Voices: Partnerships Impact Report 2022/23

Methodology

At the heart of our partnerships programme is a determination to enact positive change; for the remarkable organisations we work with and in our boys. Measuring change cannot be done through statistics alone. Each individual gets something unique from every project and our methodology for measuring impact must reflect this. Therefore, we are using a framework of data capture based on the Most Significant Change Technique.

For this report, and as part of our ongoing development, we asked our partnership community and our boys about their experiences. These conversations are transcribed and shared without editing, capturing true voices. We are proud of the work we do and are honoured to grow in tandem with outstanding, purpose-driven organisations, but we know we have as much to learn as we have to give.

Welcome to Voices

It is a pleasure to present the first edition of Voices. This document, an evolution of our annual Partnership Benefit Report, shares the unique voices of our partners and boys and shines a light on the impact made through partnership.

This year, collaboration has become further embedded in all aspects of the College; working in partnership is less something we do, more a case of who we are. As we strive to make the educational experience for all Radleians relevant, working closely with others gives our boys greater awareness and agency, and a growing understanding of how they can make a meaningful contribution to the world.

It would be simple to write about the success of our partnerships from a Radley perspective. However, I believe the experiences of pupils, parents, teachers, organisations and neighbours alongside those of our boys and staff more accurately reflects our vision and ethos. The benefits of our partnership on individuals differs greatly and only by hearing their voices can we truly understand the strength and depth of impact The stories were recorded and transcribed, aiming to keep the teller’s ‘voice’ by using their own words, and reflect their insights into impact and its significance for them Some stories are presented in full, while others are extracts from longer conversations

We are delighted to be working with schools, both locally and further afield, to offer opportunity, raise attainment and widen ambition. At the same time, our partnerships with local organisations such as Active Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire Youth and The Abingdon Music Centre have enabled us to get more out of our resources and support more people. This year has also seen an increasing focus on the benefits gained using our campus and Countryside Centre. Working in partnership has developed a better understanding of the importance of responsible stewardship of the environment and the benefits it can bring to mental health, confidence and self-esteem.

I hope this is a report of shared ownership – a reflection of true partnership – where each collaboration is meaningful, mutual in benefit, sustained over tim message singing from its pages.

John Sparks Director of Partnerships

Academic

We champion academic excellence wherever it is found, collaborating with schools to share opportunities and raise aspiration.

Through partnership, we have supported local schools to deliver enrichment programmes in support of the OFSTED framework, provided targeted support to children needing help with maths and reading, and added fuel to the academic fire of gifted and talented children locally. Our inaugural TEDxYouth Conference, organised and hosted by one of our boys, personified our ethos: unique opportunities, enjoyed together for the benefit of all. We will continue to respond to the needs of our partners, offering our boys more opportunities for involvement.

GLORY YEAR 12 | FITZHARRYS SCHOOL

I wanted to join the TEDx conference to challenge myself in terms of getting out of my comfort zone and I knew that this was a really good opportunity to do that I have a passion for writing and public speaking I thought that there would not be much mixing in terms of different schools, but I engaged in some quite intense debates with people that I haven’t met before which I have found really interesting, hearing the perspectives of different people One of the biggest changes for me from the conference has been understanding many difficulties within society and that the change actually starts with you. It’s about doing things locally and then it just expands and expands until it’s on a global scale; empowering yourself to be able make changes. This is important to me because of the challenges that I face with race. Today has been really inclusive We were talking about different problems within society and acknowledging things like privilege that everyone has in one way or another.

I’d like to encourage more discussions about current events, and focus on things we can do to empower people no matter what age, gender, race or sexuality. Peop have amazing views, but it is about having these opportunities to be able to break a cycle of ignorance because how can you be called ignorant when you are not giv the opportunity to learn? I feel that given the opportunity to learn together can be celebratory because you don’t fuel stereotypes and stigmas about certain things r celebrate and educate.

Primary School Enrichment

The focus of our work with two primary schools in Blackbird Leys – Pegasus and Orchard Meadow – has aimed to improve personal development, cultural capital and character. Over the year, 64 boys and five members of staff have committed to year-round weekly support. In addition, sports days, drama experiences and robotics teaching have further widened opportunities. In their recent Ofsted inspection Pegasus was upgraded to Good, and was rated Outstanding for Personal Development: “Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development and ensure it is of the highest quality. The exemplary offer goes beyond the expected, nourishing everyone’s character development.”

STEPS

Our academic STEPS programme welcomed it fourth cohort in January. This programme runs fortnightly across three terms, welcoming 28 local Year 5 primary school children to Radley to be engaged in academic enrichment on a Saturday morning. Feedback from children, parents and primary school headteachers continues to be fulsome in its praise.

