The SHINE ‘Serious Fun on Saturdays’ Scheme

The SHINE scheme has been running at Bolton School since September 2009. It is funded jointly by the SHINE Charitable Trust and Bolton School and provides up to fifty Year 5 pupils from thirteen different primary schools in Bolton with the chance to come into the Boys’ and Girls’ Senior Schools on Saturdays and receive lessons from specialist senior staff.

Aims

Year 5 pupils receive lessons in a variety of subjects that they would not access at primary school, including five modern foreign languages, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and many more. Sessions in recent years have included Mandarin, Philosophy, Outdoor Pursuits and Music. The sessions run for eleven weeks and include a field trip to the Catalyst Science Museum in Runcorn with fun and interactive workshops.

The Celebration Dinner is a fitting end to the programme. A display of work created by the pupils is put on show and attendance certificates and special prizes are awarded to recognise significant achievement as the pupils ‘graduate’.

SHINE also provides an opportunity for Bolton School volunteers from Year 10 to 12 to gain experience assisting the children with their learning.

Resources

Bolton School hosts the SHINE programme within its facilities on a Saturday morning across eleven weeks. Members of staff from the Boys' and Girls' Divisions give their time to plan and run the sessions. They are assisted by Year 12 volunteers.

Impact

Feedback from previous programmes demonstrates that pupils’ self-confidence, academic motivation and aspirations are raised after completing the programme. This evidence is gathered from testing and from teacher, parental and pupil surveys.

Pupil Involvement

Bolton School pupils in Years 10 to 12 are involved as volunteers and mentors helping to run sessions and assisting members of teaching staff.

A group of up to 50 Year 5 pupils from thirteen primary schools in Bolton are invited to join the SHINE Programme. Pupils are selected by primary school staff. They have been recognised as either English as Additional Language pupils, Gifted and Talented, exceptionally motivated or engaged, or unable to access academic enrichments due to financial constraints. Every pupil meets at least some of these criteria.

Frequency

The SHINE Programme began in 2009 and ran until 2018.