St Peter's School York case studies (5)

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

• 9 state schools involved
• 201-500 state school pupils involved
• 4250 staff hours given

Impact Statement

Our third scholar from Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull joined us for Sixth Form to take up a fully funded boarding place: our ongoing partnership with ASA is already resulting in increasing levels of aspiration for pupils at the Academy, whether or not they choose to pursue our scholarship. Our first scholar, after achieving strong A-level results, took up a place at Goldsmith’s University to study politics.St Peter’s has also welcomed its second Springboard foundation boarder into the Sixth Form. Both the Archbishop Sentamu Academic Bursary and the Sprinboard Bursary are fully funded by the school at a nominal figure of 110% covering all school fees, sundry clothing and equipment expenses and one major school trip during the sixth form or the pupil’s choosing.

Under the York Independent State School Partnership (ISSP), St Peter’s has undertaken a wide range of ongoing lessons in GCSE Latin and GCSE Astronomy as well as participating in the Maths Excellence Club for Years 8 and 9. St Peter’s also hosted the ISSP masterclasses in Spring 2017, and participated in two four-day summer schools for Years 7, 8 and 9. The programme has been extremely successful to date, with attendees securing excellent grades in Latin, and some initial evidence from schools that participation increases aspiration and attainment generally for pupils involved.

The School’s annual Stargazing event combines a planetarium, dozens of science exhibitors, a free lecture and stargazing with the York Astronomical Society. Hundreds of individuals from our local community attend each year, and state schools are warmly welcomed.

With a well-established Combined Cadet Force (CCF), St Peter’s continues to provide support to Manor Academy and our SSI has visited the contingent at Manor to provide advice and training to the CCF staff.

With a strong debating tradition at the school, in 2018 we began to extend our outreach work, working with the English Speaking Union (ESU) to start an ESU Mace heat in York. An evening of training open to all local schools was held in November and St Peter’s hosted the first two rounds of the competition. Local state schools involved in the initiative include Manor Academy, Archbishop Holgate’s, Millthorpe, Joseph Rowntree, Huntington, York High School and the Vale of York Academy.

St Peter’s has worked with the University of York Debating Society to secure judges for the practice and competition rounds.

“STP go further than just supporting their own students’ debating development. They have created opportunities to collaborate with other local schools to foster a new and growing northern circuit of debating. As a judge, this provides fantastic opportunities to network with fellow judges outside of York and further my development by receiving judging critique from them. It also highlights STPs commitment to debating – since the initial ESU Mace round we judged there have been numerous opportunities for the University society to aid and collaborate with the school.”

York University Debating Society

In May we co-hosted, with Bootham School, the second annual Schools Together conference, showcasing and discussing partnership work between independent and state schools across the country and welcoming over 200 school leaders and others responsible for coordinating multi-school or community partnerships.

Through a partnership between the Institute of Physics the Head of Physics is now a SPN project as a School-based Physics Coach and spends 1 day per week training other Physics teachers around the country.

The Careers Department has expanded its serious of evening presentations to allow pupils, parents and teachers from state schools in the Yorkshire area to attend. These include presentations on admissions to Oxford and Cambridge, The UCAS process, Student Finance and Student accommodation. Three members of staff have supported the Hull and York Medical School on a voluntary basis by acting as interviewers for their preparation course for widening access to medical school and in the real selection process.