29

2,665 hours of pupil support in schools formal partnerships with state schools across the country

24 members of staff have supported OX14 events

YEAR 6 | RADLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

I got to make some new friends at STEPS which is really nice - I write them letters; I use one of my nice pens I really, really enjoyed the fact that STEPS is like secondary school. You get to go around to the different classes You are with different teachers and not just one teacher for the whole thing, and you get to try stuff like making fireworks in the laboratory. We used Bunsen burners, which we don’t have at school.

STEPS has changed me because I tried all these new activities If you had told me, say a year ago before it started that I would be doing those things, I would have gone no way, I'm not going t more ready to do that stuff now I think that everyone in my class goes you're so weird because I actually enjoy homework and learning. I always feel a bit sad if we don't get homework It's nice to know that you're not the only one who actually enjoys it At STEPS, there are other people who enjoy it too. I think it's important to have people who like the same things around you, so you can talk about the same stuff. You don't all have to be the exact same, but it's nice to have some similarities I would change how long STEPS is because I feel like 14 weeks isn't enough.

Inspire Programme

In partnership with Desborough College, the Inspire Programme offers weekly online lectures to gifted and talented Year 9 pupils at the two schools The sessions, which aim to develop academic ideas beyond the confines of the curriculum, are given by Radley and Desborough College staff and are supported by termly in-person academic extension days.

Broadway Academy

Our partnership with Broadway Academy continues to focus on character development. Students across all years have engaged in a wide range of academic, sporting, music, and cultural experiences. Combined language days have raised the number of pupils taking a modern foreign language and, for the first time, Broadway has introduced a school choir, developed in conjunction with Radley. We plan for continued activity that will focus on intellectual, civic, moral and performance virtues, supporting students at both schools to flourish in society.

Music

We strive for a reality where every child enjoys an inspiring music education.

Through partnership, we curate experiences and opportunities that we would not be able to achieve on our own; for our boys, and for young musicians in the local area and beyond. We do this through Music Flood, a brand we share with local schools and music services. Our joint aspiration is simple: music in every school, every day. With highly publicised inequalities in funding, training, confidence and provision for music between schools, we believe cross-sector partnership is the most powerful tool to address the barriers to opportunity and aspiration locally.

I took part in the songwriting workshop and it really affected me. It’s one thing to sit in a room and make your own songs, only surrounded by your ideas, but to be in a room with people from different parts of the country and to talk to them and share your ideas, there's something really special about that.

Through the song writing workshop, I think my teamwork skills have defi it l i d M bilit t change initial ideas, even combine ideas, is something that's very good Mus quite self-absorbing. You can get taken up in your own world and suddenly y music is all you surround yourself with. By hearing different styles of music other people, different lyrics, different ideas and incorporating that in your o ideas, it just lets you see beyond the musical bubble that you create when yo on your own I would get my ideas off Spotify or YouTube but to have someo the opposite side of the desk is something more. It's just better. It's more imm

THEO

YEAR 10 | RADLEY COLLEGE

Instrumental Tuition

The take-up of instrumental lessons and continuation of lessons after whole-class teaching is low, and notably so in the Abingdon area Most primary schools do not have instrumental ensembles and young instrumentalists rarely have the opportunity to play together or experience opportunities to perform. In collaboration with the Abingdon Music Centre, our termly massed orchestral days have welcomed more than 200 pupils of all levels of ability, supported by bespoke arrangements and weekly rehearsals in their own schools. This is also a significant opportunity for building advocacy amongst parents. Having involved secondary school pupils from Radley, Larkmead, John Mason, Didcot Girls, St Birinus and Europa Schools as musical leaders in the orchestral days, we are now developing a formal mentoring programme.

Classroom Music

Most children’s sustained experience of music will be in assembly or the classroom, yet the confidence of teachers to lead music varies hugely. Building on our partnership with local schools, the Music Flood team have led CPD with local teachers on developing a music curriculum, supported by the Voices Foundation These activities will better support the daily experience of music in local schools

At secondary level, The Songwriting Collective, developed in collaboration with teachers from local schools, brings together pupils from different backgrounds to write, perform and record together Initially hosted by us, the next project will be at Fitzharrys School, whose music teacher is developing a recording facility in partnership with Radley.

I had a vision for what our children should know at the end of primary school, mainly to be able to read and interpret music. But most importantly, to experience the thrill of music and the joy of singing together in a big group There's something very special about harmonising with a choir, and being part of something bigger than oneself. In short, I wanted them to have a real feel for music.

We have done so much with Radley which I’ve then been able to follow up with the things we have done at school; it has created a curriculum for music. You inspired me because you’re such experts and you have all these amazing activities, rhythm patterns, all these little things that we can use that enhance the children's feel for music. We’ve got 13 children learning the piano here.

I am sure a lot of that is down to them getting excited about music in your sessions

For years I’ve tried to get children involved in playing a musical instrument. In all the time – seven years – I had only one child learning the violin Now it’s more than 10% of the school! It’s one of the best experiences that I’ve had in 34 years of teaching!

23 local schools involved in Music Flood

Singing

4,500 individual musical opportunities through Music Flood

1,000 children sang as part of Gabrieli ROAR

Our boys are fortunate to sing together every day, but sadly this is not the case at every school. Through termly projects, we deliver inspirational singing experiences alongside 12 local primary schools: the Abingdon and District Schools’ Carol Service, the Spring Big Sing, and a bespoke summer project with a visiting ensemble. Each of these projects is supported by CPD for teachers to build confidence in leading singing, workshops in schools led by Radley boys and staff, and online resources. Our aim is to inspire and equip every school to sing every day. The Gabrieli ROAR project in Coventry Cathedral in December involved more than 1,000 children from local schools and highlighted the power of singing to unite communities.

Our Choristership Scheme continues to strengthen and we now have 25 pupils from local prep and primary schools in our Chapel Choir. They receive free instrumental teaching, vocal training and give performances in some of the finest venues in the world. Most recently, the choristers were invited to perform Bach’s St Matthew Passion in the Sheldonian Theatre with the choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford.

HEADTEACHER | DRY SANDFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Experiences

Local musicians and teachers share our view that access to inspirational professional performances can be transformative. We encourage performers from the Silk Hall Recital Series to give performances and lead workshops in local primary schools. This year has included an Indian tabla percussionist leading a whole class drum circle a whole school

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | GABRIELI CONSORT & PLAYERS

Gabrieli ROAR is developing as a major project in the UK. We are passionate to expand the opportunity to young people, mainly in the state sector, to sing choral music. There are, of course, some state schools with outstanding music, but it's a fact that many independent schools have far greater resources for such activities, giving cultural opportunity to a wider range of people I always go into partnership with independent schools carefully, because we have to be sure that we are trying to achieve the same things.

From the outset, it was clear that Radley has a serious and deeply-held commitment to community and partnership. We felt very confident that the school's music department could undertake much of the preparation of our young singers, which had the double benefit of releasing our own choir trainers to work in more marginalised areas elsewhere in the country So the partnership quickly became a happy marriage of equal ambition but with shared resources and skill. The whole project was a huge success, reaching more than 4,000 young people nationwide, and Radley's connections led to over 1,000 young singers at Coventry Cathedral I've never conducted such a large choir – even with the assistance of Radley's own subconductors – and we blew the roof off this amazing building.

The best thing about this project was introducing young people to some fantastic classical music as participants, including those at the very start of their choral journey, and from diverse backgrounds. Radley students sang excellently alongside our professional singers, and I hope some of them will see the exciting possibilities of careers in music teaching and the joy in sharing music with the broadest community.

Countryside Centre

We enjoy a unique rural location and use it to support local people who need a helping hand.

Through partnership, our Countryside Centre has grown significantly in the last 12 months and plays an increasingly central role in our local partnership work. Following the appointment of a Director of Countryside Centre Partnerships in June 2022, we piloted several successful projects supporting teenagers on the verge of exclusion from school, helping adults recovering from brain injuries and engaging local primary schools with unique enrichment activities.

Alternative Provision

The Capstone Programme provides prolonged countryside-based alternative provision to students at high risk of permanent exclusion. Selected Year 9 students have spent two days a week across two terms learning a variety of rural and land-based skills, from kennel management and animal husbandry through to horticulture and bushcraft.

PAULINE WILEMAN

DEPUTY HEAD | FITZHARRYS SCHOOL

We are always looking for different opportunities for our young people. Sometimes that's young people who might have special educational needs and other additional needs, or just young people where the mainstream environment just is not the right fit for them. We struggle within school with our resources and staffing to be able to provide enough reasonable adjustment to make school a successful place for those young people. Often, we are looking for things that are a bit more practical, that allow our students to develop skills. It is also about their well-being and mental health, because often these young people suffer from low self-esteem, school is a negative experience Some students display challenging behaviours at school that might present itself in terms of not going to lessons at all. So quite a large amount of disengagement We try to build a more positive relationship with education and that might be an education that looks a little bit different to traditional education in school.

