Community Links

CRGS Help in the Community Programme

Among the options that Sixth Formers can choose on Tuesday afternoons is the opportunity to engage in some kind of help to a community organisation, such as a charity.  Over recent years, students have helped in residential care homes, charity shops, the St Helena Hospice, offices of charities, day care centres for handicapped people and with the League of Friends at Colchester General Hospital.  We are very grateful to organisations who take on our students, and if you would like to find out more about having a student placed with you on a Tuesday afternoon, please contact Mr Harvey (NHarvey@crgs.co.uk) at the school.

The benefits to students have been wide-ranging, often giving them an experience that is relevant to their future plans, sometimes being an enriching experience in itself, and at the very least demonstrating the student's willingness to give help where help is needed.  It is recognised that some placements require fairly mundane help, but as the primary aim of the programme is that the students help out the organisation concerned, they are prepared to put up with the occasional routine task.  

However, in many cases students report back that they enjoyed their placement and whether it is because they enjoyed the tasks they were given or simply appreciated being part of a team, the majority regard it as a positive experience.  It is not uncommon for a student to continue working with an organisation after the placement has finished, sometimes on a Saturday.

Students are often responsible for finding their own placement.  Whether to get details of placements that we can organise or to ask for a placement to be approved, students should speak to Mr Harvey in the first instance.

 

Sixth Formers Teaching in Primary Schools

Sixth Form students have been involved this year in teaching science to pupils from Years Four and Five in a number of local primary schools. After initial training on Tuesday afternoons in which they trialled biology, chemistry and physics experiments, they then travelled, armed with equipment, to the following primary schools: Prettygate, Hamilton, Lexden and Oxford House.

The students spent four weeks teaching small groups of pupils and the experience was enjoyable for all concerned.  CRGS received very positive feedback from the schools and this will continue next year.  If any Year 12 pupils wish to be involved please see Mr Harvey. My thanks to all the Sixth Form students involved, they were great ambassadors to the school.

 

Primary School Science Workshops

The aim of this scheme is to bring inspiration of the wonder of science to Year Five and Six pupils about to embark on their secondary school careers and to extend the minds of the most able. This initiative is now in its ninth year and in the Summer Term, primary school pupils mainly from Years Five and Six visit CRGS for science mornings to investigate the behaviour of woodlice, gases in the air, and current and conductors in the three separate sciences.

Last year the following primary schools took part: Prettygate, Oxford House, Lexden and Hamilton. All the pupils who came to us were a credit to their schools and showed enjoyment and enthusiasm in the work they completed.