Community Links & Partnerships
We are fortunate at Mill Hill to have a range of strategic partnerships focused on our immediate community here in North London and much further afield.
These partnerships grow and develop, but what remains consistent is a belief that Mill Hill is not an ‘island’ and that pupils learn from engaging with a wide and diverse network beyond the school gates.
Below are some case studies of recent community partnerships, which give a flavour of our work.
Zambia Tag Rugby Trust Partnership
Since its launch in 2002, the charity, Tag Rugby Trust (TRT) has grown and evolved into an organisation working in the UK and numerous developing countries.
TRT uses rugby as a vehicle to ‘Build Futures’ by providing relevant and challenging opportunities for children and adults alike. Sustainability and local ownership is central to how TRT runs its projects.
Mill Hill has been in partnership with the charity for a number of years. We annually offer our Lower Sixth pupils an opportunity to travel to Zambia to work with local teachers in order to deliver Tag Rugby coaching to government primary schools and orphanages over a two week period, both in the copper belt town of Ndola and in Livingstone. After a week of coaching, our pupils take on the responsibility of organising ‘Tournament Day’ when all the schools come together to compete for the Mill Hill Trophy at the end of each week.
The trip never fails to offer our pupils new experiences, open their eyes to a new culture and create memories that will last a lifetime.
The Tamil Nadu School Programme
Sri Jayendra School is in Tamil Nadu, about 50 miles from the southern tip of India.
Despite the huge cultural differences, the atmosphere in the school is remarkably similar to that at Mill Hill. They are very keen on extra-curricular activity such as dance, music, and sport. The pupils are charming, happy, keen and delightful and have a friendly and productive relationship with their teachers.
The headmistress Usha Raman is anxious to improve the chances of even the poorest children in area. Although the fees are very low many still cannot afford them. This is why the partnership with Mill Hill is so valuable. 200 poor pupils are sponsored by Old Millhillians and parents and we also support a dozen Tsunami victims and a similar number of very poor Brahmin boys we call the ‘little monks’. Our funding of capital projects has enabled the school to expand to 3,000 pupils aged from three to seventeen.
Every summer a group of Millhillians visits Sri Jayendra to teach conversational English. This exposure to ‘the foreigners’ has had a remarkable effect on the Indian pupils’ perception of themselves and their aspirations and ambitions. The effect of the visits on the Millhillians is also profound.
Community Action and Charitable Activities
Mill Hill has a long history of pupil-led involvement in Community Action and Charitable Activities, supporting local charities and organisations in their work.
Our well attended Community Action Group, made up of pupils in the Remove (Year 10), engages annually in a wide range of activities. Working in smaller groups, the pupils work with people from a range of local community groups. We are continually seeking to build further connections with local charities and organisations, building strong community connections and providing vital services for the wider community.
Our current connections include:
