St Swithun’s Winchester schools partnership programme shortlisted for national TES award

Photo: St Swithun’s pupils running a science activity.

St Swithun’s School, Winchester, has been shortlisted for a prestigious TES Independent School Award in the Independent-State School Partnership category.

St Swithun’s has been recognised for developing a significant and sustainable primary schools enrichment programme and for delivering a range of activities that positively impacts the lives of over 500 local primary school pupils every year from its partner schools.

Each week, 150 children from five local primary schools take part in science, maths, French, drama, art and reading with St Swithun’s pupils and staff. In addition, St Swithun’s provides 35 hours of free swimming pool use, tuition and transport to and from the pool every week, saving each of the participating primary schools an average of £3,000.

180 pupils and 15 staff from St Swithun’s are involved in the partnerships initiative, delivering 170 hours of enrichment activities to the primary children and positively improving their own collaborative and creative skills, confidence and concern for society. The impact on St Swithun’s pupils is measured against the values, attitudes and attributes which are pillars of its High Performance Learning programme.

The independent-state school partnership has led to the formation of a Primary Schools Science Hub. Spearheaded by Head of Science at St Swithun’s, the hub aims to share resources and thus enhance the delivery of science teaching in primary schools. One of its first innovations is Science in a Suitcase, a pack including equipment, materials and teaching resources which is loaned to local primary schools.
St Swithun’s headmistress, Jane Gandee said ‘the most important outcome of our partnerships work is the positive impact on the children in our local primary schools and the indirect benefits to our own pupils. However, it is very rewarding for our pupils and staff involved with the programme to be recognised by the TES awards, and we look forward to finding out who the overall winner is in February.’