Partnerships Report 2022-24

Partnerships Report

2022-24

“I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellowbeing, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

William Penn, Quaker, 1644 – 1718

“Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the outside world, which is in keeping with the school’s Quaker ethos. This is because the school provides many opportunities for pupils to positively contribute to the lives of others. This takes place regularly through the highly successful nationally acclaimed outreach programme.”

ISI Report, published Jan 2022, Excellent in All Areas

OVER 25 PRIMARY SCHOOLS ENGAGED

4 SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENGAGED

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE ACROSS 4 SCHOOLS

OVER 1/3 OF OUR TEACHING STAFF CONTRIBUTE TO THE PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH PROGRAMME

360 HOURS OF POOL TIME FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT

OVER 6,000 HOURS OF VOLUNTEERING

272 HOURS OF LITERACY SUPPORT

IT SUITE & YAMAHA INSTRUMENTS GIVEN TO PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS

TEEN TIPS SOFTWARE AVAILABLE TO PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS

OVER 1,300 KS2 STUDENTS ENGAGED WITH STEAM EVENTS

OVER £75,000 IN DONATIONS FROM LEIGHTON PARK TRUST, LEIGHTON PARK FAMILIES AND OLS TO PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMMES AND CHARITIES

OVER £1.3M IN BURSARIES

Introduction from Tash Coccia,

Senior Assistant Head: Partnerships &

Co Curricular

We are immensely proud to be part of the Reading community, and we are equally proud to be a Reading school, grateful to work alongside wonderful neighbours and committed colleagues in the borough. The work our students, staff and parents undertake in this area of LP life, is firmly cemented by our Quaker values. These values are not bolt ons! They are actions, service and the character of our community. They are embedded into the fibre of our daily life on and off the Park, woven into our curriculum and co-curriculum, our pastoral care and moments of collective silent reflection.

Our ambition is to develop kind and compassionate ethical changemakers of the future, who can take on the challenges of the modern world with determination and a values-driven purpose. We firmly believe all students have the capacity to make meaningful, long lasting and transformative contributions to their community when given the opportunities, but we know we cannot build these opportunities alone. They are only possible with your support and for this, we thank you.

Our biennial Partnerships Dinner celebrates the power of partnerships, and reflects on what we have achieved together as schools and charitable organisations. We hope you have a wonderful evening.

In friendship,

Tash Coccia Senior Assistant Head: Partnerships & Co-Curricular

Foreword from Pablo Gorostidi-Perez

Coordinator CAS, Charity & Social Impact

Creativity Action Service (CAS) is an integral part of the Leighton Park changemaker journey and develops student leadership for social action. Our goal is to develop internationally-minded people who will help create, in the future, a better and more peaceful world. Our Quaker values of Respect, Integrity, Equality, Peace and Sustainability are at the heart of CAS.

A recent survey of students evidenced that CAS helps them to undertake new challenges, to develop new skills, to work with others, to feel better about themselves and to be more confident. CAS impacts positively on their wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.

As CAS, Charity and Social Impact Coordinator I have seen students in action, writing poems, playing music, designing and producing keychains made of recycled wood collected on the Park; I have witnessed our students conducting choirs, helping other students with their literacy skills, and I have observed our students blossoming into mature and responsible human beings, aware of the needs of others. It is a privilege to witness this side of our education system.

Together, we can help shape our students, so they are fully prepared to face the challenges (known and unknown) of our ever-changing world.

In friendship,

Pablo Gorostidi-Perez Coordinator CAS, Charity and Social Impact

Spotlight on CAS

The Leighton Park Creativity, Action & Service (CAS) programme develops students as young adults equipped with essential lifelong skills of communication, collaboration and the confidence to take initiative. It is part of our unique timetable across Years 7, 8, 10 and 12 and also sits within our academic IB Diploma. The programme is deeply rooted in a values based approach to education, making it the perfect companion to our curriculum at Leighton Park.

In 2022-2024 our Year 10 students visited The Ridgeway Primary School as part of our LP Buddies scheme. Each week students visit KS1 and KS2 students at the school to engage with arts and crafts, reading and games. They commit to this for an academic year, and often use this as the volunteering component for their Silver DofE Award. Further options include our Social Entrepreneurship course which generates funds for charities through ethical business practice such as the school’s Christmas Fair.

Partner organisations form the foundation of the Ethical Changemaking course in our Sixth Form Oakleaf Diploma. On Fridays, Lower Sixth students visit local schools through our Literacy Ambassadors program to support English literacy and language fluency. Our students are trained by Reading based charity, ABC to Read.

