Community Work
Cricket Coaching Partnership
Our school and Wernerth Cricket Club share facilities and resources to make cricket coaching available to young people living locally.
Aims:
To promote cricket in the local community
Background:
Both organisations have a similar history in the neighbourhood and many shared values. The two organisations have worked together for many years. We have recently decided to formalise the informal arrangements which have developed over this time.
Resources:
In exchange for Wernerth CC using OHGS's sports hall for winter nets, OHGS will use the club's facilities during the summer months for some of its cricket fixtures. OHGS will also encourage young players, age 8+, to take advantage of the coaching which is avaiable at Werneth CC. Both organisations will share coaching and teaching staff where this can be facilitated.
Impact:
The hope is to increase participation in cricket in the local community. We also hope that the school pupils will have the opportunity to play cricket more often, and will experience more success, and be more competitive when they do play.
Pupil Involvement:
The project is really aimed at year 5 and above. The school has a history of both boys and girls being selected to play cricket at a county level.
Frequency:
During the winter months Werneth CC with use OHGS's facilities. In return for this OHGS will use Werneth CC's facilities during the cricket season.
Oldham Coliseum Theatre - Education Partners
We are the 'education partner' of the Oldham Coliseum Theatre. The two organisations support one another in a variety of ways, the partnership being of particular value to the school's drama department.
Aims:
To promote drama and theatre in school and in the local community.
Background:
These are two of Oldham's iconic institutions, this formalises a close working relationship which has grown over a number of years. The formal relationship has existed for the past 12 months.
Resources:
The school makes a financial contribution to the theatre in return for inclusion in promotional events and materials. Once a year the school hosts a 'VIP evening' at the theatre, inviting members of the local community to participate in the event. Throughout the year school staff attend local community events at the theatre and school pupils regularly attend plays and events at the theatre. The theatre staff offer support and advice for students taking part in school productions and within our drama department.
Impact:
The partnership has raised public awareness of what both organisations can offer the wider community.
Pupil Involvement:
Whilst the main pupil involvement is generally from the key stage 4 and 5 age groups younger children can also benefit from the partnership.
Frequency:
This is an ongoing partnership with events taking place at school or at the theatre a couple of times each month
Project Ghana
In 2012 Nilen Vyas (deputy head boy) visited the Seventh Day Adventist Junior High School in Kwahu-Tafo, Ghana. Since then we have taken two expeditions to the school involving 20 students in 2013 and a further 23 students in 2015. A further expedition is currently being planned for 2018. Daniel Effah is the Head Teacher of the SDA Junior High School. Daniel spent a fortnight with us in Spring 2014 and made a huge impression on all who met him.
Kwahu-Tafo is a very poor agricultural community where every member of the community places a high value on education.
Daniel has in the region of 100 students in his school. This number will vary as students often drop out of school when relatives are poorly, the family needs help on their land, or funds run out.
When we were in Kwahu-Tafo this summer we managed to complete the ground work and walls of our library. We would really love to put a roof on this building, and equip it with some textbooks for the students to use, they all so desperately want to learn. We are also looking to build up a scholarship fund to help students in Kwahu-Tafo attend school, their schooling often finishes after Junior High School when the family can no longer afford to send them to school.
What is a little to us goes an awfully long way in Ghana and makes a huge difference to the small community in Kwahu-Tafo. Our direct link with the Kwahu-Tafo Progress Council also means that every single penny we raise gets passed on directly to the young people and has a huge impact on accessibility of education.
Aims:
The broaden the outlook of all the students involved. Everyone benefits, the community of Tafo from the fundraising and resource provision and our own students from the understanding they develop of other cultures and children from very different backgrounds and circumstances to their own.
Background:
Humphrey Barclay approached Oldham Hulme Grammar School in 2012. The partnership has developed from there.
Resources:
Staff time and the support of Partner Ghana who facilitate our visits to Kwahu-Tafo. A variety of teaching and non teaching staff have participated in the trip and in the fundraising associated with the project. We have pledged to raise a minimum of £1000 per annum for our partner school in Kwahu-Tafo. In reality we contribute much more than this, particularly in years when we take groups of students out to Ghana.
Impact:
The impact of the partnership is assessed on every visit and overseen by the Kwahu-Tafo Progress Council and the Ghanain school's PTFA.
Pupil Involvement:
Pupils from year 10 and above are eligible to travel but all our pupils know about the project and are actively involved in the fundraising.
Frequency:
This is an ongoing activity and will continue for the foreseeable future.