Arete Partnership Report 2024_25

ARETE PARTNERSHIP End of Year Report 2024-25 Gordon’s School • Robert May’s School Woking High School • Blenheim High School

TRAINING & ENTERPRISE This year, we continued our commitment to developing leadership skills among our student leaders through the ILM (Institute of Leadership & Management) programmes at both Level 2 and Level 3. ·

ILM Level 2 took place over two days in June 2025 and was hosted by Woking High School. This event brought together students from all four Arete Partnership schools, with the exciting addition of Alderwood School, who are considering joining the Partnership. Gordon’s School contributed 40 Junior Prefects, with a total of 120 students participating across all schools. All students passed and received their certificates at the ILM 2 Awards Evening hosted by Gordon’s school.

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ILM Level 3 was hosted by Gordon’s School in February 2025 and was offered to Senior Prefects. We were joined by delegates from Blenheim School, with 12 students participating in total. All Gordon’s students have completed their assignments and are currently awaiting results.

Looking ahead, we are in the planning stages of introducing ILM Levels 5 and 7 for staff and teachers. This will provide further professional development opportunities and is targeted for launch by September 2026.

STUDENT EVENTS Woking High School has been taking the lead in organising The Arete Student Enrichment Programme, recently delivering a vibrant series of events spanning academic, creative, and sporting disciplines. Students from all four Arete Partnership Schools came together to engage, compete, and collaborate in a truly enriching year of opportunities.

A Day of Innovation and Excitement!

The first Non-Sports Enrichment day event of 2025, saw all four Arete Schools coming together for a vibrant celebration of creativity and talent.

The day was filled with exciting competitions in Business, Baking, Chess, Astronomy, e-Sports, and Coding designed to develop creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, giving students opportunities to explore STEM subjects, entrepreneurial thinking, and the arts beyond the classroom.

Activities included: Business Challenge: In the business segment, teams of six from each school faced a tough challenge: to design a product or service in one of three categories - children’s toys, revision/study aids, or wearable technology. Each team dedicated themselves to extensive research and brainstorming, transforming their ideas into innovative concepts. They worked diligently to refine their ideas, transforming them into realistic and innovative products that showcased their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. The judging panel posed tough questions to each of the four teams, challenging them to think on their feet.

It was remarkable to see the passion and business acumen displayed as the teams articulated their ideas clearly and confidently, demonstrating both quick thinking and thorough preparation. Blenheim School emerged as the overall winner with their ground-breaking concept for wearable technology in the medical profession.

The judges were impressed by the passion and acumen displayed by all teams.

Biscuit Challenge: Our students truly showcased their culinary skills and artistic flair in an event that buzzed with creativity and enthusiasm. The atmosphere in the food room was amazing, filled with the delightful aromas of freshly baked biscuits and the spirit of competition. Each school brought their unique touch to the challenge, and it was inspiring to see such innovation on display. Gordon’s School took home the overall championship with the winning entry dazzling the judges with delicious flavours and original design. The countless hours spent in practice certainly showed, and their achievement has filled our school community with pride and excitement. The camaraderie witnessed among the competing teams was uplifting, as students exchanged tips and motivated one another.

Python Programming Competition The intense Python programming competition was a real test of our students’ coding prowess. In teams of four, 32 participants tackled various complex challenges, demonstrating their logic and problem-solving skills. With quick thinking and teamwork, Blenheim School emerged as the winners after an exhilarating 45 minutes of coding under pressure. Well done to all who participated. Following the coding competition, students enjoyed a handson workshop, where they learned to code a Micro:Bit device using Python.

It was a fantastic opportunity to enhance computational thinking and refine problem-solving abilities!

e-Sports - Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Tournament The air was electric as students engaged in a thrilling Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. tournament. Eight players from each school showcased their skills and strategies, leading to nail-biting matches that had spectators on the edge of their seats. With cheers echoing through the venue, a talented player from Gordon’s School ultimately claimed victory and secured the coveted championship trophy.

Chess Tournament Our chess tournament concluded with closely contested matches, with Gordon’s School finishing in first place with an impressive 17 points, just edging out Woking High School, who followed closely behind at 16 points.

