or Skills section they did for 6 months. To summarise, if they have not done Bronze, they will do one section for 12 months, another for 6 months and the remaining one for 3 months.

Silver Assessor’s Report

Further information

You can find useful information on the DofE website or on the edofe website, or on the DofE’s YouTube page. You can also contact Sandhurst School’s DofE team at dofe@sandhurstschool.org.uk.

– Kit list from BXM Expeditions
– What to take (clothing, kit and food) from RBWM
– How to pack a rucksack
– Looking after your feet
– Eating on a DofE Expedition
– Waterproofing and weather protection
– DofE Programme Ideas
– DofE 20 Conditions
– Insect Bites and Lyme Disease Information

Promotional Videos

– Bronze Video for Students
– Bronze Video for Parents
– Silver Video for Students
– Silver Video for Parents

Sandhurst School holds Beacon Status in Holocaust education. Beacon status:

– Is designated by the Institute of Education at the University of London
– Is recognition of excellence in Holocaust education
– Is a platform for development
– Involves the requirement to share good practice with other schools

As a Beacon School we place great importance on the teaching of the history of the Holocaust and exploring the lessons we might learn from the Holocaust today. In addition to the taught curriculum we annually mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Every year students have the privilege of meeting a Holocaust survivor and of hearing their testimony. Students in Year 11 also have the chance to participate on a three-day visit to Holocaust-related sites in Poland, including the notorious extermination camp Auschwitz Birkenau.

But why is it important for the next generation to learn of these things and never to forget? In our view it is precisely because they ARE the next generation and the future of humanity is in their hands. As Santayana once wrote:

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it

Spiritual Education

Through Spiritual Education we endeavour to :

– give students the opportunity to explore values and beliefs, including religious beliefs, and the way in which they affect peoples’ lives
– support and develop any religious beliefs students may have in ways which are personal and relevant to them
– encourage students to explore and develop what animates themselves and others
– encourage students to reflect and learn from reflection
– give students the opportunity to understand feelings and emotions, the way they affect people and how an understanding of them can be helpful
– develop a climate or ethos within which all students can grow and flourish, respect others and be respected
– accommodate difference and respect the integrity of individuals
– promote teaching styles which give students space for their own throughts ideas and concerns and encourage students to relate to their learning to a wider context

Examples of our practice:

Moral Education

Through Moral Education we endeavour to :

– provide a clear moral code as a basis for behaviour which is promoted consistently through all aspects of the school
– promote measures to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and other criteria
– give students opportunities across the curriculum to explore and develop moral concepts and values
– develop an open and safe learning environment in which students can express their views and practise moral decision-making
– reward expressions of moral insights and good behaviour
– make an issue of breaches of agreed moral codes where they arise
– model, through the quality of relationships and interactions, the principles which we wish to promote
– recognise and respect the codes and morals of the different cultures represented in the school and wider community
– encourage students to take responsibility for their actions
– provide models of moral virtue through literature, humanities, sciences, arts, assemblies and acts of worship

Examples of our practice:

Social Education

Through Social Education we endeavour to:

– emphasise the key values and principles on which school and community life is based
– foster a sense of community, with common, inclusive values which ensure that everyone can flourish
– encourage students to work co-operatively
– encourage students to recognise and respect social differences and similarities
– provide positive corporate experiences – for example, through assemblies, team activities, residential experiences, school productions
– help students develop personal qualities which are valued in a civilised society
– help students to challenge, when necessary and in appropriate ways, the values of a group or wider community
– help students resolve tensions between their own aspirations and those of the group or wider society
– provide opportunities for engaging in the democratic process and participating in community life
– provide opportunities for students to exercise leadership and responsibility
– provide positive and effective links with the world of work and the wider community

Examples of our practice:

Cultural Education

Through Cultural Education we endeavour to:

– provide opportunities for students to explore their own cultural assumptions and values
– present authentic accounts of the attitudes, values and traditions of diverse cultures
– address discrimination and promote racial and other forms of equality
– extend students’ knowledge and use of cultural imagery and language
– recognise and nurture particular gifts and talents
– provide opportunities for students to participate and reflect in literature, drama, music, art, crafts and other cultural events
– develop partnerships with outside agencies and individuals to extend students’ cultural awareness

Examples of our practice:

Sandhurst School recognizes our responsibility to equip students with the knowledge and skills to live healthy, happy lives and to make a positive and active contribution to our country and the wider world. We understand the important role we play in preparing young people for life in modern Britain and are committed to ensuring that the fundamental British values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of our school.

British Values in the Curriculum

All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts and, in particular, our RE, PAL and Citizenship programmes of study may provide excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding. All students are encouraged to embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and are expected to demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives.

Challenging People

The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. Actively promoting ‘British Values’ also means challenging students, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views. At Sandhurst School, values of tolerance and respect permeate all areas of school life. This engenders a climate within which students feel safe and secure and facilitates the fulfilment of potential. Student voice plays an integral part in driving the school forward and school rules at different levels are seen as the foundation upon which this can be achieved.

You can read about how we promote British Values in and out of the classroom in our British Values Policy.