Academies or free schools sponsored

• Various

Impact Statement

Framlingham College’s Partnership Programme

Introduction

Framlingham College is keen to build on its aspirational partnership programme to ensure that the school plays an active and supportive part in the life of the community. Founded on the principle of mutual benefit and, in keeping with Vision 25, the current programme will be enhance its range of long-standing partnerships with a group of nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools and academies.   As well as wanting to work more intensively with a diverse group of schools in Suffolk, Framlingham College will continue to support Rogbonko School in Sierra Leone and our pupils and staff will continue to develop its volunteering projects, including those that take place during sixth form ‘Journeys of Self-Discovery' to the developing world.

Our current programme

1.    Reaching Out to Nurseries, Pre-Schools and Childminders

Not only do the College’s Early Years Foundation teachers have a wealth of experience as Local Authority Consultants, Portage Workers and Elkan Trainers, but having Forest School status at the prep school and 27 acres of meadows and woodland to enjoy has helped forge links with the pre-school community.  Brandeston village’s Mother and Toddlers Group already use our woodland setting and College staff run sessions for the group on their site too.  The post pandemic aim is to re-establish and create similar links with other groups, day nurseries and local childminders. Furthermore, the College will continue to support the management of St Mary’s Pre-School in Ipswich and any other community pre-school that could benefit from the College’s wealth of expertise.

2.    Reaching Out to Local Primary Schools

Framlingham College is committed to the High Suffolk Schools Sport Partnership and is a venue for swimming galas and cross-country events for all of our local primary schools. The College is also a member of the Suffolk Schools Athletics Association Committee and hosts regional athletics competitions for primary aged children and accompanies qualifiers to the National Finals.

Sir Robert Hitcham’s CEVA Primary is a short distance away from the College and we are especially keen to find new ways of supporting them.  College language assistants help with their language programme and their annual production is hosted at the College’s, Headmaster Porter Theatre. 

3.    Reaching Out to Secondary Schools and Academies

A prime example of our commitment includes our long-established informal partnership with Ormiston Endeavour Academy, Ipswich.  The relationship began when the College helped them establish a Bronze DofE Programme – assisting with training and running joint expeditions.  More recently the bond between both schools has grown to the extent that from 2022 school Year 11 leavers from the Academy can apply for sixth form bursaries that completely cover the cost of tuition fees at the College.  These transformational bursaries are funded by the Framlingham College Bursary Campaign that was launched in July 2021.  Proceeds from the campaign will be accessible to children throughout the Ormiston Trust and schools in the local area.

The College also works closely with local secondary schools including Thomas Mills High School, Farlingaye High School and Alde Valley School through the Ogden Trust Physics Partnership.  The trust offers support to groups of schools that are committed to enhancing physics teaching and learning. Thomas Mills High School is short walk away from the College so not unsurprisingly the informal partnership that exists between both schools is enhanced and the College shares facilities for GCSE and A Level PE practical sessions and provides interview practice for potential Oxbridge candidates. However, more can be done.

In addition, The College hosts the annual United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) eastern regional team challenge for Years 8 and 9. UKMT was founded in 1996 and with the charitable aim of advancing the education of young people in mathematics and we host upwards of forty schools.

Further examples of outreach include the College offering its site as a centre for ABRSM music examinations; a venue for the Lawn Tennis Association’s U14 ‘Road to Wimbledon’ event;, a venue for tennis more generally though the Schools Sport Partnership and a venue for the indoor MCC Cricket Hub.  All of these activities are open to pupils from secondary schools and academies in the local area.

4.    Reaching Out to Schools Abroad - Rogbonko School – Sierra Leone

Rogbonko is a remote village in Temne, Sierra Leone. The name means ‘the place in the forest’ and was founded by Roke Forna, a coffee grower and farmer in the 1920s. The community was thriving when his son took over the estate, but the country has a troubled and complicated history and he was executed in 1975. In 1991 Sierra Leone eventually plunged into civil war and the village was caught behind rebel lines - cut off from the rest of the country for a decade. When Roke’s granddaughter, Aminatta returned in 2002, years of economic decline had turned what was once a flourishing community into mere subsistence farmers. People were desperate to send their children to school, the only hope they saw of changing their circumstances and escaping poverty.

Aminatta founded The Rogbonko Project after a village meeting and building a school was the first in a series of initiatives that has now spread to include infrastructure and health.

The College has supported Rogbonko school from the outset and has a close association with Rogbonko and the trustees.  Over £12,000 has been raised using the annual proceeds from the Year 8 Fete.

Importantly, support doesn’t have to limited to pupils and school buildings. In many parts of the developing world there is no government funding to train teachers. Charities like Inspiring Teachers and Street Child provide short coaching courses to help plug the gap so that teachers receive the support to keep getting better, and several of the College staff volunteer their time to help with these programmes.

Martin Myers-Allen