Independent and State School Partnerships
Many ISA schools are at the very heart of their local communities – and work closely with state schools, charities and other bodies in their areas. Contributing to the local community is central to the charitable ethos of ISA schools. Whether proprietorial or charitable trusts in their own right, many are engaged in exciting partnerships and projects within their local areas or even further afield.
Partnerships between ISA schools and those in the state sector involve the sharing of best practice, expertise and facilities to the benefit of children in all of the schools involved. Such partnerships are always two-way, with children and teachers from all backgrounds enjoying the benefits of collaborative work.
The impact made by ISA schools in their local communities continues to be showcased in the Celebrating Partnerships reports from the ISC. The endeavours of several of our schools were published in the 2021 and 2022 reports, which you can see highlighted below. Full issues can be seen here.
2022
ACS International Schools
Russian and Ukrainian staff, parents and students all within the ACS International Schools community came together to collect valuable resources for those in need. Working with partner schools, the ACS team used its minibuses to pick up a total of more than 1,200 boxes of supplies, which were then transported to Poland and Ukraine with the help of a global freight firm.
Every Saturday, ACS opens its facilities to host local Ukrainian families, offering basic, intermediate and advanced academic English classes alongside sporting, music and arts activities for the children. Students regularly visit the Bells Farm refugee drop-in centre to provide clothes, fruit, children’s toys and other essentials. Pupils also work in the café, creche and donations area for an afternoon each week.
- Twitter:
- @ACSPartnerships
- Website:
- www.acs-schools.com/partnerships
Old Vicarage School
Old Vicarage School (OVS) in Derby partnered with Walter Evans CE Primary to create Darley Abbey, a combined choir. The choir uses singing and sign language to spread joy within the local village and beyond. Regular rehearsals take place at both the schools and the local parish church of St Matthew’s. OVS head of school, Kerry Wise, teaches the children the sign language. The choir, which involves up to 40 young children at any given time, has received a hugely positive reaction from local residents and the wider region, and continues to go from strength to strength.
- Website:
- www.oldvicarageschool.co.uk/
Shoreham College
Sharing Shoreham is an exciting programme of activities designed to share Shoreham College’s excellent facilities and expertise with members of the local community. Each year, Year 5 pupils from a number of local state schools come together to enjoy Sharing Shoreham days promoting exploration and discovery in drama, history, geography, art and sport. Year 9 pupils at Shoreham College, along with the school’s junior head boy and girl, help make the children feel welcome. A Day of Sport enables local children to use the school’s heated open-air pool and sports equipment to develop their skills and teamwork. Termly Stay and Plays involve nursery-age children and their parents visiting the premises to enjoy themed mornings, along with fun and games as part of Shoreham College’s Forest School.
- Twitter:
- @ShorehamCollege
- Website:
- www.shorehamcollege.co.uk/
St Edward's Cheltenham
In 2019 the Cheltenham Education Partnership (CEP) was created, bringing together 11 state and independent schools, including St Edward’s Cheltenham, the University of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire College. The CEP is supported by a number of organisations across the town including Cheltenham Borough Council and GCHQ.
The partnership aims to provide outstanding educational opportunities for young people in Cheltenham and stimulating professional development for teachers. Among its many initiatives is the ChangeMakers Project, which aims to empower Cheltenham’s young people to take positive action towards sustainability and tackling climate change. At the launch event in November 2021, 30 students from across 10 CEP schools met with industry specialists and government officials to explore sustainable solutions to climate issues affecting their schools and community. In June of this year, 200 students from across all CEP schools and colleges came together for the CEP ChangeMakers Summit, where they presented and celebrated their efforts in front of local leaders and industry representatives. The Summit equipped students with the skills to create change, helped to drive curriculum changes in the University of Gloucester’s School of Education, and provided sustainability-focused professional development resources for teachers and trainees.
- Twitter:
- @CheltEduPart
- Website:
- www.stedwards.co.uk/
Ibstock Place School
Ibstock Place School hosts an annual ‘Make Me a Medic’ event, offering a unique insight into the broad and varied career paths in medicine. This year, Ibstock pupils were joined by those from five other local schools; St Cecilia’s, Orleans Park, Richmond Park Academy, Christ’s and The Kingston Academy, with over 70 students in attendance. Pupils learned about the different roles within a multi-disciplinary team and participated in four sessions designed to both inform and challenge perceptions. These consisted of a discussion on medical ethics, a Q&A with a panel of doctors, a session on personal statements and a session on mock medical interview questions, with the latter led by eight teachers from the participating schools. Following resoundingly positive feedback, the school looks forward to hosting the event again next year.
- Twitter:
- @IbstockSenior
- Website:
- www.ibstockplaceschool.co.uk/
Worksop College
Recognising the impact of cuts to performing arts funding on the state sector, Worksop College has partnered with Voces8, a world-renowned vocal ensemble, to offer free vocal workshops and concerts to local primary schools. This annual partnership brings the wider community together, while creating and fostering a love for music in children from the age of 10.
Dr John Price, Headmaster of Worksop College and Ranby House, adds: “Music is such an important, enriching aspect of education, and something that really brings people together. Watching young voices from across the region lifted in song is such a wonderful experience – both for our pupils and those from joining schools.”
- Twitter:
- @worksopcollege
- Website:
- www.wsnl.co.uk/
2021
Luckley House School
Pupils from 4 local schools were invited to Luckley House School for a virtual dance workshop in April that offered children the opportunity to express themselves. The International Dance Day event has been followed up by another workshop this academic year for years 5 to 8.
- Twitter:
- @LuckleyHouse
- Website:
- www.luckleyhouseschool.org
Malvern St James' Girls School
The Wellbeing Collective was set up by Malvern St James’ Girls School back in 2019 and now involves around 25 educational institutions. The initiative to share good practice in pastoral care has been recognised by the Carnegie Institute of Mental Health and Wellbeing with a gold award.
- Twitter:
- @MalvernStJames
- Website:
- www.malvernstjames.co.uk
New Hall School
We’re proud to be associated with the first independent school in the country to sponsor a state primary school in New Hall School. Messing Primary pupils now have access to New Hall’s subject-specialist teachers, facilities like an indoor swimming pool - providing Messing Primary students with free lessons, and the partnership has also facilitated improved ICT resources, both from a teaching and learning perspective.
- Twitter:
- @NewHallSchool
- Website:
- www.newhallschool.co.uk
St Edward's Cheltenham
St Edward's are a part of the Cheltenham Education Partnership, involving secondary schools, as well as local organisations and charities. The #LaptopsForLearning scheme provided children in Cheltenham with the technology required to support home learning. A pupil-led podcast series has also developed as part of the initiative.
- Twitter:
- @StEdwardsChelt
- Website:
- www.stedwards.co.uk
ACS International Schools
The ACS International Schools, based in Hillingdon, Egham and Cobham, all contributed to initiatives that helped key workers, partner schools, charities and international relief plans as far as Nepal over the course of the pandemic. Funds were raised to source 100,000 meals for children facing food insecurities, over £85,000 for charities such as MIND, and 300 laptops were also provided to partner schools, alongside the virtual content necessary to facilitate remote learning.
- Twitter:
- @ACSintschools
- Website:
- www.acs-schools.com
The collaborative work of many of our schools (both charitable trust and proprietary) can be found on the SchoolsTogether website. Partnerships between state and independent schools can be seen on Twitter via #powerofpartnerships.
Schools across the ISA are also actively engaged in a whole range of charitable fundraising and practical work, both in the UK and abroad. Read more about those campaigns here.