We are hugely grateful to Christ the King Primary, New Christchurch Primary, Whitley Park Primary and Whiteknights Primary for warmly welcoming our Lower Sixth students into their schools to work in partnership.

“The Year 10s were great. It is so good that there were enough so that every Year 5 pupil could have support if needed. The children had such a lovely time, it was so nice to see the progress that they made in just one lesson.”

Hannah Wells, Deputy Head, The Ridgeway Primary School

Spotlight on Sport

The positive impact of sport and healthy lifestyles is shared through a variety of experiences led by our Sports Scholars and students on our Sports Leadership Award programme.

KS2 Festival of Sport

We welcome Whitley schools onto the Park each term for a Festival of Sport in our major sports. Autumn Term brings football tournaments onto our top field, the Spring Term champions netball skills development and mini matches on the courts and in the Summer Term we celebrate hockey on our astro. All students are treated to a skills development session with our students, followed by a series of activities and matches to apply what they have learnt. It would not be complete without the famous LP breakfast baps and hot chocolate of course!

Swimming Partnerships

The LP pool is used three times a week by maintained partnership schools with a range of support from coaches, external swimming teachers and our own students on the Sports Leaders Award programme. We are committed to supporting local schools making their swimming programme as cost effective as possible. Secondary school students have also benefited from taking their examinations in sport in our pool with support from our PE department. We believe every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim as a life skill.

Sports Leaders

Students at Leighton Park are encouraged to take sports leadership qualifications at level 2 and level 3 as part of their personal development and commitment to our Quaker values. During the last two years, our sports leaders have led coaching sessions for Reading and Wokingham students in football, hockey, netball, cricket, swimming and rugby, as well as supporting primary school sports days.

“We got to play tag rugby, I’ve never played it before but it’s good! I’ve scored seven tries in two games!”

Shakai, Year 5, Whitley Park Primary

“It gave me a chance to really work on my leadership skills and find a way to communicate with everyone and improve some of the skills that we have learnt.”

Albie, Upper Sixth Sports Scholar, Leighton Park

Spotlight on STEAM & Sustainability

STEAM education transcends traditional boundaries between disciplines. We want all students to have the skills to thrive in a fastchanging world, equipping them to play an active role in tackling the global challenges facing humanity, such as Climate Change, Food Security, the 4th Industrial Revolution and Gender Equality.

At Leighton Park, this approach extends to our partnership work, inviting students from across Reading to participate in green careers events such as The Green Business Breakfast hosted by Sir Alok Sharma in partnership with Blessed Hugh Faringdon School, The University of Reading and Reading business leaders.

“Leighton Park has offered real synergies to Blessed Hugh’s culture of continuous improvement. Whether through the groundbreaking Green Business Breakfast, media master classes, maths mentoring or the signature Women in Leadership program, this partnership has directly benefited young people as well as staff, underpinned by deep mutual respect and a real commitment to the town of Reading.”

Dr Simon Uttley, Headteacher, Blessed Hugh Faringdon

Our Maths scholars develop Maths skills through a unique Royal Institute of Science masterclass series for greater depth mathematicians from local schools. Year 6 students are identified by their teachers for this two term programme and are minibused onto the Park for six sessions of bespoke Maths mastery, culminating in a celebratory award ceremony in London in the Summer.

“Our pupils have been highly motivated and enthused by the Maths that they have been exposed to and they have absolutely loved exploring the open-ended questions. They have been inspired by the pupils leading the sessions and we are very fortunate that our pupils have had the opportunity to spend time with these students, who have been great role models for them. The pupils have all grown in confidence and become even more curious and enthusiastic about Maths.”

Karen Feather, Head, Southcote Primary School

“I have loved the STEAM masterclasses at this school, it is so fun being taught by the older students. My favourite session was learning about the Mobius Strip. I now know I want to eventually become an astrophysicist. I have always been interested in space and would love to be a scientific researcher.”

Shriya, Year 6, Katesgrove Primary School

Our annual STEAMFest brings an impressive 300 students onto the Park during the day to explore how STEAM solutions can be used to resolve problems or to inspire young minds with some amazing STEAM themed interactive experiences. The sessions aim to develop collaboration, communication and creative problem solving skills cited by the World Economic Forum as the top skills required for future workforce . We are one of only a handful of schools to offer the Engineering GCSE in addition to the Global Perspectives iGCSE.

