Community Action
Community Action is a strong feature of St James. It encourages girls to assume responsibility for the needs of others and to work effectively as a member of a team. We have a pupil Community Action Council made up of two elected representatives from each form as well as Community Action Prefects who chair and direct the Council.
Community Action has two aspects: fundraising for charity and actual service within the school, local community and further afield. Initiatives come from the pupils themselves and a charity is chosen each year which engages the whole school.
Pupils contribute to a wide variety of projects, appropriate to their age. As they mature, they are encouraged to take responsibility for initiating, planning and promoting events as well as merely taking part. This helps pupils to see a project through from beginning to end and so assume responsibility throughout.
Year 12 take part in a community project abroad. Each year, pupils undertake a 6 day trek in the Imfolozi National Park, South Africa and then carry out a community service project in a local village school.