local schools involved in clubs and partnership activities
£1.2 Million spent on bursaries every year
3094 hours of student volunteering as part of DofE
£19,800
social value of DofE Volunteering per year
Introduction
As Headmistress of Channing School I am proud to be writing the introduction to our first ever Impact Report.
It is clear from what you can see in this publication that when we work together for the good of our community we are more effective and achieve so much more than when we act alone. The Unitarian values of Channing’s founders of free thinking, acceptance and inclusivity have endured since our foundation in 1885, and it is these which drive us to reach beyond the school gates to build our local network, which has a positive social and educational impact on the wider community and our school.
We have been working with Highgate Newtown Community Partners (HNCP) and ten state primary and secondary schools to deliver a whole range of activities as part of our Education Plus Alliance. The core aim of our Alliance is to provide academic enrichment and cultural capital for young people who might not otherwise have access to these things. The programme includes a vast array of opportunities as this report shows.
We also see the transformational impact of bursaries on our young people, enabling young women to achieve so much more than they ever believed possible and creating aspiration and inspiration for future generations of Channing girls and families.
With the support of our partners and the generosity of Channing parents we are investing in young people and their futures, both at Channing and in our wider community. The skills, experience and sense of belonging gained through these community activities are often the most valuable, rewarding and satisfying part of the week for all the students involved, as well as excellent preparation for the future.
Thank you for all that you do to make this work possible.
Mrs Lindsey Hughes Headmistress
I am pleased to present Channing’s first Impact Report which demonstrates the difference made by our community engagement, partnerships and individualised support.
The Education Plus Alliance underpins all our partnership work. What began as a modest collaboration has flourished into a comprehensive initiative, with Channing School and HNCP codeveloping programmes that directly address the needs of local residents - from children in lower-income households to older community members seeking connection and support. Education Plus has grown hugely over the past three years and now includes pupils from a wide range of partner schools, such as Brookfield Primary, St. Aloysius’ College, Whitehall Park, St. Joseph’s, and LaSWAP schools including La Sainte Union and Acland Burghley.
Sessions take place at Channing or our partner schools and are led by both staff and Channing pupils, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and building confidence and inter-school camaraderie. Guest lectures from academics and creatives - such as historian Professor Philippe Sands, poet Harry Baker and writer Sathnam Sanghera - add inspiration and depth to the programme.
Without the support from colleagues as well as our partners, we would not be able to run these activities/clubs. We are immensely grateful to them and our students whose dedication, interest and enthusiasm has ensured the success of our clubs and wider work in the community.
We have also worked with the organisation ImpactEd Evaluation to produce relevant data that has helped to quantify our impact and shape our clubs/activities.
Ms Jennifer Kung Director of Social Impact
Introduction
As Bursar of Channing, I feel deeply privileged to work closely with our bursary families, helping to ensure that a transformative Channing education is accessible to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Watching the pupils who benefit from our provision is incredibly uplifting - yet also, at times, frustrating, as I am acutely aware of the many families we are not yet able to support. Each application and conversation reminds me of the power of inclusion and the profound importance of widening access - something I experienced personally as a bursary student at Christ’s Hospital School. That experience has shaped my deep commitment to this work and makes it all the more meaningful.
In my role as a trustee of Highgate Newtown Community Partners (HNCP), I also see first-hand the impact Channing has beyond our school gates - from our Education Plus programme to initiatives like Communitea. I’ve particularly enjoyed the genuine rapport that flourishes at Communitea and the joy it brings - not only to our guests, but to our pupils and staff as well. I’ve had the privilege of supporting all of our Summer Camps, witnessing the friendships and bonds that can grow in just one week, as well as the fun that pupils have at our after-school clubs. Most personally, I’ve been able to extend my passion for working with young people in the outdoors through sessions with the boys from our partner school, St. Aloysius' College. It has been a genuine privilege to work with such positive, engaged young men - and a real pleasure to see them grow in confidence and stature over such a short time.
The threads that bind our school to the wider community are growing ever stronger, and I’m proud to play a part in weaving them together and further developing the benefits this brings to the wider community and our own pupils and staff. These are early days for Channing in our commitment to Social Impact, but with the commitment across our community from Governors to pupils and parents there is a lot more we can deliver. Onwards and upwards...
