St. Joseph's Leading Edge Partnership Programme

We would like our partnership programme to be ‘live' and interactive, and we acknowledge that we do not have a monopoly on innovative ideas or best practice. We would welcome any further suggestions and/or contributions to our programme from anyone in our borough schools, in particular. Some funding is available to support activities and for piloting and evaluating new teaching and learning strategies in the classroom.

If you would like us to provide, or co-ordinate particular inset and/or consultancy activities, demonstration lessons, new projects which you would be happy to share with other schools, etc. or if you would like to feature on our partnership website, please contact athompson@stjosephs.s-tyneside.sch.uk or any of the South Tyneside Leading Edge Partnership Steering Group:

Helen Winn - Deputy Head, Hebburn Comp
Chris Smith - Deputy Head, Boldon Comp
Nadine Powrie, Deputy Head, Jarrow School
Carol Easton, South Tyneside Mathematics Consultant

"Leading Edge Partnerships provide capacity for practitioners to work together in order to tackle some of the more intractable challenges facing the education system in the drive to raise standards.  The programme offers funding distributed via a lead school for use across their partnership to work on locally determined learning challenges. Partnerships are committed to working collaboratively to inspire, design, test and adapt professional practice to raise standards of teaching and learning where improvement is most urgently needed. There is a particular focus on partnering with schools struggling to raise standards and partnering in order to raise pupil achievement by addressing issues of under-achievement among pupils from poorer socio-economic backgrounds and from particular minority ethnic groups."
Dfes Standards site

Current Partnership Activities

Raising Mathematical Attainment Project

The success of a pilot project has led us to initiate a full-scale project with pupils of years 7, 8 and 10 in 5 South Tyneside Secondary School. In-class support is provided by CAME Consultant, Alan Edmiston. Participating in and evaluating the project, is Carol Easton, South Tyneside Mathematics Consultant.

It is expected that all participating pupils will make progress of more than 1NC level. Achievement of these pupils will be compared with pupils who receive the ‘standard' curriculum provision.



NLP and Mentoring programme

Evaluation of a pilot programme revealed that participating year 9 pupils in two South Tyneside Secondary Schools achieved the following in their

SATs:

  • An average of 0.39 levels above AP target in Maths.
  • An average of 1.26 levels above in Science.

Pupil evaluations were also very positive:
“I am getting the help I need. We have fun, but learn at the same time.”
“It makes me feel less nervous about tests/exams.”

Parent evaluations revealed that, on a scale of 1 – 5, growth in confidence was rated as 1.

This programme is now established in St. Joseph 's and Boldon Schools . If you would like to be part of it or would like further information, please contact Ms Stephanie Burdis, Learning Mentor at St. Joseph's.

Renaissance Reading Project

Following a successful pilot with “Renaissance” and in partnership with the Special Trust (SSAT) all Year 7 pupils in St. Joseph's, under the supervision of a team of LSA's and SSA's, now read for ½ hour every day, at levels appropriate to their ability and set by the programme. They complete an on-line test which reports on their level of understanding and recommends the next level. Evaluations will be published July '07. Feeder Primaries are currently considering involvement in the programme.

For further information contact Mrs Gladys Caulfield, LSA Co-ordinator at St. Joseph's.

The New Tyne Crossing Website Project.

In partnership with Boldon School and North Tyneside EBP, we are designing KS4 D&T resources, which will be available through a new website.

Teaching materials launch 19 th March '07.

For more details contact Mr Bill Rogerson at St. Joseph's or Mr Larry Gent at North Tyneside EBP.

BTEC Professional Award in Teaching Key Stage 4 Pupils in Post-16 Centres

In partnership with South Tyneside College , St. Joseph's is running the above course. All college staff will be awarded a professional qualification by BTEC upon successful completion of the course (July '07).

For further information contact Annette Thompson at St. Joseph 's or Hayley Ward at South Tyneside College.

Supporting G&T History Students

In partnership with SSAT Lead Practitioner in History, St. Joseph's and Mortimer Comprehensive are producing lesson resources for dissemination to all interested schools.

For more information and details of a Summer Conference to be held at St. Joseph's, contact Alison Gray, Head of History at St. Joseph's.

Peer Education Programme

In partnership with Newcastle University a certificated programme has been devised, piloted and established at St. Joseph's for post-16 students. Participants support younger pupils in our own and local partner secondary schools.

For more information contact Mr Robert Hope, Senior 6 th Form Learning Mentor at St. Joseph's or Gayle Leach at Newcastle University.

In addition to the above projects:

  • Partnership work to raise achievement in English, Maths and Science at Key Stages 3 & 4, is underway with a local secondary school.
  • Training for adults (first-steps) is being planned by St. Joseph's in partnership with South Tyneside acl and other local providers. Begins June '07. Further details to follow. Contact Annette Thompson at St. Joseph's or Brenda Harper at South Tyneside Adult Community Learning.
  • Partnership activities with Harton, Hebburn, Boldon, Jarrow and South Tyneside College, in preparation for the new specialist diplomas are planned. For details of WRL activities contact Ryan Gibson, Vocational Education Manager at St. Joseph's.
Development of our current Transition/Transfer Programme with our feeder Primary Schools is planned.