Having visited and spoken to the staff at Radley, we felt it would engage our students. Being practical, it gives them the opportunity to have success and build their confidence. That is important

We are thrilled with the results and the behaviours that you see here; we see more of t good, positive behaviour when they are back in school. There has been a reduction in behavioural incidents at school The biggest thing I have noticed is that the students are happy, more grounded. They talk positively about their experience here and smile, one boy lights up when he talks about something that has had a positive impact on him; it’s incredibly important.

Headway Oxfordshire

We are committed to driving forward our long-term partnership with Headway Oxfordshire. Using the unique environment of the Countryside Centre, we are able to support the mental and physical rehabilitation of adult brain injury survivors. While the programme is still in its infancy, the benefits to the Headway service users of undertaking a broad range of rural activities at the centre over a five week period have been plain to see, not least in boosting the self-confidence of attendees as they realise quite what they can achieve in the controlled, safe but mentally and physically challenging environment of the centre We hope to increase the role our boys play in this programme during the next academic year

PARENT

For my son, this project has been amazing. He has told me a lot of different things he has done, like the dogs and to help delivering a lamb, it is a good experience for him He’s excited because he's a hands-on guy That's what he prefers doing. He was getting in a lot of trouble at school and since he came here, he has calmed down He used to get detention almost on a daily basis, but now he only gets one a week or so, which is absolutely great He's getting there If the school didn't want to help him, probably he would have been excluded already. I think they went the extra mile. I think they work hard, they were looking for ways of supporting him and I think they ended up bringing him to the right place He's a good lad I don't doubt that He's just a bit vulnerable.

Coming outside here at Radley just boosts his maturity a little bit, the relatio are good. Doing what he's doing, gave more responsibility. Our main focus is him onto the right track, you know? If you play by the rules and you respect o get the respect, you get trusted more and when you can fit more into society more useful as well, and that can take you a long way The academic part help other one is the key. There are a lot of ways he can contribute positively in so

CAPSTONE PROGRAMME | FITZHARRYS SCHOOL

I happened to fall upon Headway because I was diagnosed with brain tumours. It changed everything. I ended up having two brain operations and I've just finished having radiotherapy. My life is now about my well-being, rehabilitation, just doing the best I can The front part of my brain has been damaged, I have to find ways around learning and trying to live a normal life. When you're dealing with a brain injury you have to rebuild some of those pathways People talk a lot about plasticity of the mind A new experience gives me that opportunity; I have to deal with overwhelming stuff and sudden high levels of anxiety. Somehow you have to try to feel comfortable, but also push the boat out to try and learn something new That's what the farm has done for me.

When looking at a new scenario my brain picks up on some historic information about animals and being in the field. The brain sucks in all this information and it tries to process it. You allowed us to touch nature and be with the animals and see how they behave and how we behave around them It allows each of us to move forward a bit more because we are in a safety net – a very important safety net – just like your family would be; it gives you confidence You know we made food on the fire, our first go at cooking Indian bread, it was the best ever! It’s good to try something new; challenge yourself in some way. You know what, you gave me a lasting memory

International

We build awareness of cultural differences and international development challenges.

Through partnership, we have developed a global student exchange programme. This complements work with the Commonwealth Education Trust (CET), which helps to build an understanding of learning poverty and the role education plays in the pursuit of growth. Shell boys are introduced to the notion of partnership through joint seminars with children from schools in Kenya and Zambia, and Remove boys have furthered their connection to international connectivity and took action to raise vital funds for the CET.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Our Shell boys have weekly conversations online with pupils from Kilembwa School in Kenya and Tujatane School in Zambia. Following initial introductions, friendships blossomed, and our boys supported our international partners with their English. They explored how to make schools better in the Lent Term, and how to change the world in the Summer Term. These conversations were structured around the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, with innovative solutions such as UK-style foodbanks to end hunger in Kenya proposed. The programme highlighted the power of working together to craft solutions to complex global challenges.

Remove Fundraising for CET

Inspired by their conversations in the Shell year, Remove boys raised an impressive £7,976 for the Commonwealth Education Trust, a global charity educating teachers in poor countries around the world. Our boys took part in a 24-hour read-a-thon, baked pizzas during a rainstorm and rowed the length of the River Thames by ergo to name just a few examples. The money has made a significant difference to CET, allowing them to help more teachers and improve the education of hundreds more children.

PATRICK MUNGUTI KENYA CONNECT

I am so grateful for the connection that we have had with Radley College and one of our public schools, Kilembwa Secondary School. There's great excitement when the students are working together. I wish people can listen to the rich conversation that the students are having together and that they are learning and enjoying themselves.