Mr Roy Hill
Bursaries
Bursaries Bursaries
As part of our mission to widen access to a Channing education, we offer means-tested fee assistance to talented girls who we think would thrive at Channing. We are proud that this ongoing commitment to bursary provision allows us to offer outstanding educational opportunities to students regardless of their financial circumstances. Over the years, a significant number of bursaries have been awarded, positively transforming the lives of our students. Many of these students have gone on to do remarkable things, shaping and changing the world we live in. We currently have receiving means-tested bursaries, 36 of whom receive transformational financial support of 75% or more towards their fees.
“I think that had I not come here as a result of my bursary, I would never have applied to Cambridge. I wouldn't have had the confidence. I probably wouldn't have had the GCSE results or the predicted grades… So personally, it was really the making of me, and I really wouldn't have been in the position that I am in now had I not had that sort of academic push and that emotional and pastoral support.
Sponsoring a bursary or making a financial contribution can truly change a child’s life. But it’s more than that - you’re also helping their family and laying the groundwork for a future generation that could go on to do something amazing.”
Community
Cabinet of Cabinet of Curiosities with Curiosities with Lauderdale Lauderdale House House
140 Year 10 students from Parliament Hill, William Ellis and Channing School spent 6 weeks during the Spring term working with artists Alison Lam and Dora Lam to create ceramic, bronze and Gelli print pieces.
These were inspired by the collection of plants and artefacts of James Yates, a Victorian resident of Lauderdale House as well as the natural environment of Waterlow Park.
Communitea Communitea
A delectable afternoon tea, answers to questions on everyday technology and lots of chat and laughter: this year’s Communitea events built on the success of the previous series. Organised by Channing and Highgate Newtown Community Partners (HNCP), the monthly receptions are open to local residents and take place in the dining room of the school. Communitea has been a real community-builder, with many familiar faces returning every month and creating bonds with both the student volunteers and technological experts. "With its dizzying speed of change, 'tech' can get overwhelming and scary for many people these days, particularly when we are all so dependent on it,” comments IT specialist Mr Marshall. “Communitea provides the local community with a relaxed and informal environment to ask tech questions of our pupils and the Channing IT team.”
The feedback from some of the volunteers speaks for itself:
“Taking part in the Communitea project has been an incredibly rewarding experience for us as volunteers. Many of us have noticed real growth in our communication skills, especially in feeling more confident when speaking with people we've never met before. Having conversations with individuals from different generations and lifestyles has pushed us outside of our usual social circles and helped us develop empathy, patience and a deeper understanding of others. Being part of this initiative has helped us build meaningful connections, boosted our social confidence and reminded us how valuable it is to simply listen. We’re truly grateful for the opportunity and many of us are keen to continue working with Communitea.”
“Empathy, I think listening to others and understanding their unique stories is truly wonderful.”
Fair in the Square Fair in the Square
Channing is a proud sponsor of Fair in the Square, the biggest community event in Camden. Young and old from near and far gathered in the square to listen and enjoy the entertainment as well as support local businesses. Every year, Channing student volunteers help out with setting up and rubbish collection alongside helping with social media for the event.
Our incredible student musicians always feature and this year was no exception. Spraytan, composed of 5 talented Year 11 students, wowed the audience with their original songs - they were a hard act to follow!
Our Young Enterprise entrepreneurs were also represented at the Channing/HNCP stall where visitors perused and bought charms and T-shirts this year.
HNCP Opening HNCP Opening
In May 2025, a landmark moment took place in the heart of Highgate as the newly redeveloped Highgate Newtown Community Centre officially opened its doors. Among the invited guests and local dignitaries were students and staff from Channing. The occasion was a celebration of shared purpose, community service and a partnership that continues to grow in both scope and impact.
Our contribution to the opening event was emblematic of our ethos: students performed music, supported with event administration and Headmistress Lindsey Hughes spoke about the deep collaboration between the school and HNCP. Her remarks celebrated the journey we have taken together and looked ahead to the promise of even greater community involvement, now supported by the new centre’s expanded facilities.
Education Plus
Breakfast Clubs Breakfast Clubs
Over the course of the last two years, Year 12 Channing volunteers have been involved in helping Brookfield Primary school, Highgate Primary school and Whitehall Park with their Breakfast and Reading clubs once a week.
Year 12 volunteers helped with engaging the primary school pupils in different activities during the Breakfast club- from helping them with reading, playing board games, drawings and other activities that allowed positive interaction.
At least 20 Sixth form volunteer for Breakfast clubs each year with a waiting list for others to participate.