Astronomy Masterclass Convention Dr Ashton, Head of Astronomy and Teacher of Science, led the students from the four schools through an Astronomy Masterclass where students were introduced to the night sky. Discussions and questions were posed by students on the nature of black holes, multiple universes, dark matter and alien life. The students learnt the most common constellations and how they can be used to locate various nebulae and galaxies in the night sky. The students signed up for access to a research-level remote robotic telescope so that they could take images of some of these astronomical objects in their own time and the students were then trained how to use free software to align and edit images taken through telescopes.

The session was a resounding success and all the students from each school were thoroughly engaged. Dr Ashton was very pleased with the thought that went into the questions posed during the session and the effort put into completing the tasks.

All students who participated in the challenges were awarded trophies, Arete medals, and certificates, celebrating their hard work and dedication.

Student Masterclass Conventions Masterclasses have been added to the mix, starting off with the Astronomy Masterclass, now in its second year, with Blenheim hosting a Space-themed masterclass. We are looking forward to the Forensic Engineering masterclass and Rise of the Machines Robotics masterclass.

Space-themed Masterclass Blenheim High School ran the Masterclass in association with the National Space Centre, Leicester. Students learnt about how telescopes work, made their own and investigated how light is inverted as it passes through lenses, much as it is in our own eyes. They then used this knowledge to understand how the Hubble & James Webb telescopes work and looked at photographs of nebullae taken with both telescopes. Students were also given the opportunity to learn a little about rocket design, making and testing their very own rockets to see how high and fast they could be launched. This was a fantastic experience for the students involved.

Music Competition A dedicated music event highlighted outstanding performance and composition across the Arete Schools.

Woking High School came alive with the sound of music at the end of May as students their musical talents in the highly anticipated second Annual Arete Music Competition. This event brought together aspiring musicians in a celebration of creativity, discipline, and passion from Robert May’s School, Gordon’s School and Woking High School.

Competitors took part in six diverse categories: Vocal, Brass, Percussion, Woodwind, Strings, and Piano. Each category highlighted a unique facet of musical skill, from the power and expression of the human voice to the delicate artistry of piano and string instruments, the bold tones of brass, the rhythmic precision of percussion, and the melodic agility of woodwind performances.

Special guest adjudicator, esteemed Ben Costello, praised the students not only for their technical skill but also for their stage presence and interpretation of the pieces. The level of talent displayed was exceptional, and many performances earned very positive receptions from both the audience and Music staff from the different schools. Even the Mayor of Woking, Councillor Amanda Boote, was seen nodding her head along to the music!

Mr Peckham, Robert May’s Head of Music, said “The stand-out performances for me had to be the incredible tour de force of musical theatre from the insanely gifted vocalist, Kate Brazendale, from Gordon’s and the equally hugely talented pianist, Liam Ko, from Woking High School. Stars of the future, without a doubt. Staggeringly impressive performances from both.”

Cllr Amanda Boote said “I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to attend the Inter-School Music Competition. It was an honour to be able to give out the certificates and trophy prizes. I didn’t envy Ben, the adjudicator, as all the pupils who entered were very talented indeed!”

Overall winner was Seth White from Robert May’s School Arete World Geography Challenge Held in June and hosted by Gordon’s School, students in Years 8, 9 and 10 from all four Arete schools competed in the World Geography Challenge. The students all worked together very well in the mixed year group teams.

Sports Day: The year of events concluded in the Summer Term with a large-scale sports festival with 200 students representing their schools for the first time in a range of activities, including indoor rowing, badminton, rounders, dodgeball, mountain biking and, for the first time, dance. Every participant competed with determination and pride, showcasing excellent sportsmanship throughout the morning.

The event was very enjoyable and saw students competing alongside students from different year groups. Woking High School and Gordon’s were joint winners with Woking High School coming first for the second year running. Robert May’s School came a close second place winner.

All the teams received an Arete medal during the presentation ceremony, in recognition of their efforts and participations, with the winners taking the Arete Cup. Mr Harrison, Director of Sports at Gordon’s, said ‘It was a brilliant morning of sport and spirit – well done to all involved!’