Our students are very much disadvantaged when it comes to accessing technology devices We work with them and make sure that they are able to connect to their friends using Zoom. Our connection with Radley has enabled our students to learn how to use technology – connecting with friends outside Kenya! English is the language of testing in exams, which is sometimes difficult for our students. The conversations have improved writing skills in English and I would say it has been a game changer in the way they communicate using English. Sometimes when the computer sound does not work, the students are quickly figuring out and trying to use chat to communicate to one another – the students in the UK have also learned some of our language, like Swahili words! I think that's been a great way of learning from both sides

It has been a good idea to learn about the Sustainable Development Goals because they are not taught in our curriculum. My students understand the challenges facing them and also to learn about other areas of the world Although the UK is a developed country, you also have challenges when it comes to quality education, poverty, climate change. In Kenya there is a stereotype that there is no poverty in the UK and you do not face our challenges. My students have realised that you are facing similar challenges They now have an open mind on different areas of the world There has been rich conversation between the students. One student spoke about gender equality In African tradition there are different roles for women and men, but our students were able to talk about some of the gender issues, and it is powerful having a girl who is articulate and being able to discuss and talk about some of these issues

RUTH AKRIGG

HEADTEACHER | PEGASUS PRIMARY SCHOOL

The partnership between Radley and Pegasus has gone from strength to strength This year is our second year and our children and staff have now developed a real understanding of what enrichment is, and why it is important Our enrichment sessions are treated as any other part of our curriculum offer for our children

They are well planned, considered and with quality teaching and learning beyond the normal school offer at the heart of the sessions. To come off timetable for an afternoon and produce enriching sessions that all the children could participate in was a brave decision to make, but one that has been hugely beneficial to our school community as a whole. The genuine partnership between our Radley and Pegasus families only enhances the effectiveness of our programme

Having our Radley family help support the sessions allows the children to have a more focused experience and the Radley leaders get to know the children every week. Our recent Ofsted inspection graded our personal development programme as Outstanding and our enrichment and aspirations programme played a huge role in this The inspectors were able to understand the impact our unique enrichment offer has and why it is held in such high regard by both our staff and children at the school. In their report (under personal development) it talks specifically about staff going over and above for the children and that our enrichment opportunities are an exemplary offer. They believed that it should be something that we should share with others, something that we should promote It shows that what we are doing is making a positive difference with a significant impact on our children and we should be proud and talk about it.

I know, from talking to your boys each week, they also benefit from the partnership They are always so confident to support or lead parts of the session and I think that is what amazes me. The children are always so thrilled to see them and they have really become part of our school family Through our enrichment programme our children have an opportunity to work with a wide range of adults across the school beyond their class teacher This change of adult, and the Radley leader in their group, has helped develop their communication skills in many ways. I want our children to have a voice. I want them to be able to appropriately challenge when they think something is not right, but also stand up for what they believe in I want them to be able to hold discussions and listen to each other, have debates and also work as part of a team and our enrichment programme offers them the chance to learn and hone the skills to do this I think if we can continue to develop our children’s communication skills through enrichment, the other soft skills will develop – empathy, respect, tolerance – values that we live by each day. This is really important to me

For your boys to have the opportunity to lead in an environment that they probably would not have experienced before and advocate for our children shows the character of them You can't ask for more – it’s huge - and our children know that and appreciate it. I think that is why they save them seats next to them in their groups – they see them come through the door and we see our children’s faces light up because they know they are here for them, they turn up every week without fail.

There are opportunities that you can offer that we don't have, but then there are opportunities we can offer that are unique to us. That is why, I think, our partnership works. It has grown through hard work and sharing a vision to create something special I think there is definitely more we can do with the partnership to support all of the Pegasus children and Radley boys. I am proud to be part of this partnership and we will continue to learn from each other

Sport

We harness the power of sport to tackle injustice and raise aspiration.

Through partnership, we have developed a long-term plan to inspire local children to lead healthier, more active lives. In February, we entered a three-year strategic partnership with Active Oxfordshire, a charity who share both our desire to enact positive change and our collaborative ethos. Our work with the Oxford Hub and Oxford Academy has grown significantly and we are proud to have introduced a sports element to our existing STEPS programme, designed to help children from the OX4 postcode area, one of the least physically active in Oxfordshire, to find joy in exercise.

330 hours of rowing tuition for secondary children

140

attended Radley and Active Oxfordshire Girls' Leadership Day

32 young sport leaders from Radley College

JASPER

LOWER SIXTH | RADLEY COLLEGE

I found helping at Orchard Meadow really enjoyable I was a bit unsure what they really wanted to do and what they wanted to get out of the session during the first week. After a few weeks everyone's become so much more involved with what they're doing and you can see all the children really love it. They say it's the best part of the week It's been quite a learning curve knowing how to get the best out of the children, and with them being much younger how to make them listen to me. Sometimes they are not as responsive as you want them to be but we do get there; it's a lot of fun The children are quite competitive, so I just tell them to do the best they can.

