Surbiton High School is proud to be part of a strong and sharing community, and we are committed to fostering positive, productive and caring relationships with other schools, parents, residents and businesses in the wider community. Our Community Outreach programme is roughly comprised of three key strands: Community Classroom, Partnerships and Personal Enrichment.
Community Classrooms are an exciting and dynamic way to extend academic learning opportunities for young people, parents and local residents. They can take the form of adult evening courses, longer courses with qualification outcomes or weekend workshops for students of all ages.
Shamelessly ‘borrowing’ the idea from Neil MacGregor’s ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’ from the British Museum, Community Classroom presents ‘A World History of Art in 50 Works.’ Divided into country/ region, this 5 week course (the first in the series) will firstly look at 5 key works of art from Italy, centre of the Roman Empire and cradle of the Renaissance. The themes and works explored range from propaganda representing the might of Imperial Rome to 20th century Futurism and the dawning of the ‘machine age’ via the power struggles and corruption of the Catholic Counter Reformation.
No prior knowledge is required, just a passion for art and history!
This course is open to those aged 16 and above.
This course is led by Mrs Katie Lintott-Gillman, Head of History of Art at Surbiton High School. She studied at Warwick University; the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava, Venice; and the Courtauld Institute. Her particular interests include the Venetian Renaissance & the Spanish Golden Age; she also has an obsession with Masterchef.
Tuesdays 6:30 – 8.00pm
Tues 25 Feb – Tues 25 March
At Surbiton High School, 13 Surbiton Crescent. KT1 2JT
Programme of Study:
Week 1 – Augustus of Primaporta (1st century AD)
Week 2 – St Mark’s Basilica, Venice
Week 3 – Titian, Bacchus and Ariadne (1520-23)
Week 4 – Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St Teresa (1647-52)
Week 5 – Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913)
£55 / £5 concessions (students, OAPs, unemployed)
Open to anyone aged 16+.
To register:
https://community.surbitonhigh.com/event/a-world-history-of-art-in-50-works-italy
The next course in the series of A World History of Art in 50 Works will focus on China and Japan and will look at works such as the Kneeling Archer from the Terracotta Warriors (1st century BC), Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa (1840s) and Maoist propaganda posters of the Cultural Revolution. Starts June 24)
A six-week course of learning on many things horticultural and literary.
Gardens and gardening have long been a motif and theme in fiction and non-fiction, journalism, and poetry as well as art and life. With well-being now high on every institution’s agenda, the understanding that green spaces are good for the soul and body and the challenges of climate change, gardens in literature remain important as oases and green symbols in a hectic world.
Each week, we will look at different texts and the gardens and gardeners depicted in them. Beginning with the influence of the Bible and Genesis with the middle eastern garden as Paradise, we will meander through medieval monastery gardens and the famous pear tree of Chaucer; Shakespeare’s gardens where all the world is on stage; explore the Arcadian vistas of the eighteenth century and the secret gardens of the nineteenth, finishing with the resurgence of garden writing after the Second World War and the influence of climate change and urbanisation on nature and garden writing since the pandemic.
No prior knowledge is required – not even possessing a garden!
This course is led by Bee Huntley, who has taught at Surbiton High School since the beginning of this century, after previous careers in horticulture and the theatre. She has combined her love of plants, literature and the theatre many times in her teaching, from Stoppard’s play, Arcadia, Chaucer’s Merchant’s Tale as well as Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited – all of which she will talk about as part of this course. In addition to teaching English, Bee runs Lit Soc, SHS’s literary society – still going strong after 11 years – and takes older pupils down to the Queen’s Promenade once a week to look after a section of garden which was planted last year as part of the School’s Community Outreach programme. This course combines all her interests over the last few years and a few jobs too!
Thursdays 6:30 – 8.00pm
Thurs 9 Jan – Thurs 27 Feb (no lessons 13 & 20 Feb)
At Surbiton High School, 13 Surbiton Crescent. KT1 2JT
Programme of Study:
Week 1: The Middle Eastern garden as Paradise
Week 2: Medieval monastery gardens
Week 3: Shakespeare’s gardens
Week 4: Arcadian vistas of the Eighteenth Century
Week 5: The secret gardens of the Nineteenth Century
Week 6: A post-war resurgence
fee: £65 / £5 concessions ( students, OAPs, unemployed).
Open to anyone aged 16+.
To register:
https://community.surbitonhigh.com/event/glorious-gardens-in-fact-and-fiction
Our topic boxes are packed with engaging, hands-on equipment designed to bring Ks2 lessons to life. Free the borrow for Primary Schools, these boxes are perfect for inspiring young minds and making learning fun.
Why Choose Topic Boxes?
Our Topic Boxes
How it Works
Book your Topic Box today and let your students discover the joy of hands-on learning.
The SHS Parents’ Association is proud to continue its support for the Royal Institution Science in Schools programme. This partnership brings exciting and engaging science experiences to local schools.
The Royal Institution delivers captivating science demonstrations to thousands of pupils from schools across the borough. These interactive and explosive shows ignite a passion for science in young minds.
