Denstone College and The Prep at Denstone College case studies (11)

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

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

Impact Statement

Facilities:
We have since September 2018 initiated a number of partnerships with local state schools, inviting them to make use of a range of our facilities, including sports hall and climbing wall, astroturfs, swimming pool, theatre and athletics track. Some of these partnerships are currently active, with logistics presently under arrangement and some have already taken place and we are currently working on their maintenance and expansion. As an example of impact, one small local state primary school (of approximately 50 pupils) which has traditionally prided itself on its emphasis on providing swimming lessons for all pupils is now re-opening its swimming programme, which was suspended due to the failure of the facilities they had used previously, due to an agreement that they can use our pool without charge on Thursday lunchtimes, an arrangement which their delighted Headteacher described as ‘fabulous’. We also host district athletics tournaments, in which a number of local state schools compete. Our Music School teaching rooms have been used to facilitate the instrumental lessons of state school pupils, currently on an ad hoc basis by arrangement with the Director of Music; but we are working very hard at present to expand our facilities-sharing in all areas even further this year. In December, we let our theatre and hall to another local state primary school for use in their annual nativity play and Christmas party, which would otherwise have been impaired or cancelled due to a failure of their previous facility, and the Headteacher wrote to us to say how ‘amazing’ this had been and how much the children had enjoyed getting to have their Christmas party after all.

Academic:
We currently extend our teaching provision to some Sixth Form pupils from a local comprehensive. The pupils come to us for French, Music and Spanish each week due to their current school being unable to deliver these subjects. The partnership commenced September 2016 and is in its third year. Currently 9 pupils benefit from our teaching, gaining A Level results up to grade A. After our first year, their Head of the Sixth Form wrote to our Headmaster thanking the College for its ‘absolutely invaluable’ support. Since September 2018, we have initiated a number of academic partnerships with other local state schools, covering teaching and learning (for example, setting up a teaching observation and feedback exchange and sharing expertise on the delivery of Maths, in particular, with an Academy school in Staffordshire), preparation for higher education (for example, arranging opportunities for Oxbridge preparation sessions) and careers (for example, seconding staff to an 11-16 state school in Stoke to run careers workshops). In addition, we have begun to launch a number of academic competitions for local primary schools, inviting finalists for sessions and awards ceremonies at the College: towards the end of 2018, we completed our first annual Creative Writing competition, involving a number of local state primary schools, and our Numeracy Competition, which will culminate in an Olympiad-style competition day at the College in early March, is currently open.

Drama and Music:
We continue to offer drama workshops to local state primaries, and are actively expanding what we offer to other state schools, since September 2018. As part of the final awards ceremony for our primary Creative Writing competition, finalists were invited to dramatic readings of their winning pieces by our pupils; we are also actively considering how best to extend performance of our main school play, and other dramatic performances, to local state primaries and secondary schools, including seconding pupils to a state school in Stoke to offer dramatic and musical performances and / or workshops. We have seconded, and continue to second, Drama staff to local state schools: for example, to assist and share expertise with coursework moderation in a comprehensive school in Stoke, and to undertake Drama consultancy work and NQT training in a state school in Stafford.

Sport:
We regularly host fixtures against more than ten local, and further afield, state schools, and this number is expanding as more partnerships have been forged since September 2018. In addition to the facilities-sharing mentioned above, we have over the last few months initiated partnerships which will facilitate our sports staff being seconded to a small number of local state primary and secondary schools to offer coaching and / or training sessions.

Other Partnerships
Our CCF annually invites in a local state primary school for a visit and military knowledge afternoon, designed to dovetail with their WW2 History syllabus. In addition, we regularly enter and have used our facilities to host debating and public speaking competitions which involve state schools in the area: for example, the Senior ESU School’s MACE competition in November.

EXAMS
We have state school pupils sitting music exams at the College.