I think coaching them in their school is probably better for them because they're in a place that they know They don't have the same sort of facilities that we have access to but I have foun that does not to make such a large difference You can coach sprinting in most places and because they are quite small, they are not exactly sprinting hundreds metres! You can definitely see them already improving, some children are alread quicker than in week one. We have got to know the children better every week, they remember us and we have started to remember their names It makes a connection between us and I think it makes the enrichment a lot better.

Young Sport Leaders

We expanded our Young Sport Leaders from 16 last year to 32 boys who work across our entire sports partnership work. They lead coaching sessions, introduce children to new sports, officiate matches and provide mentoring to those eager to develop their sporting skills. Over the course of the year, boys have furthered their understanding of the communities we work in, the challenges they face and their aspirations.

The Oxford Academy

Our work with The Oxford Academy and their PE teacher, Grant Thomas, has highlighted the value of shared experience. The highlight has been our rowing partnership which has seen 20 Year 8 students learn to row in our rowing tank and on the river alongside Radley boys. Interested and committed students can continue to develop their rowing skills at Hinksey Boat Club thanks to funding from the Radley Mariners.

Oxford Hub

The regular Ready Set Go campaign in partnership with The Oxford Hub continued with another 100 bikes being donated to families in need across the county, including asylum seekers wishing to build a home in the UK through Asylum Welcome This work was featured on BT Sport and The One Show in 2022 The Radley community has now donated more than 300 bikes as part of Ready Set Go

GRANT THOMAS

PE TEACHER | THE OXFORD ACADEMY

Coming out of COVID was a massive wake up call for a lot of people It alerted us to the fact that swimming was taken away and kids didn't have that time to be able to learn to swim. The confidence they had in and around water was a key thing we wanted to change; to be able to offer that life skill of swimming just for their own confidence Through conversations with parents and care givers we tried to identify what we could actually use in terms of swimming pools, and through communication with Active Oxfordshire it was obvious that partnering with Radley was an opportunity for us

Our head teacher allows myself and the kids to come outside of school in curriculum time You can see a bit more confidence in the kids. They get those social skills as well – when you're at school, you’re with your friends, but coming into the swimming lessons they're with some people they don't know, so they're socially opened up a bit and being involved with other people I think it's a really good thing ed develop the rowing partnership programme which is unreal, to be fair. To even be able to say to close friends of mine ‘oh we run a rowing programme at the school’ – we haven't even got a river! So for me, a pupil and teacher at the school for 20 years, we've never had something like this For a school in this area, it's outstanding, it's a massive opportunity. Through the use of our Instagram and Twitter, the kids actually get to see the story of what we're doing. It paints a picture of progress and it fuels them up for next year when we look to the new cohort

JOSH LENTHALL CEO | ACTIVE OXFORDSHIRE

Active Oxfordshire is effectively part of Sport England’s supply chain, through which we create strategy around physical activity in Oxfordshire Whilst Oxfordshire is considered a healthy and wealthy county, we know that one in two school-aged children are not meeting the guidelines for physical activity, equating to around 50,000 kids We focus on creating healthy active children, healthy adults and healthy neighbourhoods. At least two of those areas have real alignment with what Radley College are trying to do through their partnership We work together and use our comparative strengths Radley College has an expertise and resources that other partners don't have. We really come together by being aligned strategically in trying to do the same things.

I think what it’s done is provide a blueprint of how partners can work together in a collaborative way, each playing to their strength and each winning in some way to create social change The students at Radley College benefit from the experience, the people in Oxfordshire definitely benefit, so d Active Oxfordshire, to help meet our strategic aims I also think the partnership is starting to shift and create a model that could be followed by other organisations With a huge health inequality in Oxfordshire, we've got abit of a ticking time bomb and what the partnership is setting out to do is to address current issues whilst helping to create the environment for long-term sustainable change so that we're not having the same conversation in 10 years time

Active Oxfordshire

Our collaboration with Active Oxfordshire has focused our work and shone a light on areas where we can make the most difference. We introduced a new swimming programme with the aim of teaching children to swim – particularly important in Oxford. The suspension of school swimming lessons and closure of leisure centres during COVID highlighted an urgent need and we are proud that many more children are now more active and safer in their home city. We will continue to work on targeted projects with Active Oxfordshire, including hosting the Oxfordshire Schools’ Games.

Respect

We remain deeply committed to single-sex education but understand the benefits of regular, targeted collaboration.

