Social Impact
Kindness and Respect are two of our core Dragon values, extending far beyond our immediate relationships. We want our young people to understand their place in the world and their impact on it. We foster a culture of social responsibility and activism and hope to ignite an enduring commitment to positive action.
A key part of our curriculum
The Dragon has a long history of philanthropy, but how can we help nurture and shape free-thinking global citizens of the future, and ensure we have a positive social impact as a whole organisation, as well as individuals?
The foundation for this, we feel, is recognising that social impact can take many forms, from fundraising and volunteering, through to questioning the root cause of injustices and actively seeking solutions. The broad range of activities and partnerships we undertake as a school is instrumental in expanding and deepening our understanding of this.
Our programme falls into the following four main areas below.
Curriculum
Engaging in social issues takes head and heart. Galvinised by an array of talks, visitors, academic and co-curricular activities, Dragons are encouraged to share their ideas and opinions, make choices, and build and lead their own social impact projects from a very young age.
Charity Partnerships and Fundraising
The key to the success of our charity partnerships and fundraising efforts is that they are all pupil-led. Our students choose three Charities of the Year for the Dragon School to support, and every child is involved in a Year Group Fundraiser to support these organisations. Our children, staff and parents also help to support dozens of other charities via the annual Dragon Christmas Charity Sale, our national appeals for Comic Relief and Children in Need, the Restless Development Schools Triathlon, and many personal endeavours.
School and Community Partnerships
It’s important to us that our children feel embedded in the local Oxford community. We work closely with a number of local primary schools, including Windale, Pegasus and Orchard Meadow, to co-design collaborative opportunities for children and staff to learn with and from each other, including music, drama and art workshops. We also support the local community through our Community Dragons Quest activities and our Christmas shoebox collections. We help to tackle food poverty in Oxford via our Dragon Community Larder and our kitchens, who distribute 250 hot meals per week to vulnerable people across the city.
Transformational Bursary Programme
Our extensive and thriving Transformational Bursary Programme is aptly named; every year, it supports up to 25 children to attend the Dragon and access an education they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. We’re also proud to offer a number of 110% bursary places as part of our membership of the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation (RNCSF) network of schools.
Partner with the Dragon
If you are interested in finding out more about our Social Impact programme, or would like to be considered as one of the Dragon’s community or charity partners in the future please do contact us on [email protected] or fill in our online partnership form, or download the PDF, here.
Our impact in numbers in 2022 – 2023
Funds raised
We have raised over £34,000 for charity through our year group fundraisers, our national appeals, our charitable collections and the Schools Triathlon, in addition to the substantial amount raised through the Dragon Sale.
Participants
Over 300 children from nine local primaries took part in our music, theatre, art and STEM workshops.
Hot meals
130,000 hot meals delivered to our local community – 250 meals per week are made by our kitchens and distributed by Oxford Food Hub to vulnerable people across Oxford.
Dragon Charities of the Year 2023 – 2024
Asylum Welcome
Offering information, advice and practical support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in Oxfordshire. Asylum Welcome help adults, young people and families to feel safe, respected and understood as members of our diverse community.
Registered Charity Number: 1092265
FareShare
FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. Together, we take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to nearly 8,500 frontline charities and community groups.
Registered Charity Number: 1100051
World Land Trust
Working through a network of partner organisations around the world, WLT funds the creation of reserves and provides permanent protection for habitats and wildlife. Partnerships are developed with established and highly respected local organisations who engage support and commitment among the local community.
Registered Charity Number: 1001291
Discover the Dragon
Book an Open Morning
There's only one way to properly experience the Dragon and that is to come and see us in action. We hold Open Mornings every term at both the Pre-Prep and the Prep.
How to apply
When it comes to education, one size doesn’t fit all. Finding the right school is a highly personal, two-way process and our Admissions team are on hand to answer any questions you have.
Call us on +44 (0)1865 315 405 / 413.
Discover Quest
Join us for our Saturday Dragon Quest: a thrilling enrichment programme where children learn new skills and try out new things. Some of the activities have direct academic benefits; others are focused on building friendships and life skills.
