Pupils' towering achievements at Saturday school

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Primary school pupils tested their science skills by building towers and making propellers as part of a day of activities to mark the end a ten-week Saturday school.

The celebration event for about 80 pupils from Hammersmith & Fulham and Richmond borough primary schools was hosted by St Paul's School, across Hammersmith Bridge, in Barnes. Children aged 10 and 11 took part in science and drama activities and joined a barbecue attended by teachers and headteachers from participating schools as well as parents and guests from the council and educational charity SHINE, which funds the Saturday school.

Dr Martin Stephen, the high master of St Paul's School, presented prizes and certificates of achievement to all the children who completed the programme, called Serious Fun on Saturdays. The celebration day took place on Monday, 4 July for all the pupils who have taken part in this term's Saturday school. Another ten-week programme begins in January.

The ten-week programme targeted pupils from 14 state primary schools in Hammersmith & Fulham and three state primary schools in Richmond - all of whom were identified as needing extra challenges or help through the 'gifted & talented' and 'widening participation' schemes of Excellence in Cities (EiC), the government's flagship education programme to raise achievement in inner city schools. The pupils are able to improve their knowledge of science, maths and English as well as geography, art and drama with the help of Serious Fun on Saturdays.

The Saturday school classes have been taught by teachers from two leading independent schools - Latymer Upper School, in Hammersmith, and St Paul's School, in Barnes - with the support of student mentors from those two schools. Serious Fun on Saturdays is run by Hammersmith & Fulham Council's primary EiC staff and project co-ordinator Michelle Burke. Funding has come from the educational charity SHINE: Support and Help in Education, which has given the Saturday school a three-year grant.

The programme, now in its second year, gives pupils five weeks at Latymer Upper School and five weeks at St Paul's School, allowing children to take advantage of the high quality facilities at both schools.

Yvonne Burke, primary advisory teacher for gifted & talented education from the council's EiC team, said: "The Saturday school has been going amazingly well since it started last year. The pupil turnout has been brilliant and they have done some really incredible work, which has raised achievement levels and given year six primary school children some excellent additional preparation for the move up to secondary school."

Cllr Melanie Smallman, cabinet member for education, said: "This challenging and imaginative programme stretches our most able pupils and gives extra support to children who need to raise their levels of achievement.
The independent school teachers who lead these wonderfully engaging classes, with the help of student mentors, have shown fantastic commitment to the programme, which has given local children some really exciting educational experiences to help prepare them for the move to secondary school in September.
The SHINE charity and our Excellence in Cities programme are helping to raise the aspirations of children from a wide range of backgrounds."

Stephen Shields, SHINE chief executive, said: "SHINE is serious about raising the achievement levels of children and young people through programmes which seek to engage and motivate them.
We took an active part in helping to develop this project and we are delighted that it is off to such a great start. All those involved in the programme delivery work very closely together and we hope that it will become a benchmark for excellence in independent-state school partnerships."

July 18, 2005