Palace for Life, the official charitable foundation of Crystal Palace Football Club, is taking part in this year’s Whitgift Community Summer School – with the club’s coaches running a soccer school as the week’s grand finale.
The partnership marks an exciting new chapter for the Community Summer School, which has returned this week and is, for the first time, being funded directly by the John Whitgift Foundation. Now in its seventh year, the programme gives local primary school children from across Croydon a week of free, hands-on learning and enrichment activities hosted at Whitgift School.
Broadening horizons
Roisha Hughes, Chief Executive of the John Whitgift Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to be funding this project for the first time. Giving children the chance to try new activities, learn new skills and enjoy different experiences can be genuinely transformative. It’s about broadening horizons, building confidence and helping young people realise that there are many different paths open to them.”
Each year, around 40 local primary schools are invited to nominate children who would gain the most from taking part in the Community Summer School, as well as those simply keen to experience a new environment as they start thinking about secondary school.
Key life skills
This year’s addition of Palace for Life will see the week culminate in a soccer festival led by professional coaches from Crystal Palace’s charitable arm. The Foundation is pleased to be collaborating with another local charitable foundation in this important work.
James Jenden, Education Manager at Palace for Life, said: “Palace for Life will be present all week. Monday to Thursday will be delivering fun sport games in the sports hall, with Friday being the festival containing a range of fun football/sport-themed activities, including mini-matches, arts and crafts, challenges, shooting stations, games, and a workshop looking at key life skills. We’re really looking forward to the event; it should be fun and engaging.”
The Community Summer School will see 168 children follow a timetable that includes topics from computing to crafting, economics to Japanese, science to dance. The classes are all delivered by Whitgift School staff and supported by an enthusiastic team of Sixth Form volunteers.
An exciting and memorable week
Andy Marlow, Assistant Head (Development & Partnerships) at Whitgift School, said: “We want this to be an exciting and memorable week. It’s so exciting to see pupils from across the community connect with each other and have access to opportunities they might not otherwise have. The sixth formers who volunteer and the staff who get involved find it so rewarding to be part of this.”
Laura Jones, Primary Project Coordinator, said: “Every day, through the Primary Project, I watch children try something new or find a passion they didn’t know they had. What I get every week from that project, I expect we will get in spades from the summer school. It will ignite something in each of the children and will change that summer for them, especially for children who don’t like school; it gives them a different way to learn and be creative.”
One Whitgift teacher, who taught science sessions during last year’s programme, reflected on the experience: “Teaching a week of science to the community school pupils over the summer holiday reminded me why I loved teaching. They were so appreciative, responsive and eager to learn that it felt effortless and enjoyable – every practical activity was received with curiosity and thanks.”
The Community Summer School runs from 27 to 31 July at Whitgift School, Haling Park, South Croydon.
