Report 2023/4
Foreward
Tony Oulton
i i l
Public benefit and community outreach are vital at Hulme Grammar School in Oldham, and we believe they are essential for strengthening our community By fostering social responsibility and empathy among our students, we aim to nurture well-rounded, socially conscious individuals who will contribute positively to society
Our outreach initiatives enhance Hulme Grammar’s ties with local schools, charities, and the broader community, resulting in stronger support and valuable partnerships These collaborations enable us to work together on projects that benefit everyone involved
Additionally, community engagement provides our students with practical learning experiences in leadership and teamwork, preparing them for future careers while instilling a lifelong commitment to service By addressing local needs and supporting underserved populations, Hulme Grammar ensures that our educational efforts extend beyond the school, helping to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all
We spend over £750,000 on bursaries for young people to enable them to study at Hulme either on a fully-funded or subsidised means-tested bursary. We’re also a large employer in the area creating over 200 jobs for the community and a contributor to the local economy of Oldham
We are proud to be part of this community and look forward to continuing our work with local authorities, schools, and charities to make a lasting, positive impact
A* A* A A
in her A Levels, and is going on to study at Durham University Law
Acacia 2023/24 Head Student
“Oldham Student of the Year”
In 2024 our outgoing Head Student Acacia won the Rotary “Oldham Student of the Year” award Alongside being an exemplary student within school Acacia has been involved in a great amount of charity work outside of school. She participated in various colour runs and mud runs for Cancer Research and spent a day at a care home decorating Christmas cards with the residents Acacia often buys food and blankets for the homeless in the community, and coaches 7 and 8-year-olds at Kingsway Netball Team too
Acacia is a survivor of the Manchester Arena Bomb and suffered from multiple physical injuries alongside the mental trauma of such a horrific attack Acacia is a personification of all that is good about giving back to the community, reaching out and helping those who need it most We’re incredibly proud to now count Acacia as part of our amazing alumni community
Community
Hulme Grammar is located in one of the most financially and socially deprived communities in Greater Manchester and the UK With the generous support of our pupils, parents, staff and alumni, we collaborate with local charities and initiatives to make a positive impact and give back where we can
Duke of Edinburgh Social Value
Ensuring pupils at Hulme Grammar have an appreciation of the social value they can make in our community is incredibly important
Over the last year, students who participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, including Bronze, Silver and Gold, contributed an incredible 2,185 hours of volunteering with a social value of £11,530.
14
Charities supported
£3,500
Raisedin2024
2,185
Hours of volunteering in 2024
£11,530
Socialvalue
Charities Supported
There are so many brilliant charities and causes that pupils, parents and staff at Hulme Grammar are passionate about We are dedicated to finding ways we can collaborate with, contribute to and support these causes
Throughout 2023/2024 we held many events within the school including cake sales, non-uniform days, throwing a sponge at the teacher, Reindeer Run and a silent disco, which raised awareness of key issues alongside vital funds
These events supported 14 charities and raised in excess of £3,500.
