Cherwell Changemakers

Cherwell Changemakers are a group of students, working collectively and individually, to transform our school and our wider community. Our Changemakers are engaged and engaging, interested and interesting, thoughtful and thought-provoking. Embodying our school values of opportunity, responsibility and excellence, our Changemakers develop the leadership, knowledge and skills to shape their ideas so that they have a positive and lasting impact on others.

Our ambition: Changemakers add colour and vibrancy beyond Cherwell. Whatever they do next, we want them to create the world they want to see. We know it will be a better one because of it.
 

The Changemaker programme encourages students to contribute to school life beyond their A Levels and their own learning.

Individual Development:
 

We know that our students have the potential to become future leaders and we want them to lead with empathy, creativity and care. From staff-student networks, discussion groups and joint projects, the Changemaker network is a community of individuals, where the collective is more than the sum of its parts. Students, parents and staff work in partnership towards a shared, common good and they understand the value of each contribution. 

By working for others, we learn to understand ourselves. Changemakers invest in kindness to others and show forgiveness to themselves, understanding that embracing challenges with resilience and resourcefulness leads to personal growth.

Changemakers are enabled to pursue their own goals and values, within a shared ethos, and to think ambitiously about their impact and creatively about their actions.
 

Mentoring:
 

From employer links to project groups, placement activities to international mobilities, Changemakers bridge the gap from school to the world of work. Through enterprise and learning outside the classroom, Changemakers form new links with each other and between their interests. They apply their A Level learning to the wider world with impetus, belief and imagination.

Community:
 

Changemakers volunteer with tangible actions in the community to enrich the lives of others. Whether a regular weekly volunteering hour in school or a holiday project in the community, Changemakers give their time generously and without expectation of return.
 

On The Ground:
 

Examples of Changemaker projects include:

• Planting sunflowers and a community wildlife garden
• Donating and delivering 50 Christmas parcels to local charities
• Mentoring younger students with autism
• Mentoring as a ‘reading buddy’ for younger students
• Giving aid and logistical support to charitable local sporting events
• Staff-student consultation and ‘student voice’ networks
• International partnerships with schools and community groups
• Information campaigns around public health and sustainable inhaler use
• Researching projects for water aid in Ethiopia and leading a fundraising campaign
• Designing and launching a web app and inter-form competition to track carbon use
• Consulting and designing conducive and inclusive study environments for the Sixth Form
• Creating community art for a local hospital ward
• Contributing to a Radio 4 series on mental health and youth identity