Non Nobis Nati – Charity at St Albans School

The impact of charitable initiatives in schools for both students and the community has been documented widely. The Oxford review in 2018 suggested that taking part in charitable activities - either through fundraising or donating - is essential for young people’s sense of citizenship: in terms of their individual engagement, participation in collective activities within the school, and in engendering a broader sense of social responsibility. In this blog post I want to share how St Albans School has developed an altruistic approach to charity to benefit the students and the wider community.

For charity in schools to be successful, a clear strategy must be established alongside the cultural ethos and values of the school. Here, we believe that participation, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of what makes charity successful. There is a constant drive to guarantee the involvement of as much of the school community as possible, which can only be achieved by activities that are both inclusive and diverse.

An example of a charity cake sale, taking place at break time

Fundraising, in particular, plays an important role in schools’ charity programmes; students can show exceptional leadership in organising events for charities they are personally invested in. Here, these include donations for victims in the Tai Pao fire, those affected in Rambukela in Sri Lanka by Cyclone Ditwah, and women in the St Albans and Hertsmere refuge. These student-led initiatives have strengthened independence, empathy, and leadership, which consequently have fed into a greater sense of altruism within the school community. As such, students feel a sense of pride doing something meaningful, while also enhancing key learning skills such as communication and problem-solving, which can be transferred into the classroom. Most importantly, it proffers belonging both within the school and wider community.

Notwithstanding the enthusiasm perpetuating these initiatives within many schools, there has been some scepticism about ‘commercialisation’ following fundraising efforts, suggesting a focus less on the idea of ‘giving’ and more about what one can ‘gain’ from it. Unfortunately, giving time is not always viewed as valuable as giving money. However, as Joanna Lumley has aptly put: 

‘You have to feel more involved than just writing out a cheque’. 

Likewise, recent research has highlighted that whilst almost all school children engage in some form of charitable activities in schools, less than 20% are aware of the cause area that they are being asked to support, and most have little decision‐making in their giving (Body et al., 2019, 2020). Consequently, researchers argue that to create more meaningful and engaged giving experiences in the classroom, schools should:

• Encourage research 

• Explore local causes 

• Reflect on choices given

• Check for understanding

A used book sale to reduce waste and raise money for charity

In light of this issue of transactional charity, we have championed selfless services, such as weekly litter picks and efforts to save energy by turning off lights in unused classrooms. Donations of items, rather than money, to hospitals and food banks similarly demonstrate our commitment in this area; students gain an understanding of their privileged position in helping those less fortunate, without receiving something in return. As a School, we remain committed to continuing to foster a more altruistic approach to charity, by focusing as much on services which yield one’s time as well as money.

There are other considerations for charitable initiatives in schools, particularly whether a school should target one or multiple, local and national charities. It could be argued that multiple fundraisers will only lead to disjointed efforts and, thus, certain charities will benefit more than others. On the contrary, the impact of donating to single bigger charities, like Cancer Research, compared to smaller ‘national’ charities could be questioned. Indeed, the notion of a ‘School charity’, especially one which does not resonate with members of the community, could limit the aforementioned enthusiasm from students in creating a diverse, inclusive, and participatory charitable environment. From a more generic perspective, one could even argue that the idea of donating at all, regardless of how much and to whom, is considered ‘good enough’.  

A charity litter pick to care for our local green spaces

Since independent schools have a quasi-moral and societal duty to help the community, the balance between the genuine impact and the pupil interest in these projects is crucial. By selecting a few local charities, schools can facilitate a more targeted approach and, thus, observe a more direct impact on the community. While other charities are not dismissed, as outlined above, we have selected three particular charities: Youth Talk, MenCap, and Herts Youth Homeless to focus our efforts towards. These charities motivate students because they enhance their societal understanding, while also enabling them to engage in initiatives that could be pertinent to them: mental health, learning disabilities, and homelessness amongst young people. As such, these initiatives prepare students for the wider world, especially as responsible citizens within their communities.

It can be easy to overlook charity within schools, but it should be seen as an opportunistic vehicle for leadership, empathy, and respect, which gives participants a sense of belonging in return. The motto of St Albans School, non nobis nati (born not for ourselves), demonstrates that charity is an integral fabric of the school’s ethos as it supports students to thrive while simultaneously giving back to the community. The school will continue to embrace its inclusive, diverse, and participatory strategy by supporting local charities and implementing service-based volunteering.

Recommendations for Staff

Against this backdrop, the role of teaching and pastoral staff becomes pivotal in translating these values from whole-school strategy into everyday pupil experience. It is within classrooms and tutor time that charitable intent is most consistently reinforced, contextualised, and made meaningful. By embedding opportunities for reflection, discussion, and action into routine practice, staff can help ensure that charity is not perceived as an occasional event, but as an integral part of students’ personal and social development. The following recommendations offer practical ways in which this ethos can be sustained and deepened in classrooms:

1. Integrate charitable values into everyday teaching practice by creating inclusive classroom opportunities where all students can participate, collaborate, and develop an understanding of social responsibility and community engagement.

2. Provide students with leadership opportunities through curriculum and enrichment activities, encouraging them to plan, organise, and lead charitable or community-focused projects that develop communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

3. Model and promote service-based contributions alongside fundraising, helping students recognise that giving time, effort, and skills to support others can be as valuable as financial donations.

4. Build meaningful links between learning and local community needs by incorporating local charities and social issues into lessons, projects, or discussions, enabling students to see the real-world impact of their actions.

5. Use charitable and community-focused activities to develop character education, fostering empathy, respect, citizenship, and a sense of belonging while preparing students to become responsible and active members of society.