Homework Club
This project supports children at Roxeth Primary School who are in receipt of the Pupil Premium by providing a weekly opportunity for them to complete their homework tasks after school.It involves commitment from both the Salvation Army and boys from Harrow School. The club operates from the IT room and the boys are instrumental to its success as they are all particularly proficient at IT.
Aims
The aim of the project is to support a group of children who do not always achieve their full potential. In addition to supporting homework, the aim is to engender an interest in learning that will benefit the children throughout their education. The Harrow boys also act as role models, as Roxeth, like most primary schools, does not have a high percentage of male staff. Critical to the success of the project is the enthusiasm of the boys at Harrow and the volunteers from the Salvation Army. The children at Roxeth are the main beneficiaries, although it also introduces Harrow boys to teaching, to the local community and to how a group such as the Salvation Army operates.
Background
There is a long-standing link between Roxeth and Harrow going back to the primary school's foundation. The schools were already working together at many levels, e.g. governance, gardening, science, sports and Latin teaching. This idea came from Roxeth's Headteacher, who is very keen to assist children in receipt of the Pupil Premium in a meaningful way and this joint project with the Salvation Army has been successful on a number of levels. Providing Harrow boys with the opportunity to work with local charitable organisations is a particularly productive.
Resources
Harrow provides cartons of fruit juice and biscuits for the children. There are no other costs. No Harrow staff are involved, although the project is overseen by the Director of Shaftesbury Enterprise.
Impact
The impact has been considerable. There has been excellent attendance by the children, who clearly look forward to and enjoy the Homework Club. The project is one of a number initiatives at Roxeth to ‘narrow the gap’. The project is reviewed by the Headteacher and Governors at Roxeth who have a statutory duty to support children in receipt of the Pupil Premium and monitor their progress and attainment.
Pupil Involvement
Harrow provides at least three boys from Years 10-13 once a week term time. There is a pool of about eight boys who are highly committed to the success of the project.
Frequency
Harrow boys help at the Homework Club every Thursday afternoon during term time. It is one of a large number of boy-led activities that take place with our primary school partners. This project, which involves the Salvation Army, has the added bonus of working with charitable partners embedded within our community. The head teacher is very keen that we continue with this project and we intend to play our full part in the years ahead.