Now entering its fifth year, the Whitgift Community Summer School continues to provide an enriching experience to approximately 240 pupils from over 30 Croydon primary schools during a fortnight in July.

Thank you to Whitgift School Parents’ Association and the Sandbox Group for their generous sponsorship of this programme. Through their donations we have already raised £8500 towards the overall cost of the Community Summer School.

More Information:

Participants engage in a week of lessons and enrichment activities:

• 15 hours of academic lessons in core subjects such as English, Maths, and Science, alongside additional subjects including Art, Economics, and Languages, taught by John Whitgift Foundation teachers.

• 10 hours of co-curricular activities such as Art, Drama, and Fencing.

• Snacks and a hot meal are provided daily.

Pupils are selected by their headteachers based on those who would benefit most from the opportunity, with many coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Whitgift and Old Palace Sixth Form students volunteer as mentors to support the attendees.

The impact we’re making:

Feedback from previous year's pupils, parents, and primary school headteachers was overwhelmingly positive. According to the ImpactEd educational research tool, which uses questionnaires at the beginning and end of the week, the programme made a significant impact on the pupils attending, with average increases measured in:

• Metacognition +3.1%

• Motivation +3.4%

“Having fled the war in Ukraine three months ago, we found much needed help and support in the UK. Our family was surprised and happy to find out our son was among the lucky children invited for Whitgift's Summer Camp. He was impressed from day one by the level of education and service you provide and now feels very motivated to study well and keep improving his skills. Thank you so much. What you do is great and really makes a difference.” – Parent

“My son was a little nervous about attending the summer school and thought it would be just like going to 'school' for the week. However, after his first day, he changed his mind! He has had a really enjoyable experience and made lots of new friends. He has enjoyed the fantastic learning while also having fun with it. The staff were very welcoming, and the whole week was so well-organised. I think this is a brilliant opportunity for any child and will definitely be interested in enrolling my daughter when she is in Year 5.” – Parent

“My daughter had an absolutely fantastic time and learnt things she would never otherwise have had the opportunity to, such as Fencing, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She also made some new friends which was a bonus. All in all, a great experience, and she even wanted to attend the second week!” – Parent

Get involved and help us fund a student place for this year’s Community Summer School. Your support will make a real difference to the life of a young person in Croydon.

Ways you can help:

It costs around £200 per child to attend one week of Summer School. The overall cost per week (approximately £24,000) is broken down as follows:

• Providing a daily hot meal and snacks for all participants (£3,000)

• Offering a memorable team-building experience and activities on the final afternoon (including laser tag, mini-golf, and human table football) (£2,500)

• Keepsake T-shirts for all participants (£1,000)

• Keepsake water bottles for all participants (£400)

• The balance of costs covers staff salaries: Teachers, Activity Leaders, Pastoral staff.

Pupil Feedback:

“I have enjoyed making new friends and expanding my knowledge in the lessons.”

“It was fantastic how they made the lessons fun and interesting. I liked sports and maths the most.”

“The sixth form students are extremely helpful and funny at the same time.”

“I enjoyed the lessons a lot and the lunch, but most importantly, the community and people are lovely and made my time here fun.”

Join us in supporting the Whitgift Community Summer School and help transform the educational experience for children in Croydon.