SHINE at Farnborough Hill: Serious Fun on Saturdays

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 19th of April 2011

Farnborough Hill, the leading catholic independent school for girls in Hampshire, is very pleased to announce that it has secured funding from the SHINE trust to develop an exciting programme of activities for local Year 5 children on Saturday mornings.

The SHINE trust exists to help children and young people by supporting programmes that concentrate on core educational subjects believing that education provides choices for later life. By funding best practice educational projects, and rigorously evaluating them, they ensure effective support for young people and the best possible value for money.

Twenty-five boys and girls, selected by their primary schools, will, it is hoped, benefit from being taught by Farnborough Hill teachers using the school's superb facilities. The programme, which started two weeks ago, will run for twelve weeks and will incorporate sessions in science, mathematics, art, English and drama, PE and the humanities. The aim is for these children to develop improved literacy skills and also grow in self-esteem and confidence, in readiness for their move to senior schools in due course. The programme theme is 'Good Words' and will specifically encourage the children to develop their vocabulary and their ability to express themselves. Each participant is given the opportunity to make use of first-class premises, facilities and resources to enrich and extend their learning whilst they meet and mix with others from different schools.

Mrs Sarah Buckle, Headmistress, said 'I am very grateful to the teachers who have given up their Saturday mornings to support this initiative, and several members of the Lower Sixth who are working as SHINE Mentors alongside the children; an excellent work experience opportunity. I am very proud that the school was the first independent school, outside the established London and Manchester locations, to be granted funding by the SHINE Trust for a programme such as this. '

SHINE describes the programme as follows:
'Working with SHINE, some of the UK's top independent schools open their doors to lend less advantaged local children their superb facilities for some serious, fun and structured educational support. This partnership approach benefits everybody involved, while the generosity of the host schools makes the programme incredibly cost-effective. But the biggest winners are the children themselves, who get to use some amazing kit for exciting, practical learning that starts them thinking for themselves.'
Farnborough Hill's most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate report judged the school to be providing good quality education, outstanding pastoral care, academic excellence and giving pupils a sense of fun and enjoyment in learning.