Harvest - Lifeshare Charity
In Autumn, all the wonderful offerings from our PrePrep and Prep school families donated at our Harvest Festival were given to Lifeshare, Manchester’s oldest charity dedicated to supporting homeless and vulnerable people in Greater Manchester Provided
families with a week’s worth of food
Foodbank Collection
Litter Pick
Working with the South District Council in Oldham, we organised 60 volunteers to take part in a litter pick around the local community Together we collected an incredible 10 full bin bags of litter in just one afternoon
After a school-wide appeal for donations for Oldham Foodbank we delivered enough food to feed 10 families for a whole week A group of our Prep students were able to visit the Foodbank to develop a deeper understanding of their work and importance in the community
60 volunteers & 10fullbinbags
Rise Up Musical Evening
HGS students volunteered to perform at 'Rise Up,' a family musical festival at a Marsden Parish Church The event raised over £1,000 for Prevent Breast Cancer Students sang, played instruments and read poetry
Art and Creativity
We work in partnership with primary and secondary schools and alternative education providers in the borough of Oldham to share our facilities and resources
Collaboration and providing support where it is most needed ensures that we can make the biggest positive impact for young people in our community. Furthermore, we are able to create opportunities for young people who would not normally get the chance to read in a library, design in an art studio or explore their talent with musical instruments
Poetry and Creative Writing
In the last year we have worked with:
24 Primary and 137pupils Secondary Schools
Pupils from primary schools have enjoyed morning workshops about poetry before writing their own poems and reading them for their parents later in the day We’ve also hosted primary schools attending workshops with our English teachers and a local author before children have the opportunity to write their own short story in pairs and read for parents later that day
Working with secondary schools in the area, pupils have enjoyed a full day with poetry workshops in the morning from local poets followed by a session after lunch where they wrote their own poems in pairs with students from different schools The day ended listening to a talk by current Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage
Choral Workshop
Parents of some 31 remarkably talented primary school pupils from two schools in the community enjoyed an afternoon choral recital This was after some very vocal workshops that our music teachers ran in the morning in our school theatre
pupils
Careers & STEM
Science,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics
Enquiring Minds
Enquiring Minds is a programme for primary school pupils across Oldham and is particularly aimed at students who have a keen interest in and passion for Science and Maths, as we seek to discover our next Professor Brian Cox or Dr David Nott
This year the programme worked with nine schools and 32 promising young scientists over eight sessions The workshops were carried out by Senior School teaching staff specialising in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, and students were also supported by our brilliant Sixth form Science students
Due to its popularity, we extended the programme to a Summer Science School where we had 60 young scientists from three primary schools visit Hulme laboratories and immerse themselves in experiments and equations, making STEM subjects fun and engaging
60 young scientists at Summer School
Higher Education Fair for Students of Oldham
We hosted a Higher Education Fair at Hulme Grammar, where we invited pupils in Years 10-13 from all schools within the local community to attend There were 30 universities and apprenticeship providers working with us to talk to students about their future We had staff on hand from Keele University, University of Manchester, University of Nottingham, Balfour Beatty and many more esteemed educational organisations
It was really fun going to Hulme! I especially loved the weeks when we learned about banana DNA, the acid lessons and the elephant toothpaste. It was great when we made a finger print on a balloon and then inflated the balloon to see the print more clearly. I have learned so much and I loved all the classrooms. I want to be a science teacher when I'm older now
Sport and Activity
Introducing sports, play, and outdoor learning at an early age is crucial for engaging young people and providing them with opportunities to participate in activities they might not otherwise experience
Nursery Mini Olympics
Our Prep School teachers opened up our sports facilities and organised a Nursery Mini Olympics for the next generation of Olympians! We welcomed 15 nursery-aged children who took part in sports that HGS primary school students helped run Having the youngest of learners interact and play with the older primary school children was a great way to show that sport isn’t just about competing, but teamwork, supporting each other and that “having a go ” whatever your ability can be just good fun
38 primary school children
Sharing our facilities
15 nursery children
Forest School
We have a wonderful outdoor space in our Prep School that incorporates a wooded area and is home to our Forest School Getting out and playing in nature is a great way to support development, especially for young children who thrive in alternative ways of learning We opened our Forest School to 38 primary school students who got their hands dirty in our forest fun class activities
At Hulme Grammar, we are fortunate to have excellent sports facilities that are accessible to local schools and the wider community
Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting a sports day for a nearby primary school that lacked sufficient space to accommodate all of their pupils at once
We also offer a variety of activities, including table tennis clubs, tennis coaching, swimming lessons, netball sessions, football, cricket, and badminton clubs By providing these opportunities, our community has a welcoming space to have fun, stay active, and engage in sports and recreation
International
Thinking beyond our borough of Oldham is a big part of our public benefit and outreach activities. Engaging young people in events that get them thinking of the wider world and also inviting the wider world to Oldham!
