Child Friendly Leeds (CFL)

The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) plays a vital role as a Child Friendly Leeds ambassador, supporting a broad range of initiatives designed to enrich the lives of children and families across the city. As one of the leading independent schools, GSAL uses its resources, staff and students to help deliver events, projects and programmes that align with CFL’s mission: to make Leeds the best possible place for every child to grow up, learn and thrive.

Through its partnership with CFL, GSAL contributes to cultural, scientific, environmental and social initiatives, offering practical support and opportunities that enhance learning and community engagement. This commitment demonstrates the school’s wider ethos of social responsibility and civic involvement, ensuring its students experience the values of empathy and leadership, while benefiting the wider Leeds community.

One of the most visible ways GSAL supports CFL is through its sponsorship of family fun days at Leeds City Museum. These events provide children and families with free, hands-on cultural and creative experiences, blending play, learning and engagement with the arts. Most recently, GSAL supported a Spirograph themed event, where children could contribute to spirograph artworks, create structured LEGO builds and receive guidance from professional artists.

By sponsoring these events, GSAL ensures families from all backgrounds can access enriching activities in a welcoming environment. Through this initiative, GSAL helps the museum reach a wider audience and provides a platform for children to explore their artistic talents, reflecting CFL’s goal of creating equitable access to cultural opportunities.

GSAL also actively supports the Otley Science Festival, an annual celebration designed to ignite curiosity and passion for STEM among children and young people. The school contributes both resources and volunteers, with students assisting in workshops, experiments and live demonstrations.

The involvement of GSAL pupils not only strengthens the festival but also fosters leadership, teamwork and civic responsibility among the volunteers. By participating in this science festival, GSAL contributes to CFL’s aim of widening access to educational enrichment and promoting lifelong learning outside the classroom. The festival encourages children to explore careers in STEM and develop confidence in their abilities, helping to raise aspirations across Leeds.

In addition to cultural and scientific engagement, GSAL demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. The school participates in uniform collection initiatives for Zero Waste Leeds, helping to reduce textile waste.

GSAL extends its support through CFL’s seasonal gift collection initiatives, ensuring children from disadvantaged families receive gifts. While the school’s contributions include organising collections and promoting participation among the school community, the broader impact is significant; children who might otherwise miss out gain tangible, meaningful experiences, enhancing their sense of inclusion and wellbeing.

These initiatives align with CFL’s broader mission to ensure all children have access to enriching experiences, opportunities and support, demonstrating that GSAL’s engagement goes beyond education to foster a sense of belonging and community across Leeds.

Aims

The Child Friendly Leeds (CFL) partnership with The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) aims to enrich the lives of children and families across Leeds by providing accessible cultural, scientific, creative and social opportunities. The identified need is to ensure that all children—regardless of background—can access high-quality enrichment experiences, feel included in their community and develop confidence, curiosity and wellbeing.

Critical factors for success include GSAL’s sustained commitment of staff, volunteers, facilities and resources; strong collaboration with CFL and local organisations; and regular, year-round initiatives that engage children in meaningful learning and creative experiences. The willingness of GSAL students to volunteer and model leadership is also vital to the programme’s impact.

The immediate beneficiaries are the children and families who attend museum events, science festivals, uniform collections and seasonal gift initiatives. More broadly, the wider Leeds community benefits from increased access to cultural and educational opportunities, reduced social inequalities and the development of young people who are empathetic, civic-minded and engaged in their city.

Background

GSAL, Child Friendly Leeds, and Leeds City Museum identified that there was a lack of free, and high-quality educational activities available for families during the school holidays. By working together, they devised a series of free family fun days that are delivered in February and October half term which tie-in with one of the museum’s exhibitions.

Resources

The success of GSAL’s work as a Child Friendly Leeds (CFL) ambassador relies on a combination of facilities, staff time, student involvement and financial contributions. GSAL provides access to school spaces and materials when supporting events such as the Leeds City Museum family fun days and contributes resources, equipment and volunteers for activities like the Otley Science Festival and uniform collection initiatives.

Both teaching and non-teaching staff are involved. Staff organise collections, coordinate events, liaise with CFL partners and supervise student volunteers. Students from across all age groups (ages 2–18) contribute throughout

the year, supporting workshops, demonstrations and community activities. Engagement is ongoing rather than one-off, with GSAL supporting CFL initiatives across the full school year.

GSAL also makes financial contributions by sponsoring museum family fun days and providing materials, transport, or resources needed for events. This combination of staffing, facilities, volunteer time and funding is essential to delivering high-quality, accessible opportunities for children and families across Leeds.

Impact

· Qualitative benefits are evident through feedback from families, museum partners and festival organisers, who report high engagement, enjoyment and increased access to cultural and scientific activities.

· Children gain confidence, creativity and curiosity, particularly through hands-on experiences at museum fun days and interactive STEM workshops at the Otley Science Festival.

· GSAL students develop leadership, empathy and civic responsibility through regular volunteering and community participation.

· Wider community impact includes greater inclusion, reduced barriers to enrichment and increased awareness of sustainability through initiatives like uniform collections.

· Assessment is ongoing and informal, carried out through partner feedback, participation numbers, volunteer reflections and the continued year-on-year demand for events.

· Anticipated outcomes include stronger community connections, sustained access to high-quality enrichment for children from diverse backgrounds and the long-term development of a more child-centred, inclusive Leeds.

Pupil Involvement

Pupils from GSAL are involved across the full age range of 2–18, with older students taking on active volunteering roles at museum events, science festivals and community initiatives. Younger pupils contribute through creative participation and school-wide collection activities.

Frequency

The activities run year on year, taking place regularly throughout the school calendar rather than as single events. GSAL supports multiple CFL initiatives annually—such as museum fun days, science festivals and seasonal collections.