Service and Partnerships at Sevenoaks

The ethos of service is central to the Sevenoaks education as we strive to develop socially responsible young people. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate the value of critical and empathetic reflection in all of their everyday actions, and recognise the responsibility they hold for using their educational advantage for the creation of a more just and peaceful world. 

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

– Aristotle

The school's ambitious service programme was established in 1961, and we have placed great focus on service-based education since, with over 400 students involved in weekly placements in the local community ranging from the Minimus Latin programme in local primary schools, to creating educational videos through Fuse Schools to be shared with disadvantaged pupils across the world.

Sevenoaks runs an extensive global service programme with pupils engaging in development projects in India, South Africa and Ghana. Pupils both learn about the causes of global inequality and also fundraise for various initiatives after extended discussions with partner communities of different paths towards effective impact.

Sevenoaks has an extensive range of activities furthering our pupils’ understanding and abilities in social entrepreneurship. We aim to prepare pupils for the demands of the constantly changing environment through the development of their entrepreneurial skills and mindset, which we teach within the context of delivering positive social impact. As part of our aim for pupils to fully realise their capacity to act as agents of social change, they are encouraged to reflect on business models driven by social aims, using creative and innovative methods to develop solutions to local and global problems. Students are empowered to take action through hands-on and collaborative activities, and through our nurturing of pupil-led initiatives.

Other key strands of education include environmental action, human rights and equality education consumer ethics, and wider leadership development. Sevenoaks students are fortunate to benefit from an extensive programme of visiting speakers who we hope to inspire pupils and act as role models for their of paths towards effective social impact.