Students in Action

Whitgift students regularly make visits to Whitgift House to spend time with our neighbours there. While visits have been curtailed somewhat recently, a number of outdoor musical performances have taken place to entertain residents.

Whitgift Sixth Form students have the opportunity to either support Primary Project lessons at Whitgift or to go to local primary schools on a weekly basis to support teachers and pupils there. They are involved in one-to-one reading, Maths support, sports coaching, teaching lessons in other subjects (eg Geography), mentoring and are a valuable resource for primary schools. One headteacher said of them:

‘Your students were AMAZING! They are a credit to your school. The feedback I had from staff was brilliant and if they weren’t planning on going to university, I’d be trying to employ them!’

Whitgift students and parents are encouraged to donate to Purley Food Bank, at which a member of staff and students are volunteers, as part of their ongoing appeal to support residents in need in Croydon.

Purley Food Hub has been operating since 2013 and has to date supplied over 250,000 meals to for local people in crisis.

In addition, in December 2021 Whitgift students and parents supported the Croydon Voluntary Action Christmas Appeal to support families across the borough with gifts of food and toiletries.

(Photo of Rev Alan Bayes collecting Christmas present donations)

Duke of Edinburgh's awards participants at Whitgift spent 3,822 hours volunteering between April 2021 and March 2022. The School is proud to have the largest number of students achieving Gold DofE awards in the London Borough of Croydon.

In October 2021, Whitgift students and parents contributed winter clothing to the Croydon Refugee Centre for Afghan refugees newly arrived in the UK. The response was considerable, with Reverend Bayes (pictured) able to deliver a car load of donations to the collection point at West Croydon Baptist Church. As part of this there was a significant donation from students in Founder’s House. Whitgift students continue to support the ongoing appeal for clothing for local refugees.