CHARITY & PARTNERSHIPS
Our school value: Generosity of Spirit is all about giving back – we fundraise throughout the year and enjoy partnering with local schools and organisations.
Community partnerships and charitable activities are integral parts of school life at Sydenham High and pupils welcome the opportunity to give back in whatever way they can.
Sydenham High has a number of links and partnerships, both near and far. We are a patron of Sydenham Arts and we have collaborated on numerous projects to date, including providing venues for their events, such as the Artists Trail.
Year 12 students undertake community service and volunteering for the year as part of our bespoke Personal Development strand of our Sixth Form offer. Some girls choose to help out in their former primary schools, some serve in charity shops and some assist in hospitals and local hospices. We aim to engage with the local community wherever possible, including collecting for the Lewisham Food Bank and we regularly host community groups and courses within the school. In Year 10 the girls take part in local community service, coming up with their own project ideas to support local services and amenities. We often run events for local maintained schools and the school has recently established a partnership with a local primary school in Forest Hill.
Primary School Collaborations
All students in year 12 undertake a volunteering placement in the Spring Term. We have established partnerships with Holy Trinity and St Bartholomew’s Primary Schools.
Our Head of Languages runs French lessons at Holy Trinity Primary, with new Art and Reading clubs beginning.
Invitations to workshops and performances.
Use of theatre and facilities for end of year school productions and to sit LAMDA exams.
Use of sports ground and the astroturf for primary school sports days and Lewisham sporting tournaments.
Sixth formers reading to Prep School pupils.
Debating and other academic collaborative activities with Dulwich College Junior School.
Secondary School Collaborations
International School link with Kyoto Seibo Gakuin Girls’ School.
Host Academic Electives with Dulwich College and JAGS, including Anatomical Studies, and Debunking Medical Myths: from stem cells to superheroes.
One Voice collaboration with Dulwich Prep & Senior
FarmEd in Oxfordshire: building on our commitment to educating about sustainability.
Futures Fairs and other events, such as the GCSE Accelerator Programme.
#700STEMChallenge essay writing competition.
Subject Masterclasses.
Teaching at Saturday School for local primaries with Dulwich College.
Lewisham Librarians meeting of 7 local schools held at SHS sharing best practice and selecting shortlist for Lewisham Book Awards.
Participation in GDST GCSE Astronomy and Space Tech programmes, as well as hosting GDST LEAD South.
Local community links
Westwood House Care Home and Pear Tree Care Home volunteering.
Volunteering and musical collaboration with the local ageing well community at Grove Centre Church, Sydenham
Phab Clubs for local disabled children: our pupils play games, do mindful activities and befriend.
Young Mayor of Lewisham initiative: increased pupil participation, including standing as candidates.
Sydenham Arts: patronage to support this local charity and some workshops and opportunities for pupils offered.
Prep Flourish and Fundraise Committee pupils raised money for, and donated artwork to, local Sydenham Community Gardens, supporting local community members with dementia.
Charitable activities
Fundraising is a huge part of our culture, with the girls choosing charities for each House and organising multiple events per year.
Generosity of Spirit is one of the core values of Sydenham High. Throughout the years, we have been dedicated to working with various charities, both locally and nationally, to support their worthy causes. We aim to elevate our efforts by harnessing our powerful house spirit to enhance our charity work, allowing each house to select a charity they would like to support throughout the year.
Stanley House: St Christopher’s
Our local St Christopher’s Hospice is only a few roads away, and close to our hearts, offering world class palliative and end of life care to everyone who needs it, whenever or wherever that may be. Founded by Dame Cicely founded in 1967 as the first hospice linking expert pain and symptom control, compassionate care, teaching and clinical research, St Christopher’s has been a pioneer in the field of palliative medicine, which is now established worldwide.
Shirreff House: Freedom4Girls
Freedom4Girls is a charity dedicated to fighting period poverty and promoting menstrual health. Founded to address the stigma and barriers surrounding menstruation, Freedom4Girls provides essential menstrual products and educational workshops, ensuring that no girl misses school or a woman misses work due to her period.
Gurney House: St Mungo’s
St Mungo’s is a charity dedicated to ending homelessness and helping people rebuild their lives. It provides vital services, including outreach support, accommodation, and healthcare, helping individuals recover from homelessness and reintegrate into society.
Grey House: Lives Not Knives
Lives Not Knives is committed to preventing youth violence and empowering young people through education and support. The charity offers mentoring, workshops, and opportunities for young people to engage in community projects that promote safety and wellbeing.
Recent fundraising
Year 7
After a full week of end-of-year assessments, our Year 7 pupils swapped exam halls for fresh air as they headed to Crystal Palace Park for their House Charity Walk. With the sun shining, it was the perfect way to unwind, reconnect with friends, and raise funds for a meaningful cause.
Sponsored per lap, the walk soon turned into a joyful competition, with many pupils racing each other to complete as many laps as possible. Spirits were high as the year group demonstrated fantastic energy, teamwork and generosity – all while enjoying the great outdoors.
And of course, no summer walk would be complete without a sweet treat! The ice cream van proved extremely popular, with pupils (and staff!) forming a well-deserved queue for their cheerful reward.
A big thank you to everyone who sponsored and supported the event. We are incredibly proud of our Year 7s for their enthusiasm, kindness and House spirit – a wonderful reflection of Sydenham High’s values!
Year 8
Sydenham High was buzzing with excitement as Year 8 hosted their House Charity Events, raising a fantastic £359.47 for their House charities. After weeks of planning, pupils came together to deliver a brilliant range of fundraising activities, strengthening their House spirit while supporting meaningful causes.
Grey raised £91.55 for Lives Not Knives with a biscuit decorating stall.
Shirreff brought in £68.65 for Freedom4Girls with a nail salon and bath bomb sales.
Stanley’s Cosy Day, featuring Oodies, Onesies, and hot chocolate, raised £151 for St Christopher’s Hospice.
Gurney’s ‘Guess the Sweets’ challenge raised £49.27 for St Mungo’s.
The energy, teamwork, and generosity shown by Year 8 were truly inspiring.
Year 9
Year 9 took the lead on house fundraising for their respective charities, bringing an incredible range of creative ideas to life! The action-packed Grey’s Red Light/Green Light game had everyone involved, while Gurney’s mystery bag draw offered a chance to try their luck. Stanley’s “Guess the Staff Baby Photo” was truly mind-blowing, and Shirreff’s car and minibus cleaning service added a wonderful act of service element to the day.
The event was buzzing with energy, offering something for everyone to enjoy. Year 9 worked together seamlessly, and their efforts paid off, raising an impressive total of £215, with Shirreff raising £110, Grey £33, Gurney £44, and Stanley £28 for their chosen causes. A big congratulations to them for their hard work, and thank you to all the pupils and staff who took part in making the day a massive success!
Year 10
The end of term culminated with another charity event, this time soaking the teachers with wet sponges – or trying to! Year 10’s charity event was a great success.
Year 11
Grey House kicked off its first House fundraising event today for Lives Not Knives, with an exciting, themed fashion show organised and run by our Year 11 Grey House Charity leaders. The atmosphere was filled with energy as everyone came together to support a great cause. The participants took the stage with confidence and joy, showing off their unique styles, while their friends cheered them on. It was a fantastic turnout for an even better cause.
