Community Spotlight December 2025

SPOTLIGHT

DECEMBER 2025 We have an active community and partnership programme that involves pupils, staff, parents and the wider community. We are delighted to share some of the highlights of our activities.

MEET HANNAH WEATHERHEAD COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR We are excited to welcome Hannah Weatherhead as our new Community Partnership and Outreach Coordinator.

Hannah brings her extensive experience developing primary school programmes at The Royal Ballet School and is passionate about creating meaningful connections between Emanuel and our local schools. Since joining, Hannah has managed a range of community initiatives including Primary Ambitions, a Year 6 Enrichment trip to High Ashurst and the first GCSE Boosters sessions of the year.

Welcome Hannah!

CELEBRATING SEVEN YEARS OF PRIMARY AMBITIONS Primary Ambitions has moved into its seventh year with a new cohort of Lower Sixth students. Our on-site students have begun the term delivering a wide variety of subjects, including clay creatures and DJing, whilst Primary Ambitions off-site continues with our Year 12s visiting 6 local partner schools.

The programme's success is widespread in the community, giving partner schools valuable enrichment opportunities. However, it also has a meaningful impact on Emanuel pupils.

Erica Pryke, our Primary Ambitions Swimming teacher from South West Swimming, said:

"Primary Ambitions helpers are a real asset to Emanuel school, an absolute pleasure

to tutor, each week the eight pupils are engaged, enthusiastic, growing with confidence and knowledge, and would make fantastic swimming teachers."

We are incredibly thankful to everyone involved in facilitating this wonderful programme.

Primary Ambitions begins again with the second module in January.

SPOTLIGHT

EMANUEL IN THE COMMUNITY

TEAMWORK AND MAKING FRIENDS AT HIGH ASHURST On the 10th and 16th October, Emanuel Year 6 took their first Year 6 Enrichment trip to High Ashurst in Surrey.

Joined by John Burns and St Georges Primary schools, the year 6s set out on various acitivies designed to promote teamwork and forge connections with the new class. They participated in orienteering, gaining skills in map reading, following a compass and decoding clues. The tree top course followed, working as a team to move through obstacles and find solutions. Finally, a bushcraft lesson where pupils learnt how to use flint and steel, and were treated to popcorn fresh from the camp fire!

The trips were a great success with the groups set to reuinite in March for World Book Day, where local author Samantha Lewis will be coming into school to do a talk on her book 'Elements of the Day'.

The programme operates events on a termly basis and is a powerful tool in building friendships and creating connections outside of the pupils' normal social circles.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT CHRISTMAS WITH CHEER HAMPERS This year we will be donating to 74 families through our collaboration with the charity CHEER, helping those in the community who find themselves parenting alone this Christmas.

Our lower and middle school form groups will be creating hampers consisting of food, essentials, Christmas decorations and presents. One of the families said the following after receiving their hamper last year:

"I hope you get paid back in the way that we weren't able to.

From our hearts to yours, and all who have given us these things, thank you."

Christmas can be a hard time for many but Emanuel's Christmas hamper programme can hopefully bring some happiness to those in need at this time of year.

Hamper collections are on the 11th December, if you would like to volunteer to help sort the hampers or for similar initiatives please email community@emanuel.org.uk

SPOTLIGHT

EMANUEL IN THE COMMUNITY

RETURN OF THE CWIZZ On 21 November, we hosted ‘The CWIZZ’, the annual book quiz competition organised by a collective of south London authors.

This is the sixth year of partner schools being involved in the competition giving a fantastic opportunity to test their literary knowledge through a series of fun, but challenging rounds; and to win a generous collection of raffle prizes!

34 teams competed from fifteen different schools, which included independent, state and primary, we were delighted to involve so many schools from our partnership and outreach initiatives. Participants included Broomwood Prep, Ibstock Place, The Elms Academy, St. Faith’s Church of England School, St. Mary’s RC Primary Battersea, Latymer Upper, Latymer Prep, The Hurlington Academy, Chestnut Grove Academy, Heathmere Primary School, Newton Prep. Ernest Bevin Academy and Ark John Archer Primary School.

GETTING INVOLVED PARENT VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES We’re excited to offer various volunteering opportunities within our community partnership programme, ranging from one-off initiatives to weekly commitments. If you have time to spare, we’ll find a role that suits you!

Look out for upcoming opportunities in the new year.

EVENT VOLUNTEERS We’re seeking volunteers to support our events. If you would be interested in helping sort Christmas hampers, event support at Primary Ambitions, book talks and plenty more please get in touch. You will be added to our database to be told of any community volunteer opportunities.

MINIBUS DRIVERS We provide minibus transport to schools that would otherwise struggle to attend.

If you have a clean driving licence and two years’ experience, we’d love to hear from you. Volunteers are DBS-checked and receive safeguarding and minibus induction training.

If you’re interested in helping, whether once or weekly, please get in touch!

For more information on our community partnership and outreach activities, organisational partnership enquiries and to volunteer for any of the initiatives, please contact community@emanuel.org.uk