Spear Harrow
The Resurgo Trust's Spear Programme is designed to help young people gain employment by addressing attitudinal and motivational issues associated with entering the workforce and to develop the skills required to sustain them in ongoing employment. Boys from Harrow School provide practical support and help with fundraising for the Spear Harrow Programme, which runs courses at St Peter's Church in Harrow.
Aims
The Resurgo Trust's Spear Programme is designed to help young people gain employment by addressing attitudinal and motivational issues associated with entering the workforce and to develop the skills required to sustain them in ongoing employment. Boys from Harrow School provide practical support and help with fundraising for the programme and, through this, become more outward looking and compassionate. It also gives them opportunities for developing leadership skills.
Spear Harrow benefits from the financial support the school works to offer, and from the renewable pool of enthusiastic volunteers.
Background
The partnership came about through the Head Master's vision for the philanthropic activities of Shaftesbury Enterprise at Harrow School, and Resurgo's desire to expand the Spear Programme.
Resources
The courses take place at St Peter's Church in Harrow. Three members of Harrow teaching staff support the boys participating in the programme. Harrow School hosts and pays for an annual Spear Harrow Celebration for 80 guests. The school has also offered to pilot work experience placements for Spear trainees in conjunction with the Harrow School Estates team. The school is also hoping to secure an annual donation towards the running costs of the Spear Harrow Centre.
Impact
The Spear Harrow partnership is constantly evolving. A third-year review has recently taken place, following which all parties wish to continue with the partnership. This has resulted in the formation of the Spear Harrow Trust.
It proved more difficult than anticipated to find ways of involving Harrow boys with the Spear Harrow Programme in a sustainable way throughout the year, particularly with facilitating their direct involvement in the Spear Harrow training room. However, as both Harrow boys and Spear trainees have reported such positive experiences from their interaction at these sessions, a number of modifications are in progress to streamline and continue this involvement in the future.
Pupil Involvement
Boys in the Sixth Form provide support as Spear Harrow Volunteers. They liaise with school staff and Spear Harrow staff. Two boys are lead ambassadors for Spear Harrow and serve on the Harrow School Spear Committee, which oversees the school's involvement with the Spear Harrow Programme and meets at least four times a year.
Fifteen boys support the Spear coaches and trainees in the training room and act as positive role models for the trainees. They assist with proof reading CVs and cover letters in one-to-one sessions, model professional behaviour and language when participating in group sessions and support coaches in setting up the training room and preparing resources..
Frequency
The Spear Harrow Programme is a six-week programme that takes place six times a year. Two ninety-minute sessions take place every weekday afternoon for the duration of each course, between 2.00pm and 5.00pm. Both parties wish to continue with the partnership indefinitely.