Academic partnerships play a key role in our partnerships programme. We have formed a network of independent and maintained schools through the developing West London Partnership, as part of which we are sharing ideas, online sessions and making connections between departments across south and south-west London. This collaboration will enable us to maximise the effect of our pre-existing academic partnerships.
Several academic partnerships initiatives are annual and ongoing. Each year we share our Higher Education and Careers programmes with over 150 students from many other schools. Students at local schools join group sessions and receive tailored advice, interview practice and personal statement guidance. In the summer term, we open our annual Higher Education Conference to neighbouring schools, and students from partner schools regularly attend St Paul’s careers events. For example, aspiring medics can attend a clinical examination skills session, an MMI event and a virtual GP event. During summer holidays, we have students in Years 10 and 12 attending a week-long aspirational STEM Summer School with the same students returning at Easter for a revision course.
St Paul’s teachers offer exam support to local students, organising preparation classes and holiday revision sessions. Through the West London Partnership networks of teachers across many schools have developed and this will culminate with our first partnership wide CPD in 2023. Students from St Paul’s and local schools enjoy reciprocal sharing of invitations to talks and events covering a diverse range of topics.
Many St Paul’s students participate in academic partnerships projects. Minimus, one of our longest running schemes, sees some of our students visit two local primary schools to teach basic Latin. St Paul’s students partner with students from local schools for language days and activities, such as Heritage Languages Day. Schools in London are invited to enter teams into our annual French Debating competition, while our Russian linguists send letters and converse on Skype regularly with students at a Moscow state secondary school.
Our relationship with St Paul’s Girls’ School (SPGS) has moved from strength to strength in the last two years and we get a real sense that the teachers who help our higher achieving students are really engaged in facilitating their success. Sophie Harrowes, Hammersmith Academy