French Extravaganza
We welcomed Year 6 primary school pupils to Hulme for a special event designed to give them a glimpse into Senior School life We organised a French-themed day where students explored the language and literature while immersing themselves in the culture This experience introduced the pupils to some of the subjects they will encounter from Year 7 onward and helped build their confidence as they prepare for the transition to Senior School
Chinese Immersion programme
We welcomed 46 Chinese students to Hulme Grammar School for a Winter Immersion Programme with a group of their teachers to experience an education in England
Our guests buddied up with Hulme students in the same year group as themselves and shadowed them for the first half of the day, sharing experiences of school and home life After lunch the student guests then enjoyed an afternoon of teaching classes to fully experience a typical school day
Education Leaders from China
We were delighted to host a group of Principals and education leaders from Nanjing Province in China
Our visitors enjoyed hearing from the school’s leadership team who shared the educational, pastoral and co-curricular support offered to our students, exchanging knowledge and best practices
Comments and
feedback
Hear from students who attended our many events, along with some comments from their parents and teachers.
“Olivia thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions It is a great way for children to experience secondary school in a fun and informative way whilst enhancing their learning Thank you all at Hulme for this opportunity. ”
“I would definitely recommend this event to another school and I would love to attend again next year with a different cohort of Y10 pupils. ”
“Seeing the children's enthusiasm each week was so lovely They enjoyed feeding back their scientific discoveries to their classmates. The buzz around science in our class is tangible Thank you for helping to inspire our amazing St Martin's learners and for empowering some scientists of the future!” “A fantastic opportunity to share the day with you all. Our pupils had a wonderful time and especially enjoyed meeting Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage and local poets
“Our daughter thoroughly enjoyed these sessionsthey were great in building confidence in her abilities and social skills. ” “It was exciting to go into different classrooms and use the special science equipment. My favourite sessions were when we extracted DNA from bananas and saw the little white wisps. These lessons have inspired me to want to go to Hulme Grammar School and then be an astrologer when I'm older “
“Thank you again for giving our children such great opportunities ”
“I LOVED the chemistry sessions. Using the test tubes in chemistry was excitingwe mixed metal and acid and recorded what we found out The quotes from famous scientists on the walls were inspiring When I'm older I want to be a scientist, a forensic scientist!”
am Lowe and Dom Conlan A huge thank you to everyone for this amazing event”
“She told us how lovely the teachers and pupil helpers were and she just thoroughly enjoyed the session. It has really boosted her confidence and, as we are hoping to send her to Hulme for high school, this was definitely a great way to get her energised for the move. ” “A wonderful experience Thank you for inviting us. I look forward to our students having more opportunities to meet and collaborate with Hulme Grammar School in the future ”
“I would definitely recommend this event to another school and I would love to attend again next year with a different cohort of Y10 pupils ”
“I knew he would enjoy today as he loves creative writing but he'd specifically said he'd loved it because it was a day out of school, the cookies were yummy, and he'd really loved how enthusiastic and encouraging the staff working with him were. He'd found their interest and love for creative writing really infectious. He's had a great day, thank you. ”
“All of the girls enjoyed the writing workshop - 10 out of 10 again!”
“They enjoyed the lessons and liked learning things we have already done at school which helped them feel prepared. ”
“Our students liked using the goggles because it made them feel like professional scientists! They enjoyed chemistry and mixing things together. ” “All of the girls enjoyed the workshop - they would give it 10 out of 10. They liked having the opportunity to meet new people, especially the older children who could help and set good examples ” “Students liked the opportunity to work independently but also liked knowing they could work as a group They enjoyed the opportunity to play at break The Year 10s were very kind and helpful and they felt they had a lot in common with them. ”
“5/5 stars! I thought the sessions at Hulme were so much fun. It was great to make friends from other schools It was exciting to go into different classrooms and use the special science equipment These lessons have inspired me to want to go to Hulme Grammar School and then be an astrologer when I'm older. ” “They enjoyed all the different activities and would like to stay for longer if they got another chance. ”
HGS outreach initiatives create stronger support and valuable partnerships with
Localschools
Charities Broadercommunity
£3,500 raised for 14 charities Summary of
137 pupils 24 & schools
£750,000 spent on bursaries
to help young people to study at Hulme
200 jobs at HGS contributing to the local economy
30
Universities and apprenticeship providers attended the HGS Careers Fair
46 students and a group of education leaders from China visited HGS
2,185 volunteering hours with a social value of £11,530
