Impact of partnership work done in 2023 (ISC annual Census 2024)
- 50 state schools involved
- 2001+ state school pupils involved
- 4900 staff hours given
Academies or free schools sponsored
Impact Statement
East Kent Schools Together - please see website (http://www.ekst.org) for full details of all activities, including our Impact Evaluation report: (https://www.ekst.org/2018/07/year-one-of-ekst-evaluated-by-cccu-internship/)
7 schools and 1 university, including 4 state schools, with 6793 students benefiting from partnership activities. Although not all students and staff within the partnership were directly involved, the impact filters throughout each school through teaching and learning, new enrichment opportunities and increased aspiration.
70% of students rated EKST events at 8 or more out of 10 and 75% of teachers rated events 8 or more out of 10.
Impact on students includes:
• raising student aspirations (e.g. through study skills event)
• increasing their learning skills (e.g. writing for the Mind’s Eye and Globalist)
• enhancing students’ confidence in dealing with a wider range of people and situations (e.g. debating and Dragon’s Den events)
• directly increasing the number of students considering going to university.
Impact on teachers through cluster groups, TeachMeets, teacher swaps and shared training includes:
• enriching their professional practice
• expanding their subject knowledge
• building their local network of colleagues, especially for those working alone in smaller subjects such as DT, music.
The shared CPD has a vast opportunity cost saving.
CPSP – Canterbury
20 state primary schools with over 5,000 plus pupils and 600 staff.
Impact on pupils through pupil workshops, masterclasses and through improved science teaching:
• increased attainment in KS2 science
• increased motivation and interest in science
• preparation for transition to secondary school science.
Impact on teachers: the CPD, teacher meetings and shared resources and pupil workshops improve subject knowledge and confidence to deliver engaging science lessons. Schools benefit through donations and loans of equipment and other resources.
Other primary school partnerships (over 30 schools) the impact of our partnership projects includes:
1. Reading with primary pupils – increased reading age and enjoyment
2. Sporting events – Minilympics and Rugbylympics – increased participation in outdoor activity and sport and a greater understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Increased sportsmanship and team-playing skills. Encouragement to sustain fitness through donation of Recreation Centre vouchers. Ease of transition to secondary school by equipping children with technical sports skills.
3. Breakfast and lunch clubs – pupils receive individual attention, which helps them develop their social and communication skills with increased confidence in holding a conversation and learning good table manners. Pupils learn to relate to older students and take instruction. Cultural horizons are widened and new skills gained.
4. Use of minibuses has facilitated the primary schools to access out-of-school learning which would not have been possible otherwise. A cost saving to the schools in total of approx. £3,125 in 2018. This is ongoing into 2022 / 23
5. Mandarin lessons allowing children to broaden their linguistic skills and allow them to believe in their potential and ability. Increased listening and fine motor skills.
Secondary Schools (about 20 schools participate in our partnership programme, as well as EKST). Each of these projects is relaunching in 2022/23 post Covid.
1. Spires – Cathedral Spires project – increased cultural and historical awareness, increased confidence and broadening of horizons through meeting employees at the cathedral. Privileged access to Cathedral archives and site.
2. Spires - Exploring Classics project – developing linguistic skills and increasing aspirations through being taught by King’s students. Increased confidence to learn something new and challenging. Each child has received a text book.
3. Spires - Aspiring maths project – children benefit from expert tuition in a small group free from distraction leading to higher outcomes in mathematics. A similar project runs with Folkestone Academy.
4. Other projects with secondary schools impact on students in accessing expertise, resources and facilities thus greatly enhancing their knowledge, skills, confidence and aspirations. Projects have included a philosophy conference, a debating tournament, equipment loan, concerts, sports facility loan and coaching, A level physics extension, Russian lessons, practice university interviews, talks and lectures hosted at the King’s School.
Future links 2022/23:
The King's School is actively building links with local schools in both primary and secondary sectors. Our planned approach is centred around various strands, as follows:
Educational experiences: we seek to enhance pupil access within the local community to a broad range of experiences they might not otherwise access. These include: debating sessions; classics taster days; access to sports such as tennis, cricket, rowing, lacrosse, rugby and fencing; library / research skills; catering visits and tours; ceramics sessions and dark room photography. Our Science outreach is especially strong within the community: our Family Science Day impacted welcomed twenty five families from three local schools, and our Saturday Smarties events reach ten local primary schools. This is an ongoing and constantly evolving programme of events that will build on previous good practice.
Educational access: we seek to enhance pupil experience by providing access to our facilities, which otherwise might not form part of the local curriculum. We make available, at no cost, our state of the art theatre spaces, creative technology and learning resources, and loan out at no cost our tech services and theatrical equipment.
Staff development and support: we support our local schools and staff through various approaches. We provide facilities for training, access to provision such as First Aid training and share resources and expertise across the curriculum. We seek to provide opportunities to facilitate local schools' provision as Church of England Foundation schools, through close links with the Cathedral and our unique setting within Canterbury.
Community Benefit: we provide access to our venues and facilities at no cost to local charities and interest groups. These have included the Canterbury Commemorative Society, literary tours for local residents of our archives, litter picks in the local area and pupil volunteers in local charity shops. In addition we make charitable donations of resources and funds raised.
Governors
Our staff offer at least 6 schools the benefit of their expertise on leadership and governance. The benefit to staff of being a governor is the knowledge and understanding of challenges within the state school system, increased leadership and governance skills and understanding.
Student Teachers
We host many student teachers for observation and placement – they benefit by learning from experienced teachers and subject experts which aids student teacher retention. The King’s School benefits from the fresh ideas and contacts they bring into the school.
General impact on King’s School students and staff across the whole partnerships programme:
Our pupils:
Social skills, teaching skills, communication skills, patience, confidence, increased subject knowledge through teaching other students, mentoring skills, ethical values, philanthropy and an awareness of the challenges that face other sectors of the community.
Our teachers:
Our teachers benefit from the impact of teaching across different phases; professional development and re-engagement through the teaching of a different demographic and cohort; access to a local network of subject related teaching and non-teaching colleagues for shared expertise, resources and training; engagement with university personnel and their research.