100%
100%
The volunteers have been completely reliable and absolutely wonderful with the children. Collectively they have helped to create a really special atmosphere on Wednesday mornings. We have noticed that numbers on Wednesdays have been creeping up, which I don’t think is a coincidence. Please pass my thanks to the girls who are an absolute credit to the school. We look forward to welcoming your students back in the new academic year.
Mr W Dean, Highgate Primary School
Volunteer comments:
I think I have been able to show more empathy towards students who struggled with reading and I had to learn to explain to them how to pronounce certain words and what they meant.
I think I have made the biggest progress in my communication skills. I feel that at the start of the volunteering I was struggling to make conversation with the younger children. However as time went on, communicating and speaking to the children became much easier.
We have been thrilled to have the students at our breakfast club and I know that both the supervising adults and children have been grateful for their support. They are extremely polite and helpful.
Ms L Collins, Brookfield Primary School
I think I also improved my resilience and determination, as, if a child was struggling to understand, rather than giving up, I would find ways to communicate successfully to them and to allow them to appreciate what I was trying to impart on them. Whilst sometimes a challenge, I persevered with this and was determined to help them achieve their goals.
Volunteer comment
Careers and Higher Education Careers and Higher Education
This year saw several successful collaborations between Channing and other schools, notably St Aloysius’, to broaden careers and higher education opportunities for students. In the autumn, Channing hosted the Academic Forum, inviting students from other schools who were preparing for Oxbridge and medical school applications. Oxbridge candidates received tailored support, while the Medics discussion group welcomed contributions from a recently qualified Channing alumna now at the Whittington Hospital.
In the spring, the Higher Education programme extended its reach by inviting St Aloysius’ Year 12 students to the Springboard Fair, alongside Channing pupils from Years 10, 11, and 13, as well as Year 12 parents. The fair featured universities, employers, and gap year providers, giving all attendees valuable insights into future study and career options.
Further joint opportunities included the annual Careers Convention, where Years 10 and 12 from Channing and St Aloysius’ heard from professionals across finance, tech, business, medicine, law, performing arts, media, armed services and education. The Medics group and the Chancellor’s Challenge in Economics also provided rich platforms for shared learning and networking across schools.
Cookery and Baking Classes Cookery and Baking Classes
Since 2023, students from both Channing and St. Aloysius' College had the opportunity to take part in cooking classes led by private chef Arti Mirwani-Daltry and the Channing catering team. The programme was delivered through two strands: a Year 13 enrichment course and an after-school club attended by Year 10 Channing and St. Aloysius' College students.
The enrichment sessions, where all of Year 13 students attended 90 minute long lesson, focused on simple, nutritious dishes that helped the students to build key kitchen skills. The students went on to cook chicken and black bean quesadillas, practise safe knife techniques with vegetable chow mein, and finish with handmade yoghurt flatbreads flavoured with za’atar or garlic butter — a firm favourite.
The after-school sessions offered a vibrant menu inspired by global flavours. Students prepared aloo tikki burgers with Indian spices, colourful loaded nachos, and halloumi or chicken tikka skewers. They learned how to handle raw meat safely, soak wooden skewers to prevent burning, and explore ingredients like turmeric, cumin and fresh oregano.
Channing and La Sainte Union Year 7 and 8 students have enjoyed baking with Diego, Channing Catering staff, at La Sainte Union in their cookery classroom. At their work stations, students discussed favourite foods whilst cracking eggs, mixing flour, pouring chocolate and chopping apples to make delicious crumble, cupcakes and cakes.
The baking sessions are limited in numbers because of capacity but are always oversubscribed with more than 20 students wanting to attend each time. We added an extra session of Baking at LSU because it was so popular with the Year 7 students. Head of Year 7, Ms Garrill was impressed with their culinary skills as well as how the students mixed and made new friends.
Channing students attending the sessions commented on the development of their teamwork skills, alongside being more confident with working with others. The feedback was very positive:
At least 60 students from both schools have attended the after school sessions at St. Aloysius' College over the past two years.
‘I loved all the food we made- thank you’
‘I was sad when it was over; it was fun and relaxed and helped me make new friends inside and outside of school’
Design and Technology Club Design and Technology Club
This year sessions were held in the well-equipped workshop at Channing’s partner school, St. Aloysius’ College. Year 8 students took part in a Design and Technology club focused on creating functional lamps. The sessions were led by Ms Osmani, a teacher from St. Aloysius' College, with support from Channing technician Ms Loughney.
