Park House - St.Gabriel's Learning Partnership
The Park House - St. Gabriel's School Learning partnership represents a highly innovative and cost-effective approach to the collaborative delivery of enhanced curriculum provision for our students between an 11-18 Mixed Converter Academy and Girls Independent School In Newbury. This initial provision has subsequently been developed and extended to extra-curricular and Gifted and Talented enrichment opportunities. Most recently it has also deepened further to include shared professional development for teaching staff, with a joint leadership development programme for female teachers.
Aims
The Partnership aims to provide a cost effective approach to the collaborative delivery of enhanced curriculum provision for our students between an 11-18 Mixed Converter Academy and Girls Independent School.
Partnership working was first established thirteen years ago with an initial focus on offering examination programme opportunities for students from both schools which could not otherwise have been efficiently or effectively delivered by either school acting independently. This was - and continues to be - reflected in reciprocal curriculum provision, with joint classes in AS and A-level Dance at Park House and GCSE, AS and A Level Latin at St.Gabriel's.
This initial provision has subsequently developed and extended to extra-curricular and Gifted and Talented enrichment opportunities which include:
- Joint overseas STEM education visits to CERN
- A residential Oxford College-based and cross curricular-themed Gifted & Talented enrichment programme - the 'Orielympics'
- An annual Community Dance Festival - 'Quantum Leap'
Alongside student focused partnership activities, our two schools have also worked collaboratively to:
- Share the appointment of a School Sports Coordinator to lead and manage integrated participation in the County School Games and wider opportunities in relation to engagement in primary school sport through the effective use of the Sport Premium
- Jointly manage a local community athletics track
- Jointly advise the Oxford University Careers Department 'Ignite' advice and guidance programme for women and girls
- Develop as one of ten partnerships in the South DFE-funded Diversity and Equality Leadership Programme for middle and senior female leaders from our two schools.
Impact
The collaborative experience has been universally positive and are reflected in:
- Outstanding examination outcomes for the students involved in the shared programmes
- A 'partnership dividend' in terms of further enrichment opportunities and the identification of additional areas of collaboration emerging from initial programmes
- The embedding of a cultural commitment to partnership working.
Pupil Involvement
Pupils in Years 9-13 from both schools are involved in programmes.
Frequency
The programme is ongoing and is likely to continue indefinitely.