St Albans School and Maple Primary School Partnership
Master classes are run every Friday afternoon during term time by St Albans School teaching staff. Classes in Design and Technology, Computing 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 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.
A timetable is established at the start of each academic year with each school participating for either a term or half a term. This year Maple Primary pupils from Year 5 have attended Drama and DT lessons on Friday afternoons at our school. Our Maths and French teachers have visited Maple School weekly to give extension lessons during the Spring term.
Aims
The aim of the project is to provide Maple School pupils with the opportunity to use facilities not normally available to them in their school and to benefit from the guidance of specialist St Albans School staff. 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 and the Sixth Form assistants from St Albans School benefit from working out in the community and learn valuable soft-skills.
Background
Maple 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 the Maths and French lessons, D&T and Drama projects are also provided.
Impact
Feedback is received from both the Head and 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
Four Lower Sixth pupils help with the Drama masterclasses and two with DT. We also have ex-Maple Sixth Formers serving as a classroom assistants every Friday afternoon during term time.
This year we have had a class of 30 Maple pupils from Year 5 attending DT and Drama lessons at St Albans School on Friday afternoons.
Frequency
Activities take place weekly during specified terms throughout the academic year on a rotational basis.