Serve

The student-led Charities Commission is a huge part of school life, with a flourishing number of members at any one time, and the entire school being involved in fundraising activities.

It runs a myriad of events and in recent years has been tipping the £25,000 mark. It is a part of school life in which everyone gets involved, but where the Sixth Form take the helm.

Every year a charities team either go to the Goedgedacht Project in South Africa or run an in-house project with Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association. Both of these projects create unforgettable memories. And for both projects it’s not just what happens in the summer holidays; it’s a two year commitment to doing the best they can for the young people that they encounter. Summer Camp also runs each July. A team of Sixth Formers take a group of young carers, aged between 8 and 12, on a week-long activity-packed holiday in Swanage. Summer Camp is a chance for these young people to be relieved of their daily level of responsibility and to have some well-earned time off, and fun.

This trip is paid for entirely from fundraising done by KES and events such as the ‘Battle of the Bands’ are a highlight in the school calendar. All of these projects have selection processes with application forms and interviews. Partnerships that run with local schools also form a large part of life at KES. We have many current activities up and running, with additional workshops in art, computing and music happening intermittently. We run an annual partnership scheme with a local primary school to our Rural Study Centre on Dartmoor, where Sixth Formers mentor primary pupils in a residential setting, and have a brilliant time. Have a look at the Clubs and Societies list on the website for details of what is running now and what you can get involved with.