Through partnership, we have developed the enduring links between Radley and our friends from Downe House, embedding friendship and mutual respect through a busy programme of academic, social and co-curricular activities Central to the project is a collaborative PSHE and RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) programme led by Chloe Combi, which has included in-depth discussions on key societal issues and Sixth Form ambassadors being trained to lead sessions with younger students

16 social events

26 academic events

14 co-curricular events

Academic Collaboration

We have developed a series of conferences for specific year groups to explore big ideas and hear contrasting perspectives. Shells considered global issues, Removes looked at role models and 6.1s explored social media, which included top debaters from both schools mooting the pros and cons of greater regulation. Smaller scale departmental events such as STEM and humanities symposiums, poetry readings and art collaborations are particularly popular amongst many other initiatives.

PSHE & RSE

Chloe Combi, a journalist, podcaster and Gen-Z expert leads regular sessions with pupils and conducts research for both schools to help measure the impact of the project. She has also led staff training, empowering teachers to feel confident talking to pupils about the challenges teenagers face, many of which will be very different to those experienced by staff as young people. Chloe also helps train and mentor Sixth Form ambassadors who meet regularly with Downe House counterparts to influence the development of the programme. Their ideas are, mostly, taken on board and the lead teachers from Radley and Downe House meet regularly to ensure the programme meets changing needs and demands.

A conversation about consent is not something that I have been involved with during my time at Radley. In fact, I have never had an opportunity to work with girls from a different school, it has always been socials, where there has been no academic focus.

I love being in an all-boy environment, but if you can promote more interaction with girls’ schools, I think that would be invaluable and maybe make us feel more comfortable when we go out at a weekend or during a half term There is a chance with this new partnership to make these interactions normal – like you are seeing your friends.

We had quite a few meetings to try to build a partnership framework with the girls at Downe House

something to make a difference in our communities. This arose from the Everyone’s Invited conversation. In the first meeting, we went across to Downe House, having never met these girls The fact that we were all so passionate about the topic really helped us and we could bounce ideas off each other. It’s quite hard having conversations because you have to be sensitive to everyone’s ideas The first time we met, we decided on the bus beforehand that we would say to the girls: you speak; explain to us your side; we are not as involved in the situation as you have been Some of them told us their stories, we just sat, kind of stunned by the things that had happened to them individually, and to their friends. I think that it was quite refreshing to just sit and for us to listen. It opened my eyes to the situation, I hadn’t really spoken to girls about this topic, and I think it gave me a whole new perspective

I think a big part of this partnership project is boys and girls being comfortable other and building friendships; improving our comfort of different genders. One of t the girls told us is they aren’t so keen on the idea of events being so formal They felt they had to impress the boys, and this was one thing they wanted to move away from and to make these events more casual. Even the idea of a mixed tag rugby match, where there might be an idea that rugby is for men, would be such fun for everyone, maybe opening more eyes that this is an inclusive world. I think if we can plan these interactions, we might make a friend for life, someone looking out for you and you looking out for them.

OLD RADLEIAN

Social Events

Friendship sits at the heart of our work and social events allow our boys and Downe House girls to let their hair down and enjoy each other’s company The traditional ‘formals’ of old have been replaced by more regular events at the two schools and central locations such as restaurants and bowling alleys. Downe House girls braved the cooking of our 6.1 boys at a series of dinner parties, whilst younger pupils enjoyed BBQs, quiz nights, joint Cocoa evenings, bowling, funfairs and even Beagling! In response to ambassadors wishing play sport with and against their frien from Downe House, we have host hockey and lacrosse fixtures, with pla for further development next year.

Charity

We support worthy causes, helping organisations to make a meaningful difference.

Through partnership, we have raised vital funds for key partner organisations: Oxfordshire Youth, Commonwealth Education Trust, Active Oxfordshire and Headway Oxfordshire. This work has aims to facilitate ongoing transformation, moving away from one-off collections to one of genuine community engagement. This year, we are proud to have raised £84,944 for charities working in the UK and around the world.

£53k

raised in sales and sponsorship

Annual Appeals

£15k in donations

£16k raised through entrepreneurship

We continued to raise money for Movember, a campaign supporting men’s health charities. Our team of moustache-sporting boys raised more than £8,000 and were shortlisted for Team of the Year by the charity. We continued to raise money for the Royal British Legion on Remembrance Sunday.

Challenge Appeals

The headline event of a busy programme of boy-led challenges was Arch to Arc. Four boys (now Old Radleians) cycled and rowed from Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe in support of the Ruth Strauss Foundation (founded by OR Andrew Strauss) and the Batten Disease Foundation, raising almost £20,000. Other events have included the remarkable efforts of Remove boys in support of the Commonwealth Education Trust, and support of Epilepsy UK and Mary’s Meals amongst many others.

