Wilmslow High School

The school's Parent-Teacher Association organises a wide range of social, educational and fund-raising activities.

The school is a centre for Adult Education and has developed strong links with the local community and major local employers: the Wilmslow High Partnership was established in 1997. Community involvement and links are also manifest in student placements, musical concerts, the annual Arts Festival that includes all of the local primary schools and wide-ranging activity in support of local charities. The school acts as the host for the annual Wilmslow Festival: a major community event.

It is through the partnership of school, home and community that we are able to offer our students every opportunity to be involved in a wide range of activities and events which contribute to their experiences and awareness of their role and responsibilities in school and the wider community.

Our students are very aware and keen to be involved in events beyond the day-to day and demonstrate a mature and positive attitude to working with and helping others. They are encouraged to balance personal challenge and success with commitment to others in all activities within and beyond school.

Our School Aims encapsulate our aims for Community Links: -

• To encourage the development of broadly educated, happy, confident, self-disciplined, self-motivated individuals equipped for adult life
• To establish a culture that values achievement, encourages students to develop their full potential and recognises individual success
• To promote a partnership between the school and the community, encouraging students to be responsible, caring members of society

Over recent years we have had many links with community groups and businesses focussed on enhancing provision for students.

These include: -

• Sports links, recently through 'High Leisure' and Sport-Xtra, with many local sports clubs, for example, Wilmslow Rugby Club and Wilmslow and Alderley Edge Hockey Clubs. Many of our students represent both the school and their clubs in a range of local, regional and national events
• Arts groups in the Wilmslow and Alderley Edge area. Our students have been involved in productions and backstage work enhancing their drama experiences at school
• Music performances at Shell UK and Zeneca. Our students have performed at these companies over a number of years and over the last two years they have taken part in the 'Children in Need' charity concert at Alderley Edge Methodist Church with partner primary schools
• Musical performances at The Lowry and The Palace. Our musicians have been invited to perform at these venues and have produced concerts of a very high professional standard. Our 'Souled Out' band have been asked to perform at a number of functions in the area
• 'Coffee and Carols' charity morning for local elderly residents
• Raising money for local and national charities, for example, the Tsunami appeal, 'Jeans for Genes', Genesis for breast cancer and the local annual swimathon for the Wilmslow Rotary Club charities. Each House nominates a charity, for example, Thorngrove raised �800 for the National Deaf Childrens' Society this year and 8NJW as a tutor group alone have raised over �1,200 to buy and train guide dogs for the blind.
• George Osborne, our local MP, came to open the new 'Pavilion' and keeps in touch with the school to support our many developments

• Sponsorship for developments within school. Most recently Brian Kennedy, owner of Sale Sharks, has given �8,000 to help develop our new electronics room and Groundwork has donated �500 to enable students to plant bedding plants and perennials to improve the environment
• Developments in the curriculum. Ben Tan, the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator for the British Youth Sports Trust, recently provided a workshop for parents about the Junior Athlete Education Programme. The 2012 Olympics are a target now for our budding athletes!
• Our Wednesday afternoon Sixth Form Enrichment programme. Through this programme our sixth formers contribute to a wide range of community activities every Wednesday afternoon. These include working with children at our partner primary schools, supporting people visiting relatives at Styal prison and visiting elderly people in the community.
• Organising and hosting community events.