The students worked through the process of designing and building a lamp, demonstrating their understanding of electrical circuits and safety, selecting suitable materials, and applying design principles to create a practical and aesthetically pleasing product. Alongside technical skills, they developed problemsolving abilities, teamwork and hands-on construction expertise.
This club exemplifies Channing’s commitment to sparking curiosity in new fields, offering students the chance to explore latent talents and aspirations. It aligns with the school’s ethos of helping pupils discover more about themselves, and take steps towards embracing their unique strengths and potential future pathways.
Feedback from the students who attended the five-week DT Club was very encouraging. All participants either agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed the club and would like to attend again in the future. They also felt they had learned something new during the sessions, highlighting the club’s value in enriching their learning experience and sparking interest in everything design and technology.
The Duke of The Duke of Edinburgh's Edinburgh's Award Award
This year, the entire Channing Duke of Edinburgh's Award Team supported St. Aloysius’ College with their Bronze DoE programme.
We invited the boys and their staff to our Student Training day in early Spring so they could experience our 3 learning stations of Equipment, Cooking and Navigation in the morning. After their packed lunch, everyone prepared their practice expedition maps and route cards.
Mr R Hill and Ms Yun assisted with their Practice Walk in The Chilterns where they put their theory into practice. The Assessed expedition took place in Box Hill and all the boys passed the expedition section, learned many lessons, formed stronger relationships and made many fond memories.
‘It was a pleasure to work with such focussed young men with a common goal.’ -
Ms Yun (DofE Manager, Gold DofE Leader)
Engineer and Explore Club Engineer and Explore Club
Led by Fergus Morgan from Active Day Camp, this year’s Engineer Explore club has given Year 3 and 4 pupils from Channing and St Joseph’s Primary School the chance to dive into the fascinating world of engineering through hands-on experiments, playful materials, and plenty of teamwork. Below, Fergus reflects on a year filled with floating Lego boats, flying machines and, above all, a shared sense of curiosity and fun.
‘This school year, Engineer and Explore has looked at the big wide world of engineering using a range of tools such as marshmallows, Lego and spaghetti to gain knowledge of concepts and enhance creativity. We have worked in a small classroom environment of around 12 students per lesson, this has meant that we were able to cover a wide variety of different concepts and theories and explore them in detail.
An example of this would be our latest topic, Buoyancy, where we were able to adapt what we had learnt during the theory and test it out - seeing if our Lego boats were able to float in our water filled plastic box. The small group size has meant that both students from Channing and St Joseph's Primary School have worked together, spoken about and compared ideas - before building, often in mixed groups.’
Our curriculum allows for as much creativity as possible, with children gaining confidence throughout the course to put their own spin on designs whilst also referring back to concepts we have covered.
Junior D Junior Debating Club ebating Club
Over the course of two years, the Junior Debating club has been oversubscribed. More than 30 students from three local schools have had the opportunity to learning debating skills. In 2024-25, the Senior team took part in the ESU National Competition, arguing against the introduction of a four-day working week in the first round and against removing copyright laws in music in the second. Preparation for the first debate took place alongside our partners from St. Aloysius’, who formed a swing team for rehearsals and supported us in shaping our arguments.
Junior debaters from both schools tackled motions such as whether AI enhances or hinders creativity, and whether smartphones should be banned for under-16s. Meanwhile, St. Joseph’s Year 5 and 6 pupils, coached by Cara C in Year 7, honed their skills throughout the term, culminating in a show debate on the motion: "This House would ban smartphones for under-16s." The debate was chaired by Cara C (Year 7) and Saira C (Year 10). We were delighted to welcome our guest judge, Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Highgate. Leila A and Amelia D (both in Year 10) completed the judging panel. Everyone was impressed by the pupils’ confident delivery and the quality of their arguments. It was a special and memorable event for all involved.
Year 9 Latin Enrichment Club Year 9 Latin Enrichment Club
This year, Channing School launched a weekly Latin Enrichment Club, welcoming students from La Sainte Union and Parliament Hill School. The sessions provided a supportive, engaging space for pupils to explore Latin language and culture, and their consistent attendance and enthusiasm were a real highlight for Classics teacher, Ms Walker.
Throughout the year, students worked towards the OCR Entry Level Latin Certificate, building a strong foundation in vocabulary, grammar and translation. Alongside the language element, they completed creative projects exploring Roman life — from vivid newspaper reports on chariot races to fictional invitations to Roman dinner parties, these tasks showcased both imagination and cultural insight.
