Saturday Maths
Southwark Community Educational Charity (SCEC) is a registered charity which operates three schemes of enrichment classes at Dulwich Foundation Schools for pupils at participating Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham state primary schools. See scec-uk.org.uk
The Alleyn's Saturday Maths scheme runs each Saturday morning offering 50 Year fives from local primary schools to enjoy enriching maths extension work. We have four experienced and passionate maths teachers who are supported by team of over 30 Year 11 mentors from Alleyn's.
Aims
The project aims to build on the work done by local primary schools by providing enrichment and extension classes for children in small groups, to improve learning and confidence ih Maths before secondary transfer
Background
The project was started in 1992 by a local teacher and educationalist who perceived a need to provide extra tuition for pupils in local maintained sector primaries, who were often being taught in large groups. This was soon expanded to include a Maths extension class run by Alleyn's School and eventually ere placed on a surer footing by the creation of a separate registered charity, Southwark Community Education Charity, under whose auspices the schemes are run.
Resources
The Alleyn's Junior School provide superb facilities in the form of a large hall for arrival, registration and large-scale maths challeges. Four well-equipped classrooms are then used for teaching enriching maths concepts.
When hosting the Saturday Maths scheme, Alleyn's supports SCEC by providing facilities, equipment, refreshments and fully trained members of staff to oversee the scheme on Saturday mornings.
Alleyn's provides two trustees, its Head and Asssistant Head Co-Curricular and Partnerships to sit on the board of the Charity and oversee its strategic direction.
This year we were delighted to welcome a record forty Year 11 mentors who, on the first Saturday of term, were given safeguarding training as well as guidance on how to mentor younger children. Week-by-week our students provide valuable support for the Year 5s and, in teaching others, have developed considerably themselves.
Impact
In collaboration with the educational charity ImpactEd, we have used a comprehensive surveying approach to assess the impact of all our partnership programs including Saturday Maths. In addition to traditional qualitative measures, we have examined the influence on non-cognitive skills such as openness, wellbeing, motivation, self-efficacy, and grit among partner pupils and Alleyn’s mentors.
Our assessment began with benchmarking data collected in October, followed by a repeat survey in March.
With the guidance of ImpactEd, we are developing a nuanced understanding of the program's impact, an approach that will develop in the year ahead and help us make informed decisions in future development.
Responses to surveys show that our visiting pupils intend to apply what they have learnt at Saturday Maths back to their own schools. Suggestions for project improvement include longer breaks and more interaction. Many express readiness to share knowledge with classmates and appreciate mentors' guidance, aiming to excel in areas such as decimals. Confidence and support from mentors bolstered visiting pupils’ resolve to excel academically and even to assist their peers.
In 2022/23, partner pupils at the final data point reported an average extraversion score of 3.66 out of 5 – 4.3% above the national average. In 2023/24, extraversion levels were reported at the final data point as 3.71 out of 5 – 5.8% above the national average and an increase of 1.3% compared to the previous year.
Quotes:
"The Alleyn’s mentors have helped me by giving me advice on things that I am not too sure on."
"When I’m a bit confused, they help me by telling me methods on how to work it out."
· "I will learn to adapt to my class mates and I will be more supportive to my friends also I’ll do better in class. “[The mentors] have helped me a lot and I have learned different methods that make maths fun. By learning different methods."
· "I will use it by recapping what I've done here. They have helped me very much when I needed help. I think they were the best as possible so I’d say to change nothing."
· "I will use this in school and in the future. They helped me learn more.
Pupil Involvement
Partner Pupils: 50 Year 5s
Alleyn’s Pupils: F:25, M:14, Total: 39
Our partner pupils come from the following schools: Goodrich, Dog Kennel Hill Crawford, Primary, The Belham, Harris, Elm Wood, Lyndhurst, Heber Primary School, Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich, Bessemer Grange Primary School, St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, St John's & St Clement's, Dulwich Wood, Ivydale, Rye Oak, St Francesca Cabrini, St John's (Rotherhithe).
Frequency
Each Saturday morning from September until the Easter holiday. 10am to 12pm.
