Living our Values
For over 400 years, Virtue, Learning and Manners have been the foundation of Brentwood School and we continue to work hard today to ensure these values inform everything we do, including ‘doing the right thing, even when no one is watching’.
Our Charity work and voluntary services embody our School Values and enrich our community. Over the last academic year, Preparatory and Senior School staff and students have raised over £19,000 for various charities and provided valuable local, national and international support.
We have also been highly commended in the ‘Giving Something Back’ category in this year’s Muddy Stilettos Schools Awards, which recognises our charity fundraising program and our Voluntary Service Activity.
Read more about our charity initiatives below.
Student-Initiated Outreach
Our students take on fundraising events due to simply being inspired or having a personal link with a charity and the School has made some fantastic connections with local charities.
Through action, awareness and outreach, our students gain first-hand insight into different issues, which helps to inspire them further to make a change in the local community.
Senior & Sixth Form Charity Work
By dividing up our areas of raising awareness and resources, students can learn about the multitude of charities and causes both near and far.
Our Houses are encouraged to support, visit, and raise funds and awareness for local charities during the academic year, including at key moments like the Christmas and Easter Fayres, which allow all ten Houses to fundraise for their chosen charities.
Each Year group also supports a National charity and is allocated a week to fundraise for their chosen charity. Our students become engaged with the work of the charity and organise events to raise valuable funds for their charity. Last year, charities included Great Ormond Street (Year 7 raised over £420 on Silly Sock Day) and Place2Be (Upper Sixth raised over £230 on Comfy Shoe Day).
As a School, each term we focus on choosing an International charity to support. Our last three non-uniform days raised vital funds for Smile Train UK, the Parikrma Foundation, and Plan International, fetching over a fantastic £9250 in total.
Volunteering for charities has been great! I’ve learned to understand and help people from different backgrounds. It feels good to make a positive impact, even in small ways. This experience has made me more caring and open-minded.
Voluntary Service Activity
The Voluntary Service Activity, or VSA is formed of Year 9 to Upper Sixth students and seeks to widen their awareness and interest in a wide range of community and international initiatives.
Activities, service projects and lessons are varied and range from learning about the refugee crisis to attempting to reverse the effects of global warming.
Our VSA students often volunteer to work at care homes, day centres and community gardens and help stock local food banks.
Use the buttons below to find out more about our Senior and Sixth Form Clubs & Activities.
Our pupils' commitment to the charity programme is impressive and there have been some inspiring fundraising events taking place this year.
Our Prep pupils learn to contribute to the wider community and are encouraged to be enterprising through many pupil-led fundraising initiatives.
Our Heseltine House Sponsored Silence collected over £385 for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and Christmas Jumper Day fetched over £800 for Plan International and the RSPCA.
Other highlights include the Prep Charity Discos, which raised nearly £3000 for multiple charities, and Christmas performances and Carol Service collections which raised over £2000 for Havens Hospices, SNAP, Crisis, and Kids Inspire.
Brentwood in numbers