All students successfully completed their final assessments, reflecting impressive progress and a genuine curiosity about the ancient world. The club stands as a strong example of how academic enrichment can work between schools, and we look forward to developing this partnership further in the coming academic year.
IET Faraday STEM Challenge Day IET Faraday STEM Challenge Day
We held the IET Faraday Challenge at Channing where 36 Year 8 students across 5 schools took part in a STEM challenge where they had to work in teams of 6 to design and make a prototype that satisfied one of three briefs:
An educational toy for a child ages 2-5
A device to support people with disabilities
A device for people who take part in sports.
The students were not allowed any help from the teachers and had to manage their own time and budget when building their prototype and purchasing items from the shop.
The two Channing teams and teams from Parliament Hill, La Sainte Union, Hornsey School for Girls and St. Aloysius' College all came up with excellent ideas from a relay toy to a light doorbell for deaf people and all had working (or semi working) prototypes by the end end of the day. All teams presented their ideas clearly and effectively and it was unclear who the winner would be.
In the end the winning team was Parliament Hill School with an educational toy teaching children about photosynthesis through the use of a light sensor and a buzzer.
Masterclasses: Masterclasses: Maths in Maths in Architecture Architecture
Channing and St. Aloysius’ College students attended the first, of we hope many, Masterclasses.
The talk on Maths in Architecture was led by Engineer, Susan Mantle and Architect, James McGillivray, both of whom have worked on major building projects at Channing School. The brief was to consider Maths in Architecture and in turn, Structural Engineering. Ms Mantle and Mr McGillivray showed with examples of their work, how maths is integral in their roles.
They discussed their different roles, while highlighting the significance of maths and creativity in both fields. They specifically covered mathematical principles like the Golden Ratio and Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man; this demonstrated how geometry and trigonometry ensure balance and precision when designing structures. Overall, this talk emphasised just how crucial maths is in making our environment functional, safe and aesthetically pleasing and the importance of collaboration in a workplace.
Student participant
Robotics and Robotics and Coding Club Coding Club
Head of Computer Science, Mr Holmes ran an exciting robotics and coding club where students from St. Aloysius' College built and programmed VEX IQ robots to make the robots carry bricks through an assault course.
Gouled and Samuel were the first group to complete their robot build. They tested the functionality of the claw by grabbing and moving bricks from one side of the room to the other. They also competed against each other to see who could move the most amount of bricks in a given time.
Minimus Club Minimus Club
This year, KS2 students from Channing School, Highgate Primary and St. Joseph’s were invited to participate in a weekly Minimus club at Channing school which was organised and taught by the Channing Classics Department alongside dedicated Year 12 Volunteers.
The students covered a wide variety of topics this year. In terms of Latin they learnt how to greet each other in Latin, basic vocabulary and present tense verb endings. Then they put that into practice by reading stories about a Roman family, dinner parties, and school.
Alongside this the Sixth Formers did topics on Roman civilisation including houses, temples and the army, and also on myths such as Perseus and Medusa and Orpheus and Euridice etc. When looking at the latter they thought about possible interpretations of these and produced their own creative responses by drawing storyboards or key frames.
Ms A Kennedy, teacher and club coordinator
3 out of 4
The Year 12 volunteers were repeatedly mentioned as a reason why the children enjoyed their time in the club. Here are some comments from the volunteers themselves:
‘It helped me with my patience and communication skills to ensure that I was teaching in a clear way that they would be able to understand while also making the lessons fun and engaging.’
‘It has been an interesting experience for me to grow as a person and develop my skills. It was equally enjoyable to watch the pupils improve and grow as people.’
‘The soft skills I learnt mostly were working together with the other people in charge of the club and coordinating who would be planning each session and what each person would be responsible for in the session.’
Problem Solving Club Problem Solving Club
Problem Solving Club offers Year 5 and 6 pupils the chance to develop their numeracy and logic skills in a fun, collaborative environment. It is run by our dedicated Sixth Formers and Maths teachers, with Sixth Formers leading the way this year. They have built strong connections with pupils from both our partnership schools and Channing Junior School.
Throughout the year, students have taken part in a wide variety of engaging activities, including maths treasure hunts, relay races, festive-themed challenges at Christmas and Easter, curve stitching and symmetry designs, tables and number games, modelling with nets of tetrahedra, detective-style number investigations, group logic puzzles and much more.
“It has been rewarding seeing the students enjoying Maths and becoming more confident,” says Head of Mathematics, Mrs Wootton.
