Wycombe Abbey case studies (7)

Impact of partnership work done in 2023 (ISC annual Census 2024)

• 22 state schools involved
• 1001-2000 state school pupils involved
• 2000 staff hours given

Impact Statement

We work with ten local primary schools. The entire Sixth Form spend two consecutive half terms working in these schools each academic year, totalling some 2,000 hours. Some feedback from Headteachers at the primary schools:

‘Please convey my thanks and very best wishes to all the great students we had visiting [school] over these last months. We have thoroughly enjoyed having them on site.’ 

‘We very much enjoyed working with the girls, they arrived promptly and got started straight away. The children really enjoyed reading with each of them and I am certain that […] the girls will become an integral part of our Early Years team.’

‘We are happy to have the wonderful girls back with us.’ 

‘The girls are proactive and keen to engage/support and help. They are very polite, smiley, confident, nice manner with the children. Seem happy to get involved.’

‘…very motivated to work with the children and have a lot of get up and go, using initiative and very encouraging towards the children.’

‘We have really enjoyed working with the girls during the last few terms - it was just a shame that covid got in the way! We would very much like to continue to be involved in the programme next year.’

What our own pupils gain from this experience is significant. Local community engagement, working with KS1 and KS2 aged children, in many cases from deprived backgrounds, has been transformative for many of them.

The work we have done with primary schools has latterly culminated in a Drama Day for the entire Year 5 cohort from one school in the Summer Term. This was led by Lower Sixth pupils with oversight from our Director of Drama. The day was something of pilot, to see what might be doable in the future, and was regarded on both sides as a resounding success.

Our relationships with Westminster Academy, Paddington Academy, Woolwich Polytechnic School and Central Foundation School continue to blossom. Having supported their applicants to highly selective universities for two cycles, we have refined our approach and delivery, which is more efficient and scalable (principally through the use of Canvas). This work is being led by four colleagues, each of whom have a whole day per week dedicated to this work. Wallingford School and the Grange Academy are also coming on board.

Westminster Academy continue to offer us extremely valuable CPD opportunities, providing very tangible mutual benefit. Nine colleagues have now done their two-day 'Anatomy of Coaching' course (part of the Graydin series). The Westminster Academy Professional Learning Communities programme is a year-long programme. A number of colleagues were involved in the pilot and a number more are involved in the second iteration.

We are currently working on a project designed at capturing our higher education partnership offering on film and then distributing it via Canvas. This is ultimately where we will get most scalability and return on our investment.

Our longstanding partnership with Cressex Community School has two key elements. Supporting their Literacy Mentoring Scheme, where approximately six of our pupils go to Cressex weekly to help younger pupils with reading. The Cressex Summer School runs for three days in the Summer Term and sees a number of Cressex pupils hosted at Wycombe Abbey for enrichment activities led by our staff.

With the relationships solidifying and embedding across the board, the next focus will be on assessing impact more formally and potentially also formalising the relationships we already have via Memorandums of Understanding.