Case studies

After-school Booster sessions for Year 9 science

About the school

Tasnim Curtis, head of science at Highdown School in Reading, describes the success of last year’s booster programme for Year 9 science.

Highdown School is an 11–18 comprehensive of around 1000 pupils on the edge of Reading. Some 15% of pupils are from ethnic minority communities, mainly black or Asian. Although the local area is socially advantaged, the school draws many pupils from areas where there are higher levels of social deprivation.

How we recruited for the booster programme

Pupils who were achieving at the margin of level 5 in science were identified and, via a letter to their parents, invited to attend after-school work sessions.

Parents were asked to reply by filling in a return slip so that we could get an idea of numbers and identify how many staff would be needed. Some parents even replied by telephone to ensure that their child got a place.

Pupils attending all sessions were promised a £5.00 CD token. This proved a good incentive and about 25 pupils attended.