Over the course of the past two years, at least 40 students from local Primary schools have participated in the Problem Solving club. Feedback from the pupils about the programme was overwhelmingly positive. All pupils stated they would be using what they had learnt when returning to their school, and that they had fun. 82% believed that they had learnt a lot on the programme.
Our volunteers also commented that they felt that both their communication and negotiation skills were improved through the volunteering and they enjoyed engaging with the young students.
Communication and negotiation have been important for trying to help the children with their maths while keeping it fun and without doing it all for them. There were times where it was difficult to control them, hence where leadership plays a role. Empathy has also been important in some situations where a child has felt upset or unwell.
Reading Reading
To support reluctant Year 7 readers, Channing launched the Coram Beanstalk 1:1 reading mentor programme, organised and overseen by Dr Hayward. Nine Year 9/10 students from Channing and six from St. Aloysius' College received training at St. Aloysius’, enabling them to share ideas and reading preferences across schools.
Coram Beanstalk provided comprehensive training, equipping mentors with strategies to engage their reading partners through discussion and shared enjoyment of books. Sessions were lively and interactive, with conversations about characters, plots, and genres creating a warm, supportive atmosphere in the library.
The programme positively impacted both mentors and mentees, improving reading confidence and engagement. Data from St. Aloysius' College showed better comprehension, increased willingness to discuss reading and stronger reader identities. Mentors expressed enthusiasm for future involvement.
Baseline data from Coram Reading included 9 mentors and 8 mentees. Both groups started with reading attitudes above the national average, with mentors scoring 9.3% higher than mentees. Mentees’ reading confidence averaged 3.11 out of 5, slightly below the national average of 3.39, indicating the programme targets pupils needing support.
Building on this success, we ran a similar scheme where Year 10 Channing students mentored KS2 pupils from Whitehall Park Primary School. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with mentees forming strong bonds and engaging eagerly in sessions: among matched mentees, reading confidence increased by 2.8%. 100% enjoyed working with their mentor and felt more confident reading, with 83% saying they now enjoy reading more.
Summer Camps Summer Camps
The HNCP Summer Camp is an annual one-week programme that brings together pupils from multiple North London primary schools for a vibrant, enriching week of learning and play. Aimed at supporting families during the holidays, the camp provides high-quality educational and recreational opportunities for children who might otherwise miss out.
Mornings are spent in small-group lessons led by experienced teachers, covering English, Maths and Science. The sessions are engaging, imaginative and inclusive, encouraging children to experiment, problemsolve and express themselves. From creating marshmallow towers in Science, to designing board games in Maths and building magical tin-foil forests in English, the learning was hands-on and inspiring. Afternoons were packed with energy and fun, thanks to a varied programme run by the excellent Active Day Camp team. Activities range from go-karting, laser tag and Lego competitions to origami, team sports, a talent show and a bouncy castle — all helping the children make new friends, try new things and grow in confidence.
Hosted in the outstanding facilities at Channing Junior School, the camp provides a safe, welcoming and well-resourced environment. With delicious food, enthusiastic staff and a joyful buzz throughout, it is always a week to remember for everyone involved.
This is what some of the parents of participating children had to say:
“My son had a great time and enjoyed all aspects of the week. The staff were a credit and were great with my son. Thank you again.”
“My son really enjoyed this and we are so appreciative for the opportunity.”
“Fantastic opportunity for my daughter. She absolutely loved it and made lots of friends.”
“My twins really enjoyed every day, not a struggle to get them to come. They especially enjoyed the English sessions and feel it has boosted their confidence with reading.”
“You had one (I’m sure many more as well) very happy and satisfied customer. Especially as I had apparently ruined his summer holidays when he found out I had signed him up for it!”
average increase in pupils’ self-efficacy, their belief in the ability to succeed or handle challenges, with particularly strong gains among Pupil Premium students.
of the children who attended the camp, were eligible for pupil premium funding and free school meals. This is the highest the camp has ever seen.
Science Club Science Club
Over the course of the year, students from Brookfield Primary School, Channing Junior School, Highgate Primary and St. Joseph’s School participated in the Science Club at Channing Senior School. The Channing Science department taught the lessons alongside Sixth Form volunteers. Science club is one of our most oversubscribed partnership clubs and Channing has provided this opportunity to at least 60 students over the course of the past two years.
Year 6 pupils had the opportunity to explore science beyond the curriculum. The club is designed to grow curiosity and deepen understanding by offering hands-on experiences in biology, chemistry and physics. Each session introduces scientific concepts in creative and engaging ways, helping pupils develop a wide range of skills from observation and prediction to practical problem-solving. Topics such as acids and alkalis, volcanoes, electrical circuits and plant structure (cells) are covered through interactive experiments using real scientific equipment and chemicals.
