It is one of the College’s aims ‘to promote an open-minded and outward looking mentality, and to encourage all pupils to play a positive role in serving their wider community.’
Throughout their time at the College, pupils are made aware of the needs of others, both in the UK and around the world, and are encouraged to play a part in working to improve lives.
Bradfield College is a caring community, a community aware that it has much to give.
It is about much more than giving cash or sending a cheque to Macmillan Cancer Research, The Children’s Society or Send a Cow. It is about sharing what we are fortunate enough to have; our grounds, our talents, our time and our individual passions. Our role is to be mindful of the needs of others and marry that to what we can offer as a school.
Sharing our time and resources
The College actively reaches out to local primary and prep schools, bringing their pupils to Bradfield for Science afternoons at our Blackburn Science Centre, or to our grounds for competitive cross-country, netball and cricket events. There is also plenty on offer for the local community including regular Café Scientifique, Book Club, lunchtime recitals and other musical events.
Our beautiful grounds also play host to a number of externally organised charitable events throughout the year. For four consecutive years, we have been one of the venues for the Restless Triathlon, inviting local prep school children to run, swim and cycle to raise money for disadvantaged young people around the world.
Pupils and teachers also go out into the local community with ABC to Read in primary schools, Riding for the Disabled or helping with after school clubs. Others Skype children in Kenya to help them with Maths and English, or work on environmental projects on the River Pang or at Ufton Court.
Putting pupils at the heart
All Bradfield pupils are conscious of how the College is involved with helping others and they all take part in organised events including Casual Clothes Day, Lenten Lunch, Macmillan Coffee Morning, and Primary School sports.
It is about much more than giving cash or sending a cheque… it is about sharing what we are fortunate enough to have; our grounds, our talents, our time and our individual passions.
Many are more proactive and want to raise money for a particular charity or raise awareness of a specific issue, for example, mental health, the plight of refugees, or the inequality faced by girls in Mumbai. The pupil-led Mental Health Awareness Day, which has now become a Summer Term fixture, is a prime example of this.
These values of community and service also run at the heart of the co-curriculum through the IB CAS Project and the Community Service Programme.
Involving the whole community
The success in this area is a result of the positive response and involvement of the entire Bradfield community not just pupils and teaching staff but everyone; catering and support staff, maintenance and domestic, gardeners and groundsmen. All events are dependent upon the support of people across all areas of the College, and that support is always forthcoming.
Bradfield College is a caring community; a community aware that it has much to give.
