Mill Hill School case studies (14)

Impact of partnership work done in 2019 (ISC annual Census 2020)

• 3 state schools involved
• 500+ state school pupils involved
• 500 staff hours given

Academies or free schools sponsored

• London Academy of Excellence (Tottenham)

Impact Statement

Our longest-standing partnership, going back many years, is with Mill Hill County High School with which we share a Combined Cadet Force. The CCF is commanded by a member of our staff and is resourced and located on our campus. Most officers are Mill Hill School staff and a small number of MHCHS staff have also taken commissions. A healthy number of MHCHS pupils attend weekly parade with their officers and participate in the summer camps that the CCF facilitates.

Mill Hill is a sponsor of the second London Academy of Excellence (Tottenham). The Head of Mill Hill School serves the Academy as a Governor and there is a thriving link between the Chemistry Departments of the two schools, with our Head of Chemistry and Senior Technician visiting the Academy regularly to advise the curriculum leader for the subject. We are currently funding a full-time teacher at the Academy over two years. A number of our teachers go to the Academy on Saturdays to interview Y11 candidates for admission.

Our fourth partnership is with Copthall School, an 11-18 all-girls’ converter academy close to us in Mill Hill. Copthall received an OFSTED inspection in Spring 2016 that placed it in ‘Requires Improvement’. Since that determination, a new Head began in mid-2016 and the Governing Board was substantially renewed, including the Mill Hill School Senior Deputy Head becoming a Governor and taking up the Chair of the Education Standards Committee. Through this link, we have quickly built a partnership founded on shared activities for pupils such as society meetings and sports matches as well as mutual staff CPD from which both sides are learning. The two schools regularly provide contrasting school experience for each other’s TeachFirst and salaried PGCE teachers. The Head of Copthall has attended an HMC/GSA event with the Head of Mill Hill School.

In May 2018, Copthall School underwent an OFSTED inspection which raised it to ‘Good’. Comments in the report highlight the value to Copthall of the involvement of Mill Hill via governance and partnership:

“A new chair and a recent restructure of the governing body have improved the effectiveness of governors. Changes in membership have attracted considerable expertise, including in education, finance and marketing.”

“Governors have established links with other local schools, enabling teachers to have the opportunity to observe good practice.”

Our principal outreach in the younger age-group is to invite a large number of local primary schools to participate in Science Week activities in our labs every year, these being led by students in KS4 and Sixth Form under the guidance of our staff.

In addition, members of our Y10 Sports Leaders assist pupils from Oak Lodge Special School in East Finchley with their swimming. This is a regular and longstanding connection.