Shaping Futures
The Shaping Futures Programme works in partnership with Skyward Kids Life Skills 11+ Familiarisation platform to further equal opportunities and nurture the aspirations of local, able Pupil Premium primary students in Year 4 and Year 5 so that they reach their full future potential; be that within or beyond a grammar school.
Our aim is to provide:
- A wide variety of enrichment activities and opportunities using our facilities – this year students have enjoyed many activities, such as baking in Food Technology, creating products in Art, and tent building and bush craft with our Duke of Edinburgh manager.
- Support with the KS2 curriculum and 11+ Content – even if students do not wish to access a grammar school place, this still supports the KS2 English and Maths that they are studying.
- One to one support from a sixth form mentor who stays with them throughout the program.
- Support and guidance for parents if they wish to apply for a grammar place.
The Shaping Futures Programme is run at all seven Gloucestershire grammar schools to enable us to offer this opportunity to all Pupil Premium students in our community. The primary school your child attends will affect which school they will be offered a Shaping Futures place at.
Our Shaping Futures programme at STRS runs after school for two hours (15:30-17:30) fortnightly between January and June, with additional day sessions in the summer holidays.
If your child is eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant and you are interested in them attending a Shaping Futures programme or have any questions, please get in touch with our Pupil Premium and Widening Access lead, Ellen Holt ([email protected]).
Free 11+ Familiarisation Materials and KS2 Support
The Grammar Schools of Gloucestershire are committed to widening access through an extensive programme of outreach and support.
For the 11+ test, there are several providers offering familiarisation materials; accessing resources of this kind is a good way to familiarise children with the style of questions they may be asked in the 11+ and help build confidence ahead of their test.
We work with Atom Learning, an online 11+ preparation and Key Stage 2 learning platform, to provide children who are eligible for Pupil Premium with free familiarisation materials, including learning resources and practice questions covering English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, along with mock tests.
If your child has been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, please fill in the request form by clicking the button below; you will be given free access to Atom Home when your child’s Pupil Premium status has been verified by their primary school.
Grammar School Information Sessions for Year 4 and 5 Parents
Part of our initiative to widen access to the school is to visit our local primary schools to deliver an information session on the local grammar schools for Year 4 and 5 parents. This session includes information on the admissions process, such as how to register for the test, and a focus on additional admissions support in place for students with additional needs and students in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant (link to PP information). The sessions are being led by our Pupil Premium Lead, Ellen Holt, and a team of sixth form students who help to answer questions from students and parents about what life is like attending a grammar school.
Links to the presentation and information sheet can be found below:
Summer Support Days
To widen access to the school for academically able students, any student in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant who registers to sit the entrance exam at Sir Thomas Rich’s School is automatically invited to several days of free tuition and the opportunity to sit a mock exam during the summer holidays, where Mathematics and English teachers are on hand to support the students as they work through familiarisation tasks on the Atom Learning platform. If your child has been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, please fill in the request form by clicking the button below; you will be given free access to Atom Home when your child’s Pupil Premium status has been verified by their primary school.
Last year’s summer days included a programme full of variety where students not only worked on their 11+ skills with the support of our sixth form mentors, but also enjoyed activities such as pond-dipping and rocket launching with our science department, and workshops with our drama and music departments.