Primary School Workshops
As part of our annual Activity Days, Grange School staff and students host primary school pupils for workshops focusing on a number of different subject areas. Past workshops include: Physics, Chemistry, Art, English, Drama, Computing, and Graphic Design.
Aims
Enhancing existing educational provision.
Providing leadership experience for Grange students.
Critical to success of the project is the provision of specialist staff and facilities from The Grange School to host the workshops.
The partnership is mutually beneficial. Pupils from primary schools benefit from specialist tuition in the workshop's subject area, providing an excellent bridge to secondary school. Grange School students benefit from developing their leadership skills and giving them experience with younger students.
Background
Primary schools workshops have been established as part of the Activity Days programme for over 10 years. The workshops are designed and marketed by Grange School staff and interested primary schools sign up to the sessions that fit best to enhance their provision. Due to the positive experience, the vast majority of the schools have been taking part in this style of workshop for a number of years.
Resources
Critical to the success of the project are the time and efforts of Grange School staff and students to devise stimulating sessions, liaising with the staff from the various primary schools to ensure that these are academically challenging but suitable in nature.
Key resources are:
Use of The Grange School facilities;
Time and efforts committed by Grange School teaching staff;
Time and efforts committed by Grange School support staff to help with logistics;
Time by Grange School students; and
The Grange School pay for transportation for the primary school pupils to access the workshops and for refreshments for the day.
Impact
Qualitatively the partnership provides:
Positive feedback from Grange school staff & students
Positive feedback from partner school staff & students
Opportunity to extend the most able students
Enhanced existing provision in place
When liaising with the primary schools, all commented upon the high quality nature of the provision and how much their pupils enjoyed the session.
After every year, the Activity Day programme is reviewed and evaluated to ensure that the programme is mutually beneficial.
Pupil Involvement
In 2019, 48 primary school pupils (Year 4 & 5 cohort) took part in the Computing workshops. Each workshop was supported by a Grange staff and 3 Sixth Form students.
In 2019, 54 primary school pupils (all of their Year 5 cohort) took part in the Physics workshops. Each workshop was supported by 3 Grange staff and 12 Sixth Form students.
In 2019, 99 primary school pupils (in Year 3, Year 5 and Year 6) took part in the Chemistry workshops. Each of the three workshops were supported by 4 Grange staff and 6 Sixth Form students.
In 2019, 51 primary school pupils (Year 4 and 5 cohort) took part in the Art workshops, supported by 2 Grange staff and 6 Sixth Form students.
In 2019, 63 primary school pupils (all Year 5) took part in the English workshops. Each workshop was supported by 2 Grange staff and 7 Sixth Form students.
In 2019, 57 primary school pupils (all of their Year 5 cohort) took part in the Drama workshops. Each workshop was supported by 3 Grange staff and 4 Sixth Form students.
In 2019, 52 primary school pupils (all Year 5) took part in the Drama workshops. Each workshop was supported by 3 Grange staff and 4 Sixth Form students.
Frequency
Each of the workshops lasted between for 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours.
They take place as part of the Activity Day programme, which occurs annually. The subjects offered can vary slightly according to staff availability and demand from primary schools.
The intention is to run the sessions again.