Outreach & Public Benefit

Launch Car Challenge, with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) is one of our largest outreach initiatives, involving over 600 Year 5 children over an academic year. With 20 teams from 12 different schools, the activity is hosted in our innovative FutureTech building where the students design and produce a car that is launched by compressed air. Their vehicles are raced against the other teams in their group on the day they come to Reed’s. The winning teams from each session are invited back for a Grand Final.

Our annual Fun Olympiad Day involves around 220 Year children from 7 different schools, with activities including football, cricket, golf and tennis. We provide transport and lunch for all the children involved. For some children this is the first time they have seen such a large green space to play in. Schools enjoy a variety of sporting activities, kindly run by partners such as Surrey County Cricket Club, Chelsea FC Foundation, Betchworth Golf Club and Reed’s Tennis School. They provide a wonderful day where children begin to realise the pleasure of playing sport and perhaps find a hidden talent. At the end of the session all of the children receive a medal to show that they have participated and had fun.

Using Lego WeDo kits in the Innovation Studio in our FutureTech building, the LEGO workshop day allows Year 4 children to enjoy a Science and Engineering activity run by a LEGO® Professional Trainer focused on designing and creating a working model leading on to programming the model’s movements as part of a story.

“Thanks for a fantastic afternoon. The children absolutely loved it!” 

Year 4 teacher from Haslemere Primary School

The Arts Award is a nationally recognised qualification and is a great way for children and young people to be inspired by and enjoy the arts. Pupils from Reed’s host Year 4 children from local Primary schools for a fun day of Music, Drama and Art activities as part of their Year 7 pupils’ participation in the Bronze Arts Award. One part of the Arts Award is sharing information and expertise with others, so this activity enables the boys from Reed’s to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they had learnt in the Arts, and show leadership skills in teaching others. Each group spends time rotating round the various activities, providing opportunities to develop knowledge and introduce new art forms.

Rackets Cubed is a UK based charity that runs integrated Squash, Tennis, Education (Maths) and Nutrition Programmes for local disadvantaged inner-city school children.

The programme’s vision is driven by the increasing evidence that active children have higher school achievement and that nutritious foods improve classroom behaviour. 20 Year 5 children from a local primary school participate in the programme over a 10 week period. The children play an hour of rackets sports, an hour of maths, then are fed a meal. In the final week of the programme all the children participate in a Squash Tournament.

Drama Workshops for children from primary schools aim to increase their confidence as performers. Usually based around a main production at Reed’s, the primary school children participate in a number of practical workshops. The first develops their use of voice and movement and in the second workshop, they learn how the technical elements of a production are put together and are given an opportunity to operate the lighting and sound themselves. Following the workshops the children perform a short excerpt from the production itself.

Around 200 Year 5 and 6 children come to Reed’s to take part in sports tournaments covering High 5 Netball and Quicksticks Hockey, Rugby and Kwik Cricket. The day is aimed at providing more opportunities for pupils in local Primary schools to play sport, take part in competitions and learn the values of sport. Standards are often high and in the build-up to the event Reed’s sports professionals visit some of the schools to give additional training sessions. 

Reed’s staff offer mock Oxbridge interviews for Sixth Formers from local Secondary Schools

Our MFL department run multiple events throughout the year including three Café Lingua debates in each language and the biggest event, the Business Language Champions Competition involving around 200 pupils from multiple local schools.

Our comprehensive careers programme offers opportunities to prepare students for the future. These events are open to Local Secondary School students as well as Reed’s students.

Biennial FutureCareers Fair – An evening where the students get a chance to talk to industry experts about their careers and occupations, discuss what they do and the paths they have taken. Around 60 representatives from different occupations, companies and industries are available at the event to talk to students.

Termly FutureCareers Seminars – Subject specific seminars where three or four representatives from industries such as engineering, business etc. at different stages of their careers speak to students about the paths they took to enter those areas.

Annual FutureUni Fair - Old Reedonians (Alumni) who are still at University come and speak to the students about the different courses and life at the universities the attend.

Local State secondary school students from Year 10-13 are invited to attend the FutureCareers Events at Reed’s.

A one-day introductory course for Year 10 and 11 students from neighbouring schools who may be considering studying either Computer Sciences or Physics at A-Level. This is designed for those students who enjoy the subject at GCSE, but think that it would be too difficult at A-Level.

The day gives an introduction to the types of practical work, activities and topics that they can expect to do if they choose to study these subjects at A-Level. There are also presentations from external speakers explaining possible career options available by choosing these subjects.

The Computer Science element is kindly being sponsored by the Exa Foundation.

Working with another of Andrew Reeds’ charities, Reedham Children’s Trust, we provide GCSE tutoring in English & Maths for up to 15 students from the Oasis Academy in Coulsdon.

This is a 4-day course whereby the students study in the morning, are provided lunch, then partake in various sporting activities in the afternoon, from badminton to golf.

Reed's teachers provide support and Old Reedonians who are currently studying English & Maths at university come back to assist with the tutoring element of this project.

We run a weekly activity for Syrian Refugee children between the ages of 12-15 who live locally with their carers. Reed's staff volunteer to drive minibuses to collect the children each week and help run the activity.

At Reed's the children receive tuition in Maths and English from volunteer Sixth Form students, play educational and indoor games as well as engaging in sporting activities such as badminton, football and basketball.