St Albans School and Killigrew Primary School Partnership

Master classes are run every Friday afternoon during term time by St Albans School teaching staff. Classes in Design and Technology, Information Technology and Science are run at St Albans School, where the pupils get the opportunity to use equipment and facilities not normally available to them in their Primary School. Drama, Music and Art sessions are also run on Fridays; these take place either at St Albans School or out in the Partnership School according to need and locality of the Partnership school. Maths, STEM and French teachers also visit Partnership schools to run extension classes for different groups of pupils. Lower Sixth students assist the St Albans School teachers with the running of the Master classes in addition to those helping out as classroom assistants.

Each academic year all the local schools involved in our Partnership scheme are invited to state which activities they would like to get involved in. A timetable is then set up by the Head of Partnership, with each school participating for either a term or half a term.

Aims

The aim of the project is to help provide specialist teaching to children in state schools in the St Albans community. Our staff is able to cover specific areas of the Primary School curriculum as requested by the Partnership School. It is also our aim to provide St Albans School teachers and students the opportunity to work in a different environment with children of different ages. The Sixth Form assistants from St Albans School benefit from working out in the community and learn valuable soft-skills.

Background

Killigrew Primary School is a local Primary school, it is one of our feeder schools for boys at age 11 and we have a long-standing relationship with the school.

Resources

The main resource is the time provided by St Albans School staff and pupils; time is spent on the project by the teaching staff and Sixth Form assistants, as well as by the Head of Partnership who coordinates the programme. Materials for sessions are also provided as necessary. We provide transport for teachers and pupils attending these sessions.

Impact

Annual feedback is received from the Killigrew teachers who are enthusiastic and appreciative of the support provided. St Albans school teachers and pupils fill in a feedback form each year about their experiences.

Pupil Involvement

Five Lower Sixth pupils help with the Music masterclasses. We also have two pupils who are ex-pupils of the school who volunteer as classroom assistants.

This year Killigrew's pupils have attended Maths, STEM and French lessons provided by St Albans School teachers and had sessions with our Music teacher and Sixth Form musicians.

Frequency

Activities take place weekly during term time throughout the academic year, on a rotational basis.