His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh today visited Harrow School to meet young people benefiting from community programmes delivered through Shaftesbury Enterprise, the School’s long-standing partnership initiative which has supported more than 4,000 children and young people in the last year alone.
The visit shone a spotlight on how Shaftesbury Enterprise is delivering a wide range of initiatives connecting Harrow School with charities, community organisations and other local schools across Harrow and North-west London.
Shaftesbury Enterprise has invested more than £1 million into local communities over the past decade, supporting programmes that widen educational opportunity, build confidence and skills, and strengthen community connections. In turn, Harrow pupils have the opportunity to develop their responsibility, leadership and empathy through regular volunteering and mentoring.
Around one-third of Harrow pupils currently volunteer weekly to support Shaftesbury Enterprise through more than 40 annual initiatives. Working alongside local partners, they provide practical support through literacy, numeracy, STEM, music and mentoring programmes that are shaped by community needs and evidence of what works.
The Duke of Edinburgh met representatives from Shaftesbury Enterprise long-term partner schools, St Anselm’s Catholic Primary School and Roxeth Primary School, and learned about initiatives designed to improve educational outcomes and broaden opportunities for local children. His Royal Highness spent time meeting young people, teachers, volunteers and community partners involved in the programmes, hearing first-hand how collaboration across the borough is helping more children and young people access opportunities, build confidence and fulfil their potential.
Programmes highlighted during The Duke’s visit were:
A collaborative choral programme – bringing together Harrow boys and more than 130 local primary school pupils from seven schools to receive free weekly singing rehearsals and opportunities for creativity and shared performance.
A robotics challenge – where young people worked together to programme Edison robots, developing digital skills, teamwork and problem-solving capabilities.
Harrow School Farm – a community-focussed farm introducing young people to outdoor learning, environmental stewardship and the benefits of spending time in nature.
The partnerships form part of an intentional approach to community engagement led by Harrow School, with programmes developed in response to local needs and ongoing feedback from young people and partner organisations.
Alastair Land, Headmaster of Harrow School, said: “At Harrow, we believe education extends beyond the classroom and Shaftesbury Enterprise is our tried and tested platform for working alongside local schools, charities and community organisations to support as many local young people as we can reach, while also giving Harrow pupils opportunities to develop their own responsibility, empathy and leadership. The impact of these programmes is only possible because of the commitment of our partners, and we are proud of what we have achieved together over many years.”
Today’s visit by The Duke of Edinburgh provided a valuable opportunity to recognise the power of these long-term partnerships in creating opportunities for young people and strengthening our local communities.”
