Tingting Zhang and her Year 10 students Aman Nadaf, Anis Mechik, Mordjana Kara-Abdellah

A SECONDARY school has set up its own charity to ensure all pupils are able to go on school trips and take part in activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

The UCL Academy’s Adelaide Foundation will raise money to support the school’s students, staff, facilities and mentoring programmes.

It comes at a time when schools across the country are struggling to make ends meet and with teaching unions balloting for strike action.

UCL co-principal Robin Street said: “The Foundation’s commitment is to raise money and opportunity for our kids to take part in enrichment activities, which includes anything from mentoring and scholarships from people like Elizabeth Critchley, who’s a very generous, very committed local resident.”

He added: “Our first goal is to raise £70,000 because we want every student who wants to do the Duke of Edinburgh in the next three years to do it without costs.”

Ms Critchley, a “successful businesswoman” who got a first in maths at Elizabeth Critchely scholars Viena Muhaxheri, Viola Muhaxheri and Maryam Mahiddine UCL, is part of a scholarship mentorship programme at the school that helps raise the aspirations of girl pupils.

Viena Muhaxheri praised the programme and said she had got work experience through Ms Critchley’s professional connections.

Her twin, Viola Muhaxheri, added: “She also helped us with personal statements for university applications, which are very nerve-wracking, especially when you don’t know anyone that’s had that experience. We’re the first generation of our family to go to university.”

Ermal Berdyna, who works in finance, was among the first students to join the academy when it opened in 2012.

Robin Street and Ermal Berdyna

At the launch at the school in Adelaide Road on Wednesday, he praised the school’s system of “self-directed learning”, where pupils can choose activities they’d like to learn.

He added: “I did everything. I did basketball, all different sports. I did some robotics classes. It definitely put me on the right path.

“It just cultivated a love for learning. I had something I really looked forward to every day. Not many students get that type of feeling any more. School time ends, they don’t really have anything to look forward to.”

The launch came in the week the National Education Union announced it will hold an indicative strike ballot in March, asking teachers if they would back further strikes over pay and school funding.

The New Journal has reported extensively on the crisis in secondary schools in Camden, many of which have been stretched to breaking point.

Back at the launch, Year 10 student Anis Mechik said his Mandarin class is fundraising to travel to China for two weeks, which would be a “life-changing experience”, adding: “I think the experience would show us whether or not we want to continue with Mandarin and help us engage in the culture.”

Recalling a former school trip to York Minster, co-principal Simon McBride said: “Before they even got there, students were saying this was the best trip that some of them had ever been.

“Never underestimate the number of young people who have never left Camden. So even taking the train to York was the best trip ever.”