DEVELOPING PRACTICE This report summarises the work of the Developing Practice strand of the Arete Partnership over the 2024-2025 academic year. The collaboration leveraged the collective expertise of staff from our four schools to improve professional practice, share best practice, and tackle common challenges in safeguarding, curriculum, and technology.

Our work this year was structured around focused meetings of key professional groups, which enabled in-depth discussions and the practical sharing of best practice. The Deputy Headteachers discussed whole-school revision strategies, parent engagement, and planned curriculum changes for the upcoming academic year. This group also began developing a collective Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy and shared insights from Ofsted inspections and departmental strengths. The Designated Safeguarding Leads met three times to discuss safeguarding patterns, share Ofsted outcomes, and address key issues such as online filtering and the use of mobile phones, with a focus on ensuring a consistent, proactive approach to student safety across the partnership. Our SENCOs also met to discuss critical support for vulnerable students, covering workload management, collaborative consults, engagement with local authorities, and general student wellbeing. Finally, the Careers and School Business Managers held meetings that were instrumental in supporting the operational and strategic health of the schools, focusing on budget assumptions, financial planning tools, and a coordinated approach to careers education.

The AI symposium in Autumn 2024 was a successful example of collaborative working across our partnership schools.

As well as an opportunity for all delegates to hear from a leading voice in AI in education, the symposium brought together a diverse group of individuals to share knowledge and discuss the evolving role of AI in education. The event fostered a shared understanding of AI’s potential benefits and challenges, allowing us to collaboratively explore practical applications and develop a unified approach to strategic planning. We look forward to the next symposium in Autumn 2025.

The success of the Developing Practice strand demonstrates the significant value of our collaboration. We have been able to leverage our collective expertise by sharing a wealth of knowledge, as seen in our collaborative work on the AI policy and the exchange of departmental strengths. The partnership has also accelerated professional development by facilitating targeted initiatives, such as the adoption of Step Lab at Blenheim High School, which would have been more difficult in isolation. Discussions on safeguarding and other key areas have also led to consistent and high-quality approaches across all schools.

The Developing Practice strand has been highly productive this year, strengthening professional relationships and collaborative habits that will continue to benefit all schools in the partnership. Our colleagues’ readiness to share, learn, and adapt their own practices is a testament to our success.

CAREERS The Careers Leads from each school now meet termly to share best practice, discuss developments, and identify further opportunities for joint initiatives. This growing partnership is helping each school to strengthen the development and implementation of effective careers programmes, ensuring excellent career outcomes for students and comprehensive engagement with the Gatsby Benchmarks. Through collaboration, the partnership supports a cohesive, high-quality approach to careers education that broadens opportunity and raises aspiration across all partner schools. It paid dividends for students last year with Woking High School and Blenheim High School taking part in a range of events hosted by Gordon’s School, including the Gordon’s School Careers Fair, industry talks as part of the Careers Insight Lecture Series, the Creative Careers Drop Down Day featuring workshops across Art, Music, Drama, Dance, and Photography. These enriching experiences proved highly valuable for students and will continue to be offered as part of the partnership’s collaborative approach this year.

In addition to shared events, the partnership has also facilitated discounted access to high-quality careers resources, including membership of Unifrog — a comprehensive online careers platform that supports both students and schools. Unifrog enables students to explore university courses, apprenticeships, and career pathways in one place, compare opportunities, record achievements, and build essential employability skills. For schools, it provides a robust system for tracking engagement, evaluating impact, and ensuring full alignment with the Gatsby Benchmarks.

COLLABORATION This year, departments, Deputy Heads, Teaching and Learning Leads, Learning Support and Headteachers have worked collaboratively across all four schools in a variety of ways; through virtual and in person meetings, in school wide competitions and through resource creation and sharing. A focus this year was on the use of AI to improve practice, staff from across the schools attended a symposium led by Robert May’s. Additionally, Teaching and Learning Leads spent a day at Gordon’s School sharing best practice, adaptive teaching and discussing their development plans for the coming year. As part of developing practice, Gordon’s has extended its partnership with the Commonwealth Education Trust to Blenheim, Woking High and Robert May’s. This partnership is invaluable in helping to end educational poverty across the globe. We are looking forward to broadening Aretes work with the Commonwealth this year.