The Community Outreach Programme at Herschel forms an integral part of the life of the school. Staff endeavour to cultivate a social conscience in the girls and to give them the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.

Pre-Preparatory

• Sponsorship of a child at a crèche.
• Christmas is celebrated with a previously disadvantaged school.
• Young entrepreneurs donate some of the funds generated by Market Day to a needy cause.
• Days such as Friendship Day are used to collect books, toys or clothing for the needy.
• Pre-Preparatory staff liaise with other teachers to share facilities, teaching skills and equipment.

Preparatory

• Whole school programmes are undertaken such as the annual Big Walk in aid of the Peninsula School Feeding Fund and the Warm Hearts Campaign when warm clothing and blankets are collected. Sandwiches are collected weekly for pupils at a township school and the pupils support causes such as the Red Cross Children's Hospital, the Sunflower Fund and the Carthorse Association through special events.
• The Early Act Club, the junior version of Interact, involves visits to children's homes and hospitals as well as collections such as books and Easter eggs for specific causes.
• The Grade 7 girls run their own Community Outreach Programme, largely funded by a fair, which, together with other fundraising activities, raises a substantial amount of money. This is distributed amongst numerous deserving causes, including a previously disadvantaged school, homes for the aged, homeless children and Aids support programmes. A number of needy children are the recipients of educational sponsorships. Opportunities for interaction are encouraged throughout the year.
• The Preparatory School also assists previously disadvantaged schools by giving professional support to the teachers, assisting with material supplies and including their pupils in a number of cultural activities. During Enrichment Week at the end of the third term there is a special focus on a Community Outreach component by each class.

Senior
Extra-curricular activities

• Thandokhulu High School: this involves catering, drama, dance and ICT lessons for pupils. For teachers, assistance in Maths, History, Science and English is provided.
• The Junior Achievement Programme, which teaches entrepreneurial skills, is run annually with Herschel and Thandokhulu pupils.
• S.M.I.L.E. (St Mary's Interactive Learning Experience) - this literacy programme involves Mokone and Kew Town Primary Schools.
• JUMP HI (Junior Undiscovered Maths Prodigies - Herschel Initiative) - this numeracy programme involves St. Louis Primary School. This project was made possible by a grant from the Ackerman Foundation, and will be introduced into other schools in 2008.

Intra-curricular Outreach

• Each term every grade chooses its own Outreach activity e.g. a stationery drive for Grade 8s at Thandokhulu High School.
• Recycling is collected weekly by the Oasis Association. Pupils work at the Oasis Association during Clubs and Societies.
• Interact Club is run under the auspices of the Claremont Rotary Club.
• Members of The Red Nose Chicken Club dress as clowns to entertain children's homes or the patients in Red Cross Hospital.
• An Outreach component of the annual Enrichment Programme gives each pupil the chance to interact with people of all ages in the wider community in Cape Town.