Primary School Partnerships
Primary Hub
The SPGS Primary Hub is a weekly after-school club for Y5 and Y6 students, offering homework and reading support every Thursday during term time. Designed to build confidence through regular contact, the programme provides long-term mentorship that increases achievement and academic engagement.
Each session begins with a hot meal to help students focus and succeed in the activities ahead. Supported by our V (Y10) mentors, students receive one-to-one reading and homework support using a range of KS2 literacy and numeracy resources on topics the primary students study at their schools.
SPGS and primary students work together in regular teams, developing positive relationships with each other over the academic year. Each team is led by a dedicated VII (Y12) student, with SPGS staff available to offer additional learning support. The project partners with four primary schools: St Paul’s CE Primary School, Melcombe Primary School, Addison Primary School and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
The Jupiter Project
The Jupiter Project is our large scale music initiative that opens the door to musical tuition and ensemble playing for Y5 primary students with little to no prior experience.
Student mentors from SPGS and St Paul’s School (boys) in MIV (Y7) to VII (Y12) are trained to teach Y5 students who have had limited or no access to instrumental tuition. In the autumn term our students work with two specialist primary music teachers who train them on a variety of teaching techniques. This ensures engagement and quality of sessions.
Students work together in a range of mentoring and rehearsal sessions culminating in a joint concert performed in our Great Hall. We provide all instruments for students to take home, allowing them to practise for the duration of the project. Each school can enrol up to 32 students, often enabling the entire Y5 cohort to participate. To maximise impact, we rotate this partnership project amongst a selection of primary schools in the local area and offer it to three different schools each time.
Chess Club
Our weekly after school chess club brings strategy and fun to students in Y3 to Y6 every Wednesday during term time. Students attend from Melcombe Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Larmenier & Sacred Heart Primary School.
Hosted at SPGS, mentors in MIV (Y7) to VIII (Y13) teach beginners how to play chess from scratch and coach all participants to develop advanced strategies. Using a mix of online chess software and live games, students are able to hone their critical thinking skills and ability to focus. They develop social confidence and emotional resilience through exposure to a competitive environment whilst having fun.
MFL Carousel
This dynamic languages project introduces Y5 and Y6 students to specialist language teaching in French, Spanish, and German. Over the academic year, students rotate through eight-session blocks of each language, ensuring that all students study all three languages.
The sessions develop oral, aural, and written skills led by specialist language teachers supported by SPGS mentors in LV (Y9) to VII (Y12). The aim is to enhance the prior language learning of the primary students by exposing them to new languages whilst deepening grammatical understanding. We hope that this will foster a love of language learning and provide a good grounding for languages at secondary school.
The primary schools participating in this project are: St Paul’s CE Primary School, Melcombe Primary School, Flora Gardens Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, St Stephen’s Primary School, John Betts Primary School and Larmenier & Sacred Heart Primary School.
Minimus Latin Club
Held weekly at Larmenier & Sacred Heart Primary School, this engaging lunchtime club introduces about 25 Y5 primary students to Latin.
Guided by 15 SPGS Latin GCSE or A Level students, and a specialist Latin teacher, students explore the Minimus Latin Course. The teacher coaches our students in how to communicate ideas to pupils and provides guidance on the activities.
Latin paves the way for learning modern foreign languages, helping pupils develop analytical skills and understand the foundations of western culture and civilisation.
Y4 Art Masterclasses
Designed to spark creativity, this five-session series introduces Y4 primary students to the specialist fields of ceramics or printmaking. Students learn a range of creative techniques and the design process, enabling them to produce a final piece of artwork.
The separate print-making and ceramic courses run in parallel, led by two specialist art teachers assisted by SPGS A level students. The masterclass series is repeated during the year so that Y4 students have the opportunity to experience both disciplines.
These masterclasses inspire pupils to take their art further by exposing them to specialist materials and facilities with lessons taught by practising artists.
Y5 Maths Masterclasses
This five-session masterclass series offers targeted Y5 students a chance to investigate mathematical ideas outside the curriculum and explore wider aspects of the subject.
Led by specialist mathematics teachers and supported by SPGS student mentors from LV (Y9) to VII (Y12), these masterclasses aim to stimulate, encourage and inspire young people in the wonder of mathematics and to develop a sense of enjoyment in the subject.
Schools select students based on their aptitude and enthusiasm for mathematics. The participating schools are: Larmenier & Sacred Heart Primary School, St Mary’s Primary School, Addison Primary School, St Paul’s CE Primary School and Melcombe Primary School.
Y5 Space Challenge Day
Our Space Challenge Day is an exhilarating one-day STEM workshop for able Y5 students, delivered by Thinkers in Education, a STEM specialist external provider.
Up to 70 students from over 10 West London primary schools take part in this team-based workshop that provides hands-on practical activities within realistic space exploration and engineering scenarios.
Students learn to analyse Mars soil samples, conduct blood typing experiments plus design and build a Mars rover vehicle. This immersive experience sharpens problem-solving skills whilst enabling students to apply their existing scientific and mathematical reasoning.
Y6 Science Fair
This is a post-SATs project which involves Y6 classes from up to four local primary schools.
The class plan science fair projects in small teams supported by their class teacher at their own school using resources created by the science department at SPGS. Each Y6 class visits SPGS to carry out their practical work in one of our laboratories supported by specialist science teachers and technicians. They return to SPGS for the Science Fair to present their project using a scientific poster created at their own school competing with teams from the other participating schools.
Judged by SPGS MIV (Y7) and A level students, this initiative builds teamwork whilst allowing students to carry out and complete a multi-step project. It gives them a chance to further practise their written, graphical and oral communication skills to support transition to secondary school science.