We are committed to expanding the programme’s reach and aim to engage even more pupils each year. By supporting this initiative, the Parents’ Association is helping to inspire future scientists and foster a love of learning.
Surbiton High School recently hosted 90 Year 4 pupils from St Andrew’s and St Mark’s Church of England Junior School for an engaging session exploring Ancient Greek history through our Parthenon casts.
Led by Year 12 students, the activities included learning about Greek gods and traditional sacrifices, culminating in a fun reenactment with props and costumes. The visit proved highly beneficial, supporting the visiting pupils’ educational growth while developing communication and leadership skills for our sixth form pupils. Positive feedback highlights the event as a memorable experience for all.
Independent-State School Partnerships both broaden and enhance the experiences available for pupils and staff across all participants. Mutually beneficial relationships are invaluable in sharing support, knowledge and resources so that everyone gains; together we are stronger. Older pupils lead a range of ‘lessons’ and book clubs at neighbouring schools; leaders gain self-confidence, presentation skills and a genuine sense of selflessness. Clubbers can gain inspiration, knowledge and older, ‘cool’ friends.
The Surbiton High Community Bank launched in November 2023 when our dedicated pupils and staff got together to address the pressing needs faced by local residents. This initiative began as a response to the challenges faced by many within the community, prompting staff and pupils to work together to organise donations for four essential banks: hygiene; baby and maternity supplies; school supplies; toys and books. Dedicated teams of volunteers meet weekly to manage the inventory, ensuring that all donated items are sorted, stored and made readily available for the weekly pop ups. Each month, these teams of staff and pupil volunteers prepare for a Community Bank pop-up. Somewhere families, and individuals can visit to receive donated items. These weekly and monthly events have become vital lifelines, providing essential items to those most in need. Consequently, also building connections with local residents.
The Community Bank relies on pupil and staff voluntary time, generous donations and also cash donations – which are essential for purchasing necessary items which are not readily donated. This funding enables the Community Bank to maintain a steady supply of essential goods, ensuring that families in need receive essential items. With each monthly pop-up, the Community Bank aids numerous families. The staff and pupils’ warm and friendly interactions create a welcoming atmosphere for those in need, promoting a sense of solidarity and care within the local community.
We are all aware of the steeply rising costs of food, and many of us are feeling the purse strings tightening. While this is tough for many of us, it is difficult to see that so many in our community are now thrown towards the bread line. SHS’s Harvest mission was to find out how we can help? There are now 4 food banks in Kingston that are trying, but far from succeeding, in allaying the food fears faced by many families, so this year our Harvest Food Bank Collection was for the Kingston Food Bank, run by The Trussell Trust. ‘Just One Tin’ – just one small donation from each of us can make a big difference to the vulnerable families living close by.
With this in mind, each form group across the School filled a box, with donations – collected across 2 weeks – before delivering the offerings to The Community Fridge for the greater good; understanding and empathising with the needs of those around us.
We are extremely proud of the love, compassion and generosity of our Surbiton High School community. As well as the crates and crates of food donations, our community raised almost £2000 for the Kingston Food Bank, which will go a long long way to helping those most in need this autumn.
Amor Nos Semper Ducat: May Love Always Lead Us.
Personal Enrichment gives wonderful opportunities for members of our local community and the School to develop through authentic and challenging experiences; these might arise as supporting work with charities or individual project work, global and local. Surbiton High School pupils flourish and thrive in the practical needs of project work and develop confidence and resilience outside of the classroom delivering project outcomes that really are appreciated by the community.
Surbiton High School is committed to positively impacting our local community. Our annual Soul in the Community project brings together over 500 pupils and 80 staff to volunteer their time and skills for various community service initiatives.
This two-day event sees the community mobilise, dedicating approximately 4,000 hours to projects such as building, painting, and planting. From constructing a porch for a youth centre to creating activity games for care homes, our pupils and staff made a significant impact on local organisations and individuals.
Our Year 12 students support local primary schools. They provide reading coaching and deliver engaging presentations in Biology, Chemistry, and Computing, sharing their knowledge and passion to inspire younger pupils. Additionally, they host interactive workshops, fostering a love for learning and encouraging academic curiosity.
Each year, Surbiton High School is proud to participate in the vibrant Surbiton Festival. Our staff and pupils join the local community in Claremont Gardens for a day of fun, creativity, and community spirit.
From decorating cupcakes to crafting bracelets, our activities are designed to engage young minds and inspire creativity. The Boys’ Prep School choir also adds to the festive atmosphere with their delightful performances.
We look forward to continuing our involvement in this wonderful community event for many years to come.
Surbiton High School is continuously developing its ties with other schools as we seek to create formal and informal partnerships which can benefit us all. It makes complete sense both geographically and, more importantly, philosophically, that we continue to develop our great relationship with our close neighbour, The Hollyfield School. We are aligned in our vision to build a better stronger community that supports its young people to be the best that they can be.
This year, we are thrilled to have launched Surbiton Science Partnerships, where we are working with numerous local schools to provide exciting opportunities for science enrichment for pupils and valuable inspiring CPD for staff.
If you are a school, charity, company, or an individual and would like to know more about our community outreach programme please contact Stuart.Bird@surbitonhigh.com.