“STEAMFest is a wonderful event; to see the joy on the children’s faces as they get to try something that they don’t get to do in other situations.”

Rachel Milhofer, Chemistry teacher, Leighton Park

“This is our first year at STEAMfest and we had a really, really good time. It’s given all the children the opportunity to work together and they’ve learnt lots about a humanitarian crisis. We set a homework task on it and lots of children came back and shared what they thought were important things to have in a humanitarian crisis. They’ve really, really enjoyed themselves.”

Shakira

Whight, Year 5 teacher, The Hill Primary School

Spotlight on Arts & Culture

Let’s Dance

Our annual Let’s Dance showcase celebrates the work of LOOP Dance Company at Leighton Park alongside Dance scholars and those taking GCSE and A Level in the discipline. Every year we open the Main Hall event with a partnership school performance, prepared by visits to partner schools. Leighton Park students lead rehearsal sessions and choreography workshops to help devise performance pieces.

“I

love any opportunity to work with younger students, as it enables all of us to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with them. The most enjoyable thing about teaching the Year 5s Dance, is seeing their smiles when they have learnt it and watching them grow and develop as the session goes on!”

Cali, GCSE Dance Student, Leighton Park

“Branching out and sharing our experience, creativity, and time with the other schools in the Reading community really embodies Leighton Park’s ethos as well as helping spread the message of sustainability, stewardship and peace, which are all core values of Leighton Park.”

Kabir, Upper Sixth A Level Art Student, Leighton Park

Art & Design Workshops

The Art & Textiles department visits KS2 students around the borough to offer a range of workshops such as sculpture making, al fresco drawing and batik techniques linked to curriculum projects and as a response to global issues such as climate change through COP. Artists in residence as well as specialist staff and art scholars share their skills with younger students to inspire them to use creativity as a means of values driven expression.

“Research consistently demonstrates the positive effects of music on enhancing our mood, reducing stress, developing cognitive abilities such as memory and concentration as well as improving self-esteem and selfconfidence. We are excited and committed to extending our music provision to our partner schools in Reading in order to help support self-expression, creativity, educational growth and holistic development.”

Rosemary Scales, Director of Music, Leighton Park

The Leighton Park and Kennet Music Partnership

In order to support the development of Music education with the Kennet Federation of Schools we have set up The Leighton Park and Kennet Music Partnership.

The partnership was established in 2023 to enable more students at Katesgrove and Southcote Primary Schools to have regular access to Music education. The students are mentored by our Music scholars through weekly visits where they lead lunchtime Music clubs, forming part of a partnerships choir. This hugely exciting mutually beneficial partnership is built on Leighton Park’s ‘Music for all’ philosophy and the Kennet Federation’s ‘Aspire to be the best we can’ and ‘Soaring to Success.’

“Learning an instrument makes me feel excited. I couldn’t believe that I actually stood up in front of my class and performed in front of them! After the performance, I was impressed with myself. I wish our lessons were longer, I enjoy them so much”.

Roscoe, Year 4

Our goal is to raise funds each year in order to reach as many Kennet Federation children as possible to provide an exceptional Music education experience. We are hugely grateful to the Federation for their joint leadership in this endeavour.

A special thank you to the Harris Family (Old Leightonians) for their donation to help set up the Partnership which has extended to woodwind and strings instrumental lessons for children in Year 4.

“I

feel good in the lessons. When we first started the lessons, I felt nervous, but now...I feel good and I like performing. I felt proud of myself after performing in front of the class.”

Isha, Year 4

“Working with Leighton Park to establish the LP & Kennet Music Partnership has been transformational for our children. Together, we have been able to bring live music to all our children and enable them to develop skills we would never have been able to nurture and develop in isolation. We have also had the unintended consequence of sharing our musical talents for the benefits of the Reading community and charities such as partnership choir performance at Reading Station for RBC at Christmas.”

Lisa Telling, Executive Head, The Kennet Federation

Spotlight on EDI & Wellbeing

“As a Quaker School, gender equality is very important to our core values and ethos. We aim to promote a school community free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. I am proud to work at a school that genuinely values and celebrates difference.”

Nicky Hardy, Deputy Head Pastoral, Leighton Park

Leighton Park is committed to working with Diverse Educators and #WomenEd as part of a series of CPD opportunities for Reading Borough cross sector teachers and school leaders.

In 2022 We hosted our first cross sector Women in Leadership Conference. In 2023 we established the Berkshire Women’s School Leadership Network to bring Reading educators together under one banner for bespoke CPD. Ethical Leader and Diverse Educator, Hannah Wilson, hosted a Positive Intelligence supper club and series of #IamRemarkable training sessions online for the network. In ‘PD Twilights’ we have welcomed Bennie Kara, author of Diversity in Schools to lead DEI curriculum training for middle leaders as well as equalities training by multi-award winning inclusion advocate, Dr Shaun Dellenty.

As a school we celebrate female empowerment and mark International Women’s Day each year as a community.

The Female Lead Ambassadors & Society

We are extremely proud of our educational partnership with the female empowerment organisation, The Female Lead.

The Female Lead’s aim is ‘’to fuel the confidence of young women and empower them to take the lead in their lives and future careers’. In 2023, Leighton Park enrolled as a Female Lead Ambassador School with nine other schools across the UK. Students from Years 11 to 13 were trained by the organisation and have since been provided with resources to run a fortnightly society. In 2024, 49 girls from the society were invited to attend the Inspiring Careers networking event in London, offering access to a network of experts who offered meaningful engagement in topical issues including diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and jobs of the future in additional to bespoke careers mentoring with a female lead.

Spotlight on Community Engagement

Amicus

Amicus is our student led co-curricular society in charge of organising whole school charity events. They fundraise in support of local and international charities such as Reading Family Aid, a charity that launches their annual Toys and Teens Appeal, providing Christmas presents to children in Reading.

“Having the school available as a donation point was extremely helpful so thank you for making the space and the time available. And of course your wonderful donations from the school community.”

Reading Family Aid

Internationally Amicus have supported the Cataracts Appeal in Ethiopia. In 2023, through donations raised in Leighton Park, 48 people were operated on for cataracts. Other student-led appeals include the Valentine’s Day Rose Appeal, the Red Nose Day appeal and the Community Social Action Litter Collection in RG2.

PSC and Whitley CDA

The Leighton Park Parent and Staff Community (PSC) create gift boxes for families in need in Whitley every Christmas. Whitley ward is adjacent to the school and has a significant number of homes under financial pressure, especially during December.

The Whitley Community Development Association (Whitley CDA) work in partnership with the PSC to match Whitley families to LP families each year, so every family member receives a gift and seasonal treats. The Christmas box drop takes place in the final week of the Autumn Term through volunteers at school and The Hub on Northumberland Avenue.

“We are so proud to say that we are partners with this amazing school. Thank you so much for your kindness on behalf of the residents of Whitley.”

Dr Trisha Bennett, Community Development Coordinator, Whitley CDA

House Charities

Our four Houses; Bentsi-Enchil, Cadbury, Fox and Tubman focus their efforts on fundraising throughout the year for a dedicated charity. In 2023/2024 Tubman House is supporting The Cowshed, Cadbury House supported PACT (Parents and Children Together), Bentsi-Enchill House supported Daisy’s Dream and Fox House supported Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice. In 2022/23 we supported The Cowshed, Launchpad Reading, Homestart and Alexander Devine.

“It has been a privilege to be a member of Tubman House Charity where I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a group of diverse, diligent, and passionate people who are unanimously entrenched in serving our community. I experienced a sense of empowerment by finding ways to have a substantial impact on our community that extended beyond fundraising.”

Tanvi, Lower Sixth Boarder,Leighton Park

Matthew Pott Award

The Matthew Pott Award recognises long term projects, developed and delivered by student(s), which have a positive impact on our community and the world around us.

In 2022, this prestigious prize was awarded to a Year 8 student, Leo Herans, who responded to the needs of peers by creating LTA Psychology, a channel on YouTube with a series of curated of videos to help alleviate panic attacks, interrupt negative thinking patterns and improve relationships between parents and teenagers during lockdown. His impact was felt by many in his own year group and others throughout the school. He is the youngest recipient in the history of this award, and was commended for his courageous changemaking values in relation to mental health.

“Celebrating kindness and compassion manifesting in practical actions seems a vital part of being a student at Leighton Park. We all have a part to play in this world that could and should make a difference to the lives of others”.

Wendy Potts, parent of Matthew Potts, Old Leightonian

“Partnering with Leighton Park has opened the doorway to enriching our pupils’ lives through amazing events such as the reading buddies, author visits, enrichment days for DT, sports and access to facilities that a small primary school can only ever dream of! It has also opened the door to some amazing personal CPD for us as leaders and supported us in leading our school to the best of our ability. It is a partnership we are proud to be part of and one that we are very fortunate to have.”

Ali Crooks, Co-Head New Christchurch Primary School