Felpham Community College students and staff celebrated the end of a busy and successful first half-term of the academic year by holding a non-school uniform day, fundraising for Dementia Support (Sage House) and improving facilities for students at FCC.

It is a tradition at Felpham that the Sixth Form Charity Committee always choose which charity to support for the first non-uniform day of the academic year. This year, for the October non-uniform day, they voted for Sage House at Tangmere. Sage House is a community hub which brings together local Dementia Support services – providing the latest support, information, advice and activities to those living with Dementia and their families.

Toby Clegg, Head Student at Felpham Community College, commented:
“We have had a really busy and positive start to the new academic year. Non-uniform day is always a great way to relax slightly on the last day and also fundraise. Sixth Form students voted to join in by wearing their PJs to school for the day. We also had our Sponsored Dog walk this week, and we already have lots of charity events planned for next half term, headed up by the Sixth Form Charity Commmittee and the FCC Student Council. These include selling poppies for The Royal British Legion, a donation drive for Bognor Foodbank, a Community Christmas Craft Fayre and a non-uniform day for Stonepillow. It is great that as a community, FCC tries to support both local, national and international charities.”

Year 11 Felpham Community College students Rebecca Holland and Katy Pilling, and Rory Lyne from year 10, were invited to present at the ‘Free and Equal’ Conference on the 13^th October.

Organised through ‘Beyond This’, Rebecca, Katy and Rory were asked to speak alongside representatives from UNICEF; to talk and showcase the power of the Rights Respecting School Award.

The students were asked to speak around the impact that the Rights Respecting Schools initiative has had at FCC and how it has helped in the creation of a safer and more inclusive environment. They attended the conference for the day, therefore allowing time to also participate in a variety of workshops – listening to key note speakers discussing topics of gender, masculinity and power.

Felpham were chosen as the only school to speak, to represent the entire Rights Respecting School program.   They were chosen by the UNICEF team for the schools strong ethos for inclusion and acceptance, and students feeling comfortable to be who they are.

Alice Jarvis, Rights Respecting Schools Ambassador at FCC, commented:
“It was amazing to watch the students talk about how their lives have been changed by our Rights Respecting work, and to see how passionate and empowered they feel – not only from their own speech, but the other speakers they watched as well. As well as the live audience, the conference was streamed to schools across the county which was fantastic. We hope that this talk has encouraged other schools and students to start their own Rights Respecting journey.”

Please see the below links for more information about the conference and the speakers.
https://www.beyondthis.co.uk/free-equal-2023/
https://www.beyondthis.co.uk/2023-conference-speakers/

Over 90 students and staff from Felpham Community College, accompanied by over 80 dogs, completed a 10-mile Sponsored Dog Walk on Tuesday 17^th October.

The team, made up of students from years 7,8,9,10 and headed up by the FCC Sixth Form Charity Committee, walked from Felpham to Middleton to Aldwick and then back to Felpham, in strong winds and with a wide variety of dogs from tiny chihuahuas to labradoodles!

The charity dog walk is held every year and is a firm favourite in the FCC calendar. This year, they were raising money for The Rocking Horse Children’s Charity, The British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK, as well as improving facilities for students at FCC. Money is still being counted, but so far they have raised in excess of £1500 from the event.

Isabelle Isitt, Student Leadership i/c of the Charity Committee, commented:
“It was a really fun day and good to see everyone enjoying themselves and being allowed to spend a day with their dogs! Some kids wanted to give up, 10 miles is a long way.  We all finished apart from two dogs who didn’t quite make it and had to be collected. One dog got stung by a wasp! Everyone was proud of themselves for the walk and raising money.”

The last few weeks have been super busy at FCC with sorting out our Student Council for this academic year. Students across year groups were invited to put themselves forward to join their Year Councils, and they had their first meeting in September as their Year Council.

At these meetings, students nominated their Whole School Council Representatives. The FCC Whole School Council comprises of 3 students from each year group, as well as the Year 13 Student Leadership Team. They are responsible for student voice at FCC. Over the last few years, they have been influential with a wide range of ideas and initiatives – from the decision to have a second Snack Shack, to more benches around the school site, to opinions on the curriculum and ideas about well-being.

We are excited to start planning what they will be working on this year!