Feedback from participating children after attending Science club
“We don’t get to do science in school so this is fun. We’re making a volcano at the moment and I also discovered that I like to explode things.”
Jago, Brookfield Primary School
“It’s really fun, especially when we got to look through microscopes. I never knew you could look at germs and see their inside.”
Elisheba, St Joseph's Primary School
“You can use the stuff we learn in everyday life. We always find out new things in science and every Wednesday I learn more.”
Rhys, Brookfield Primary School
From the Science teacher leading the sessions:
I really enjoyed my club, being able to do experiments with younger years was very rewarding and you could see how interested it got them in science.
From the volunteers and the skills that they have developed:
It has helped me with my communication skills and explaining ideas to younger years. Patience - learning to keep calm when trying to demonstrate / help with tasks I found simple myself but may not be so easy for students much younger than myself, ensuring they’re having fun.
Young Ent Young Enterprise erprise
This year’s Young Enterprise Company Programme at Channing once again strengthened collaboration with St Aloysius’ College, forming a joint team alongside Channing’s own. Working together, students developed and ran real businesses — Charms & Co and TeeMotion — gaining experience in product design, marketing, sales and competition pitching.
The cross-school TeeMotion team overcame the added challenge of coordinating members from two sites, earning the Team Journey Award and Best Company Runner-Up at the North London Showcase. Both teams competed regionally, with Charms & Co winning Best Presentation, the Marketing Award, and Best Company, later adding another Marketing Award at the Central, North & West Final.
These partnerships expanded students’ networks beyond their own schools, built confidence through public-facing sales at markets across London, and provided a valuable platform for peer learning and skillsharing — a clear example of the social and educational benefits of cross-school enterprise work.
Talks and Presentations
Danny Danny Dorling Talk Dorling Talk
Senior Geography Society were delighted to welcome back Professor Danny Dorling to speak at St. Aloysius' College on his new book ‘Seven Children Inequality and Britain's Next Generation’. This book looks at seven children from the middle of parental income brackets and how they live post pandemic and during the cost of living crisis.
Professor Dorling's lecture raised a lot of interesting questions from students and subsequent discussions in school. Over 250 students were in attendance from Channing, St. Aloysius’ College, LaSWAP, Camden School for Girls, Highgate Woods, Queens Park Community School and Mill Hill. A number of colleagues from these schools were also in attendance and were thankful for the opportunity to hear Danny Dorling’s perspective and geographical approach to a national issue.
Over 250 students from Channing, St Aloysius’ College, LaSWAP, Camden School for Girls, Highgate Woods, Queens Park Community School, and Mill Hill attended the talk.
History Conf History Conference erence
Channing History Conference student ambassadors, Cristina, Darcy and Winnie (Year 11 students) began the planning of the inaugural Channing History Conference under the very broad theme of ‘Empire’.
Local schools such as St. Aloysius' College, William Ellis, JFS and Parliament Hill were invited to join Channing Year 11 and Sixth Form history students in listening to a series of fascinating talks on the topic of ‘Empire’. These included talks on the Roman Empire, the Dutch Empire, the economic effects of the British Empire on Africa and the economic and environmental effects of the British occupation of India. We were lucky enough to be joined by Professor Bishnupriya Gupta (Warwick University) , Dr Benet Salway (UCL) , Professor Leigh Gardner(LSE), Professor Vinita Damodaran (University of Sussex) and Dr Lauren Lauret (Leiden University in the Netherlands) who all offered us a new perspective and greater understanding of their respective empires through their fascinating and thought provoking presentations. Our student ambassadors were also later joined on stage by all of the historians, where the audience had the opportunity to ask any questions they had regarding the presentations they had previously attended. The insightful and developed questions truly revealed the positive impact of the historians' presentations on both the Channing and visiting students.
We also had the privilege of hearing Mr Raine, Head of History at Channing, question lawyer and author Philippe Sands on the issue of British occupation of the Chagos Islands in Mauritius. This was such an eye opening experience, particularly for those in the audience who had previously not known about the issues surrounding the Chagos Archipelago.
