Teaching and learning
FOSS (Friend’s of St Stephens)
Welcome to FOSS, the Friends of St Stephen’s!
Every St Stephen’s parent is a member of FOSS, and together we volunteer our time and resources to raise money so every child at St Stephen’s gets the chance to shine. Whether that’s providing a full-time sports teacher, Spanish, science and music specialists, or funding a school counsellor, every pound you raise makes a huge difference.
Our busy social calendar has something for everyone, from movie nights and cake sales for the kids, to cabaret, quiz and auction nights for the parents. We are at the heart of the school community and there’s lots of ways you can get involved.
- Volunteer your time and skills – whether you’re a chef or designer, fantastic on the bar or brilliant in charge of a broom, we need you!
- Donate via Just Giving many of our parents support the school with one off donations or monthly direct debits, just click here https://www.justgiving.com/ststephensw12
- Ask your company or local business to help, by sponsorship or with prizes for raffles and auctions
Please have a look at the FAQs for more information, events calendar and contact details – we look forward to seeing you all at the next event!
How can I help?
St Stephen’s serves one of the UK’s most culturally, socially and economically diverse communities. The sustained success of a local state primary school like St Stephen’s depends on inspiring teachers, active parents, carers, grandparents and its local church and community.
Parent Power:
If you are a St Stephen’s parent please get in touch to volunteer your valuable time and skills. There are lots of events that need your help and many hands make light work!
Local Business Support:
If you are a local business, your financial support and involvement is hugely appreciated and vital to sustaining our school’s success. Please continue to partner with us to support ensure hundreds of local children continue to enjoy the best possible start to life.
Foss Contacts
Dates for your Diary
Spring Term 2020
Thursday 13th February Cabaret
Thursday 27th February Country Cultures
Wednesday 18th March Grandparents’ Day
Summer Term 2020
Thursday 7th May Auction Night
Saturday 20th June Summer Fair
7th-9th July Summer Production
Make a Donation
If you wish to make charitable donation to FOSS via Just Giving please click here https://www.justgiving.com/ststephensw12
FOSS St Stephen’s School Shepherd’s Bush registered charity number 1099789
FOSS Fundraising makes a difference
The money FOSS raises from its parent and local community networks each year helps the school budget go further. This gives all St Stephen’s pupils the best possible start in life and ensures they leave us well-educated, confident and inspired.
FOSS fundraising aims to help broaden early opportunities for St Stephen’s children to equip them for future success, fire their imagination, inspire lifelong passions and interests, and even spark future careers.
FOSS funding and corporate donations pay for opportunities and experiences that would be hard to fund from our local authority budget alone especially as we have become a two-class entry school and have doubled our pupil numbers since 2007.
Here are just some of the things FOSS fundraising enables St Stephen’s to offer:
- improved facilities for our children needing additional support
- support staff for each class, meaning our teachers can concentrate on teaching
- a new IT and computer room where children learn how about technology and start to develop skills for the world of work
- specialist language teachers
- subsidized music lessons and instrument hire: we have an all-school orchestra, regular school performances
- a new library full of the latest titles, staffed by part-time librarians for after-school reading and quiet periods
- a part-time sports coordinator helps maximize the number of competitive and non-competitive sporting activities available to children of all abilities. The school actively participates in athletics, gymnastics, football, tennis, tag rugby, trampoline, swimming, cricket, netball, and dance. The school enjoys strong links with Queen’s Park Rangers and other local sports clubs and recently won an all-London-wide gymnastic competition at the London Youth Games.
- subsidized transport for school trips to London’s museums, theatres, art galleries, and sporting competitions, minimizing disruption to lessons and keeping costs low for all parents.
- drama: Recent performances include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins’
- regular design and art programmes for the children and a scientist-in-residence
- healthy eating programme which introduces children to cooking, food and the importance of a healthy diet
- chess and typing clubs and debating competitions
Money raised by FOSS is donated to the school. Every term FOSS meets with class representatives and the headmaster to discuss and suggest new fundraising initiatives and targets and spending plans to benefit of all St Stephen’s children.
