Foundation Outreach
At Reed’s we recognise that public benefit is an essential part of what it is to be a charity. Whilst our Foundation, being at the heart of everything we do, supports individual children we are keen to use our wonderful facilities and dedicated staff to broaden that reach. Our wider outreach programme engages with many primary, prep and secondary schools from the local area, from inner London, and from the boroughs of Mitcham and Merton.
The programme benefits thousands of children every year from over 40 state schools. Numerous events are run at the School; these range from a single day Drama workshop to regular weekly activities in conjunction with Rackets Cubed that focus on Maths, racket sports and nutrition. The two largest programmes that we run are Launch Car Challenge and the Fun Olympiad.
For many of our activities, particularly those aimed at Primary Schools, we also provide lunch for the children in our Dining Room.
TO VIEW THE FULL RANGE OF OUR WONDERFUL OUTREACH & PUBLIC BENEFIT PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BROCHURE.
A brief overview of some of our wonderful enrichment outreach activities include:
Launch Car Challenge
Launch Car Challenge, with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) is one of our largest outreach initiatives, involving over 600 Year 5 children over an academic year. With 20 teams from 12 different schools, the activity is hosted in our innovative FutureTech building where the students design and produce a car that is launched by compressed air. Their vehicles are raced against the other teams in their group on the day they come to Reed’s. The winning teams from each session are invited back for a Grand Final.
Fun Olympiad
Our annual Fun Olympiad Day involves around 220 Year 4 children from 7 different schools, with activities including football, cricket, golf and tennis. We provide lunch for all the children involved. For some children this is the first time they have seen such a large green space to play in. Schools enjoy a variety of sporting activities, kindly run by partners such as Surrey County Cricket Club, Chelsea FC Foundation, Betchworth Golf Club and Reed’s Tennis School. They provide a wonderful day where children begin to realise the pleasure of playing sport and perhaps find a hidden talent. At the end of the session all of the children receive a medal to show that they have participated and had fun.
Lego® Innovation Day
Using Lego WeDo kits in the Innovation Studio in our FutureTech building, the LEGO workshop day allows Year 4 children to enjoy a Science and Engineering activity run by a LEGO® Professional Trainer focused on designing and creating a working model leading on to programming the model’s movements as part of a story.
“Thanks for a fantastic afternoon. The children absolutely loved it!”
Year 4 teacher from Haslemere Primary School
Rackets Cubed
Rackets Cubed is a UK based charity that runs integrated Squash, Tennis, Education (Maths) and Nutrition Programmes for local disadvantaged inner-city school children.
The programme’s vision is driven by the increasing evidence that active children have higher school achievement and that nutritious foods improve classroom behaviour. 20 Year 6 children from a local primary school participate in the programme over a 10 week period. The children play an hour of rackets sports, an hour of maths, then enjoy a nutritious meal. In the final week of the programme all the children participate in a Squash Tournament.
Drama Workshops
Drama Workshops for children from primary schools aim to increase their confidence as performers. Usually based around a main production at Reed’s, the primary school children participate in a number of practical workshops. The first develops their use of voice and movement and in the second workshop, they learn how the technical elements of a production are put together and are given an opportunity to operate the lighting and sound themselves. Following the workshops the children perform a short excerpt from the production itself.
Revision Hacks
‘My Revision Hacks’ is an interactive study skills exhibition that leads students through the perfect home study day. It incorporates and allows participants to try study methods that have been devised to support metacognition and independent learning.
The fully interactive exhibition takes up to 20 Year 5 and 6 pupils through twenty-five study techniques starting with a Healthy Start Challenge and includes techniques to help prioritise, manage time, remember information and ends with tips for a robust nighttime routine.
There are many surprising facts and methods to be explored, from Mind Palace challenges to ‘hacks’ about hydration and wellbeing. The session involves some fun activities and creativity in the wonderful Reed’s Library and hopefully children take away some memorable strategies that they can use throughout their educational journey.
A Revision Hacks session, followed by a healthy lunch is offered to all our Primary Outreach Forum schools.
Rugby, Hockey, Netball & Cricket Tournaments
Around 200 Year 5 and 6 children come to Reed’s to take part in sports tournaments covering High 5 Netball and Quicksticks Hockey, Rugby and Kwik Cricket. The day is aimed at providing more opportunities for pupils in local Primary schools to play sport, take part in competitions and learn the values of sport. Standards are often high and in the build-up to the event Reed’s sports professionals visit some of the schools to give additional training sessions.
Mock Oxbridge Interviews
Reed’s staff offer mock Oxbridge interviews for Sixth Formers from local Secondary Schools
Modern Foreign Language Events
Our MFL department run multiple events throughout the year including three Café Lingua debates in each language and the biggest event, the Business Language Champions Competition involving around 200 pupils from multiple local schools.
Careers Advice
Our comprehensive careers programme offers opportunities to prepare students for the future. These events are open to Local Secondary School students as well as Reed’s students.
Biennial FutureCareers Fair – An evening where the students get a chance to talk to industry experts about their careers and occupations, discuss what they do and the paths they have taken. Around 60 representatives from different occupations, companies and industries are available at the event to talk to students.
Termly FutureCareers Seminars – Subject specific seminars where three or four representatives from industries such as engineering, business etc. at different stages of their careers speak to students about the paths they took to enter those areas.
Annual FutureUni Fair - Old Reedonians (Alumni) who are still at University come and speak to the students about the different courses and life at the universities the attend.
Local State secondary school students from Year 10-13 are invited to attend the FutureCareers Events at Reed’s.
Computer Science and Physics Day
A one-day introductory course for Year 10 and 11 students from neighbouring schools who may be considering studying either Computer Sciences or Physics at A-Level. This is designed for those students who enjoy the subject at GCSE, but think that it would be too difficult at A-Level.
The day gives an introduction to the types of practical work, activities and topics that they can expect to do if they choose to study these subjects at A-Level. There are also presentations from external speakers explaining possible career options available by choosing these subjects.
The Computer Science element is kindly being sponsored by the Exa Foundation.