In conversation with In conversation with Sathnam Sanghera Sathnam Sanghera
The History Department hosted an engaging conversation between Ms Devine and acclaimed journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera in The Arundel Centre. The discussion centred on Sanghera's work, ‘Empireland’, which covers the enduring impact of British imperialism on contemporary society. Sanghera, renowned for his insightful exploration of Britain's imperial past, shared his motivations behind writing ‘Empireland’. He emphasised the necessity of acknowledging and understanding the complexities of the British Empire to fully grasp the nation's current social and cultural dynamics. Drawing from his personal experiences and extensive research, Sanghera illuminated how imperial history continues to influence modern Britain, from societal structures to national identity. The event attracted a diverse audience, including students and teachers from our partner schools network and members of the Channing community, both students as well as teaching and non teaching colleagues. Attendees participated actively in the Q&A session, posing questions about the implications of imperialism on current societal issues and the steps needed to address historical injustices.
William Ellis School Sixth Form students found the event particularly enlightening as they were reading 'Empireland' as part of their History Book Club. Those students took the opportunity, as others did, to have their books signed and discuss some issues in greater detail with Sanghera after the main event.
Slam Poetry Slam Poetry
The English A Level cohort, a group of Year 10 and 11 GCSE English pupils and invited guests from St. Aloysius' College Sixth Form were given a creative writing workshop by the World Champion Slam Poet, Harry Baker. Harry performed a poem about an item which brings him joy: his wellington boots. We were then tasked with writing our own poems about something that brings us joy. Our items ranged from Uggs, keys, cuddly toys and a variety of food items. Afterwards, the whole of Channing Sixth Form, the writing group and guests from Parliament Hill enjoyed a performance from Harry whose poems were thoughtprovoking, at times raw, heartwarming and most importantly, fun!
Student Testimonials:
“We really enjoyed Harry Baker’s poetry workshop and performance; slam poetry is not a part of the A Level course, so it helped to give us a new perspective on the way that we study modern poetry. His eclectic mix of hilarious and thought-provoking poems made for an amazing performance! On a more personal note, we both loved creative writing at GCSE, so appreciated the workshop as a chance to get creative in a supportive environment and be inspired by a professional poet.”
“Harry performed some of his poems for us, many of which had themes of mental health behind them. Including a poem written for his nephew, younger self and anyone who has been or is currently experiencing bullying which spoke about being different and the fact that it isn’t actually a bad thing, it’s just sometimes something that other people don’t understand. He also read to us his poem titled ‘Wonderful’ which is about never taking how amazing life can be for granted. A specific quote from this poem really stood out to me, ‘you cannot be in traffic, without being traffic’. This line made me pause to think about how sometimes I forget that I am not watching life pass me by but rather that I am living life too.”
“I am ever so grateful to have had this opportunity to hear Harry Baker live and to hear advice through an unusual outlet and I recommend his poetry to everyone.”
Support Social Impact
We believe Channing can and should be a force for positive change in our local community, which is why we’ve placed Social Impact at the heart of our strategy for the next 10 years.
Increasing levels of child poverty and deprivation, the impact of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and the ongoing financial challenges faced by maintained schools have all contributed to the educational attainment gap that continues to widen across the country. According to the Education Policy Institute, pupils entitled to free school meals are more than 1.5 years behind their peers by the end of secondary school, which represents 25% of pupils at this stage in their education. We want to play our part in closing this gap, but we need your help.
We are working to widen access to inspiring education for as many young people as possible in our local community. We do this in two ways: through transformational bursaries for bright girls who could not otherwise afford to attend Channing; and cocreated partnership projects, which offer children from local state schools opportunities for academic enrichment and access to cultural capital.
Without the support of a bursary, Gabby wouldn’t have been able to take up her place at Channing. “...had I not come here as a result of my bursary, I would never have applied to Cambridge. I wouldn't have had the confidence”.
Without the projects that we deliver hand-in-hand with our partners, 50 local state school pupils wouldn’t have access to a free Summer Camp over the summer holidays.
“...It has boosted their confidence with reading”
“They had so much fun…”
“...she has made new friends which has built her confidence up!”
If you’d like to find out more about how you can get involved in supporting social impact at Channing, please get in touch.
Give: Give:
Get Involved: Get Involved:
Register your interest Email development@channing.co.uk
in Touch: Get in Touch:
Get
Grace Mitchell
Development Manager
T: 07595 116 113 gmitchell@channing.co.uk
Rachell Fox
Director of Communications, Marketing & Development
T: 07827 382 063 rfox@channing.co.uk
An A-Z of some of the benefits of the Social Impact activities and clubs. Students develop or learn:
