STAHS Partnerships 2018-19

STAHS PARTNERSHIPS 2018-19

FOREWORD

Over

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Partners in learning, the community and beyond...

A clear, strong ethos of social responsibility lies at the heart of the High School. We are proud of the fact that our engagement with and contribution to St Albans and the wider Hertfordshire communities are at the centre of everything we do. Our vision to ‘deliver a transformational experience which educates young people for lives of consequence’ is deliberately broad and not limited to our own pupils.

We make a positive impact on our community in many ways, from being a responsible and ethical local employer to providing local schools and community groups with access to our facilities, to our community partnerships and charitable activities. Our reach is broad and our commitment to helping everyone (and young people in particular) in St Albans and the surrounding areas live happy, successful lives unhindered by socioeconomic, geographical, personal or other barriers to social inclusion and mobility is deep.

STAHS works with a wide range of partners to support raising aspirations across both the independent and maintained sectors for the benefit of the individual pupils involved and to improve outcomes and opportunities for all. Whether helping children develop a lifelong love of science in Luton’s primary schools, working on effective revision strategies with IntoUniversity students, sharing Mandarin lessons or volunteering locally, our students and staff learn, share and grow so much. They see things differently, make productive and illuminating connections and forge friendships. Our partnerships build productive links and widen the perspectives of everyone involved.

We believe wholeheartedly that engaging in meaningful partnerships produces extraordinary mutual benefits, and we will continue to encourage as many young people as possible to join with us in the great adventure of learning. I hope you enjoy looking through the many projects and activities the staff and students are working on. Please do get in touch if you would like to find out more about any of our exciting projects.

Amber Waite, Head

primary students participated in workshops, masterclasses and roadshows delivered by STAHS staff and students

Collaborations with 11 state primary, 7 secondary schools and 2 specialist provision schools in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and London

16 curriculum subjects/ departments have been involved in delivering partnership activities

32 hours

of GCSE and A Level revision provided by STAHS staff to students from state secondary schools attending IntoUniversity centres in Brent and Haringey

38 hours

of staff volunteering at IntoUniversity Haringey’s weekly Academic Support sessions

PROUD OF WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED 2018-2019 has been a great year for partnerships and collaboration, enriching both STAHS staff and students and our local community. We’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved together and look forward to continuing to share our learning and passion both inside and outside the school.

128 students

from STAHS have worked on partnerships projects

60+

Over 53 schools

from St Albans, Harpenden, Luton, Radlett, Brent, Haringey and Islington participated in STAHS activities

primary and secondary teachers have taken part in professional development activities delivered by STAHS staff

TAKING LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Art in primary schools

Stars@STAHS – bringing science to life

Forging a wonderfully creative partnership with Windermere Primary School, our Year 12 Art students have enjoyed engaging KS2 pupils (Years 3-6) in workshops on graphics, coloured chalks and watercolour – teaching fantastic new skills and having a lot of fun.

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Seeing Year 5 use watercolour paints for the first time was interesting in how they approached it. Some were careful and some more expressive and just went for it!

Ros, Year 12

This exciting project involved our Year 11 and 12 students engaging Year 5s from seven local primary schools in a spectacular evening of science, including stargazing in an inflatable planetarium, extracting DNA from fruit, and solving crimes. A fantastic opportunity for the primary students to enjoy real-world science in a laboratory setting, and for our students an invaluable taste of leadership.

Toddler Forest School Since 2016 we’ve run a popular Toddler Forest School, enabling local families to enjoy the rich outdoor learning environment of our Prep School grounds. These weekly sessions of outdoor activities for children from 18 months to 4 years (with their grown-ups) really connect them to the natural world and changing seasons in our school woods.

At STAHS we inspire in students a real awareness of the world around them and how to make it a better place.

As part of their STEM week, a group of Year 11 and 12 Geography students worked brilliantly with Denbigh Primary School’s Years 3 and 5 on the much-discussed topic of plastic pollution, really inspiring and engaging the younger children on the issue.

Being close to other schools provides perfect opportunities to share enriching events: we recently hosted a fascinating lecture from Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford, who shared her expert knowledge of Othello with A Level students from both STAHS and Sandringham School. A brilliant way to bolster knowledge before the exam season!

Summer Carousel Day

of Forest School sessions run for local families and pre-school children

Our Sixth Form on the road

In January, STAHS launched the Royal Institution St Albans Primary Masterclass series, in which students from five local state primary schools joined us for half-termly masterclasses on areas of mathematics beyond the primary curriculum – some of which are not usually encountered until Sixth Form or university! A great opportunity to build advanced maths skills and confidence, we’ll be running the masterclasses again in Autumn 2019.

Our Sixth Form have been developing close links with primary schools in Luton by running roadshows for Years 5 and 6 filled with Art, Science, Music, Maths and Geography activities.

From musical interactives to scientific discovery and thoughtprovoking drama workshops, the roadshows have entertained and challenged both our Sixth Formers and our partner students alike.

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The children have really enjoyed the regular visits they have had through the year and it has been lovely to see our children so engaged and excited to see what your students have devised to share with them.

Farley School, Luton

28 hours of workshops in STEM, Art and Geography designed and delivered

by Year 11 and 12 STAHS students at 3 partner primary schools, reaching over 300 Year 3 and 5 students

Year 5 students from partner primary schools in Luton, Harpenden and St Albans participated in our Stars@STAHS science discovery evening

Maths masterclasses

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Sixth Form Shakespeare

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48 hours

primary students from Luton and St Albans participated in Maths Masterclasses delivered in partnership with the Royal Institution and Aldwickbury School

STEM Week

Taking drama into the community Nothing beats the excitement and accessibility of drama to build strong links with local schools. We’ve run regular drama classes for Radlett Lodge which offers specialist provision for young people with autism, while Heathlands, a school for deaf students, has collaborated on workshops and performances and taken part in our Artist in Residence week. Our Drama Department also supported Heathlands by raising money to fund signers for their dance lessons.

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students from 3 schools attended the Prep School’s oneday music outreach event

For the fourth year running, 120 students from primary schools in Luton, St Albans and Harpenden enjoyed a day of enrichment workshops in Drama, Maths, Science and Art guided by STAHS staff and Year 12 students. Full of animated interactive exploration, the day is an engaging experience for all involved.

120

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The children came back into school so excited to tell us about their time with you. One child said the maths lesson was ‘the best ever’.

Sauncey Wood School, Harpenden

Year 5 students from partner schools in Luton and Harpenden participated in our Summer Carousel Day of learning

STAHS Children’s Book Festival Over 600 people from the local community came along to our inaugural Children’s Book Festival, a fabulous day of literary activities. Children came face-to-face with famous authors and illustrators, there was an open art competition, and a wonderful inter-schools contest to read a picture book in the most engaging way possible. A tremendous success, we hope the Festival will become a cherished annual community event.

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primary students across 4 schools visited by leading children’s authors as part of STAHS Prep Book Festival

INSPIRING AND SUPPORTING TEACHERS

HE AND CAREERS

Twilight Art

10 schools

IntoUniversity – inspiring young people to achieve

Oxbridge Admissions Conference Every year we are delighted to welcome neighbouring state schools to our conference. Oxbridge experts provide invaluable advice on how to apply. Our own alumnae return to share their experiences, and we run practice interview sessions for students.

60 students from neighbouring schools attended our Sixth Form Lectures

University Fair This brilliantly attended event in July brought together STAHS students from Year 9 upwards with others from 11 schools across Hertfordshire. With 26 top universities represented, as well as the Deloitte and GSK apprenticeship schemes, the evening was an amazing opportunity to find out about university options and speak to our own alumnae about their experience.

IntoUniversity is an excellent initiative supporting young people with no family history of higher education to attain a university place or another aspiration. It has been a great pleasure to partner with IntoUniversity over the past three years, working alongside the superb staff and students in the Haringey and Brent centres.

Physics Partners

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We have been delighted to provide STAHS teachers for February half term and Easter GCSE and A Level revision days. We have also been pleased to slot maths and science teachers into Academic Support sessions, along with UCAS mentoring and mock Oxbridge interviews by phone. We have even set up a Skype chemistry lesson for a stunningly bright Year 9 student, and we’d love to do more of this going forwards.

The commitment of the IntoUniversity staff and spectacular drive of their students are inspiring.

Jane, STAHS Deputy Head

Sixth Form Lecture Programme Our stimulating series of lectures for Sixth Formers encourages discussion and a love of learning that reaches far beyond our school gates. Our students join members of the local community, neighbouring schools, and students from nearby Samuel Ryder Academy to hear from inspirational speakers such as Jane Garvey (BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour), Laura Bates (British feminist writer) and Dr Emily Shukburgh (Climate Scientist).

attended the ‘Teaching Islam’ conference hosted by our RS Department

32

hours of GCSE and A Level revision sessions provided

by STAHS staff to students from state secondary schools attending IntoUniversity centres in Brent and Haringey

Partnerships across the pond

3 international partnerships with Oregard Copenhagen, Mentone Melbourne and Appalachian State University

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Alban Federation PGCE students from...

STAHS has established strong links with the Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and each year welcomes two of their Elementary Education majors on an international teaching placement.

The students join both the Senior and Prep School for a month, observing lessons, and teaching small groups and whole classes.

The Prep School’s Academic Deputy visited Appalachian State University in 2018 to observe their community and schools outreach programme, and lead a workshop for prospective teaching placement students.

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schools across Hertfordshire participated in our subject knowledge CPD delivered by...

STAHS is proud to be the lead school for the Physics Partners St Albans Partnership, an initiative driving the development of non-specialist physics teaching in state schools up to GCSE, involving Sandringham, Beaumont and St Albans Girls schools. This year, 11 of our Year 12 students were trained as STEM Ambassadors, who in turn trained Year 9 students to work with primary age children: a wonderful sharing of knowledge in schools.

As part of our collaboration with Windermere Primary, 16 of their staff joined us in the STAHS art studios for a Twilight Art workshop where they mastered the techniques of ceramics – and took a raft of new skills and teaching notes away with them.

Twilight Maths These subject enhancement sessions provide a forum for teachers from four local primary schools to share their experiences or difficulties. Areas of discussion included how to teach fractions and how to promote problem solving, an ever more important aspect of the new GCSE curriculum.

9 Teachers from local state secondary schools took part in a British Nutrition Foundation network training session delivered by STAHS staff

The Alban Federation The Alban Federation is a school-based teacher training centre with its headquarters at nearby Sandringham School. In our third year working with the Federation, STAHS welcomed over 50 trainee teachers from 24 Hertfordshire schools to day-long subject knowledge conferences across 17 of our subject departments, with trainees taking part in interactive collaborative sessions on research, pedagogy and practice.

As part of our commitment to training the next generation of teachers we also maintain strong partnerships with the Institute of Education in London and the University of Hertfordshire.

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STAHS departments and...

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STAHS teachers

COLLABORATION IN THE COMMUNITY Giving back to those in need

Spreading festive cheer

Through generous donations of IT equipment we support IntoUniversity centres in Brent, Haringey and Islington, as well as schools further afield in the Czech Republic and Ghana. Our Parents’ Association has also gathered over 500kg of unwanted stock from its second-hand uniform shop to send to schools overseas.

Every Christmas, our Sixth Form students visit a local residential home for the elderly, Strathmore Lodge, to sing carols and bring festive cheer. Our students always come away with a feeling of great warmth having shared this special time with the residents.

GIVING SOMETHING BACK

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Year 8 Charity Challenge

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award From volunteering to physical challenges, life skills to expeditions, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award inspires young people and is highly valued by both universities and employers. STAHS students take their DofE commitments seriously and we have 130 students involved in projects and voluntary work across the community.

In this exciting annual event the students amaze us with their creativity and enthusiasm devising fundraising initiatives, which this year included donating their hair, abseiling, hosting parties, sponsored silences, selling their artwork, donating their birthday money, and completing immense sponsored walks and cycles. They research their own charities and the reasons for supporting them, and this year raised an incredible £34,000 to support more than 40 different charities.

I found Bronze DofE to be an enjoyable experience that was key to the development of many skills, for example independence, organisation and resilience.

Not only has it given me some work experience, but I have made new friends and seen snippets of the people’s lives who work there as well as the disabled people who regularly visit the store. This was unexpectedly eye-opening.

This year’s Year 8 Charity Challenge raised

£34,015

Yasmin B, Year 10

Wheathampstead Friends Intergenerational Project

130 High School students are involved in over 3,200 hours of volunteering work in the local community

Game, set and match STAHS was very proud of our Year 12 students who this summer lent a hand at the Herts Schools Tennis Tournament, umpiring matches between players from local primary schools.

The Prep School hosts regular afternoon entertainment for elderly people, dementia sufferers and their carers from our local community.

This year the conversation focused on ‘Life in the 40s, 50s and 60s’, with visitors sharing their memories with the students over afternoon tea.

Sixth Form Perspectives

Sport for the whole community We’re proud of our sports facilities and enjoy sharing them with the local community. Our facilities are regularly used by neighbouring schools, including five local schools who teach their students to swim here.

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Prep School students hosted 40 elderly people and dementia sufferers with their carers as part of the Wheathampstead Friends Intergenerational Project

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hours

This programme encourages our Year 12 and 13 students to engage in debates and forge partnerships in and beyond the STAHS community. This year, the students devised their own ‘Giving Back’ projects. The results included taking a theatre-in-education production to a partner primary school in Luton; raising awareness and funds for the charity Bloodwise; a partnership with the Hygiene Bank collecting sanitary items for schools and institutions in need; and a talent show to fundraise for the Savannah Education Trust.

Total raised by the Parents’ Association

£20k

over

STAHS Parents’ Association use of our Sports Field by Alban City School – and countless Sports Day medals won!

Our students’ parents play a major part in our school community, including fundraising through a series of events across the year.

This year’s Summer Ball raised £3,792 from its Charity Raffle and Auction, to be split between two fantastic causes: IntoUniversity and Hertfordshire-based charity AddVance.

OVER

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local, national and international charities supported by studentled initiatives

And there’s more...

With a jam-packed year of fundraising, STAHS students have supported a wide range of charities including Breast Cancer Awareness, Children in Need, Centrepoint, PLAN International, Unicef, MIND and Helping Herts Homeless, to name but a few.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

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I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without the High School and believe the importance of awarding financial support is vital to the school’s continuing focus on social mobility and showing girls they are not limited in what they can achieve, regardless of financial background.

Charli Lees, Class of 2011 and recipient of 100% financial support during her time at STAHS. Charli was the first in her family to go to university. She studied philosophy at York and is now a civil servant.

34 students received 75%+ financial support in 2018/2019

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of those 36 students were receiving 100% bursary support in 2018/2019

Financial Support We are committed to supporting students from financially disadvantaged families.

For parents on the lowest incomes, our financial support awards can cover up to 100% of tuition fees plus the cost of travel, uniform, school lunches, educational trips and music lessons.

And we’re working hard to do more and go further. Our Development Office is fundraising to enable us to make even more 100% financial support awards every year.

STAHS Partnership Team 2018-19 Members of the Art, Chemistry, English, Drama and Maths Departments.

If you would like to find out more about our current partnerships, or forge a new one, contact partnerships@stahs.org.uk

@STAHS

@stalbanshighschoolforgirls

stahs.org.uk Townsend Avenue, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3SJ

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