Community

Through partnership, we have worked to make Radley and the surrounding areas a better place to work and live. In care homes, in the village, in charity shops and on our campus, our boys have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with local people, enhancing the sense of unity between the College and our neighbours.

Music in Care Homes

One of our longest standing partnerships is with local care homes, where our boys give a concert each week. The benefits of music for the elderly are well citied; helping memory processing and recall, while reducing dementia and cognitive decline – music can name the xxx

unnameable and communicate the unknowable. This year we have visited 12 care homes in Oxfordshire.

We play an active role in our local area, harnessing the power of community to make a real difference.

Radley Parish Council

Our weekly community partnership programme continues to provide opportunities to volunteer. In partnership with the Radley Parish Council, boys have worked on a weekly basis to clear back hedgerows and tress to make the village more accessible to all. Boys have also supported the village church by maintaining its grounds and interior, working alongside village residents in pursuit of a common goal.

Charity Shops

Several boys have volunteered at the Barnardo’s and British Heart Foundation charity shops in Abingdon. This work has given them a better understanding of our local area and opened their eyes to the importance of community engagement. This work will continue and the boys involved are eager to deepen their relationship with the charities supported.

Homelessness Oxford

From a growing awareness of local and national social issues, our boys are further developing a sense of agency to become involved in community projects This was highlighted by the R&HOC project – Radley and Homeless Oxford Charities – a student led venture, in collaboration with three Oxford homeless charities, to collect and distribute blankets and toiletries to the local homeless people

AMBROSE

It all started in autumn when me and my Dad had a conversation about the cost of living crisis. My Dad was talking to me about an article he'd read (he tends to bore me a lot with that kind of stuff!), but we got into a deep conversation Here we are preparing for Christmas while people on the other side of Oxford don't even have a coat to throw on. We have way too many clothes, and a bunch of other Radley boys are probably in the same situation I thought that with the help of the whole school we could do something that would make an impact

We did a first attempt and got 247 coats, blankets and duvets for three homeless shelters. It was a good start but I felt I could push it further and we increased donations to over 500! We are in Radley’s unique bubble, in the higher tier of wealth, so taking a step out of that made me far more aware of the real world, and how one person can make an impact. It's clear that I'm not going to solve homelessness in the world, not even in Oxford I'm hoping this is a first step and that this project I created could inspire others to act

It made me more grateful for what I have and also made me think of how much more pleasure people get out of giving instead of receiving It’s easy to take for granted what we have, but I think from this experience I've gained greater awareness of the challenges whichare only a few miles away down the road. The three homeless shelters were so grateful, but they need more I plan to take it further in the future If people took just small steps – they are very small steps – they will make an impact.

LOWER SIXTH | RADLEY COLLEGE

CHANTELLE MERRITT LIFESTYLE CO-ORDINATOR | BRIDGE HOUSE

Suzie does a great job of putting together a small concert that's really suitable for our residents. We’ve had quite a few visits from Radley College across my time; the music concerts are one of the most popular events We have a love of music in the home, and going over to Radley for the Moving Music concerts are also always popular. I've always got a waiting list for people wanting to go! The music has a massive impact on our residents, especially people living with dementia Music is vital, but the school brings a reminiscent element too, they recall memories from either being at school or learning to play an instrument. The feedback is always positive, sometimes this is from the staff, having watched the engagement and interaction of our residents. You could have a resident who is nonverbal, very withdrawn, and closed in on themselves During the concert, we will watch them completely come alive I brought a lady to the concert at Radley who doesn't speak and very rarely moves her arms She clapped, tapped, and sang for the entire thing. I filmed it and sent it to her husband; he hadn't seen her like this for over 10 years. It’s magical because the music has literally brought somebody alive

There is a special element when the students from Radley come to the home, it creates an excitement, and people look forward to it. People ask me when's the next concert? Every single event has long lasting impacts; as much as they look forward to the next one, they look back on what they just had and what the visit was about This memory recall is the most significant change Every single moment has an impact on someone's well-being. It makes them better. Following a concert the nurses will say, “I don't know what was on earlier, but all of the residents have eaten really well”

The concerts give them a boost, and for some people it really impacts on them emo for a long time. I suspect for your boys too, they will get that sense of fulfilment whe see someone start joining into their music. I mean, that must be great. It also gives t residents a feeling of being connected to the community, not being locked away in a care home, but actually having a part in things happening within the community. I get very excited and passionate when I talk about what we do, I love it, and I feel really strongly about it. If there is ever any thought or doubt that what you guys are doing is worth it, I can only strengthen the idea that it is working, 100%!