These 2 weeks of summer school at Southfield were provided in supportive response to the school's exceptional circumstances during the past year.

It was the aim to provide creative additional learning opportunities during the summer through partnerships with outside providers - creating new and exciting cultural and learning opportunities for the school:

• To have a positive impact at individual, teacher and school level.
• To also support the school develop study support as part of the wider curriculum provision - to support the school's emerging specialist status.

The projects took place in the first and last weeks of the summer holidays and around 60 girls (year 7-10, including transition pupils) attended.

The criteria was voluntary - but those with fewer enrichment opportunities and with a need to become more independent and those identified with particular issues from feeder primaries were specifically targeted.

Week 1 - Media based project/Dance and drumming performance

The young people worked with media professionals and developed a sense of the role of media in the wider community. 

Using the events of the past year they explored the effects on a range of people - beyond the school buildings and the wider community. Through writing, interviewing, filming and editing they tell the story of the past year and how the whole community can now look forward - 'Rising from the ashes' as it were.

The event was staffed with a range of adults (adults other than teachers who provide good role models). The performance group also benefited from working with a Ghanian team - adding a cultural dimension to their learning. 

The tangible outcomes include finished pieces of documentary film, a display, a high quality dance and song performance that will be shared over the following months with various groups in the community - e.g. library exhibitions, civic buildings etc.

Week 2 - Design and Technology focus

This was delivered by and exceptional project leader - Abbas Shah and his team. He is based in Birmingham and highly recommended for his work with young people and community groups.

Abbas used a fun design project to lead people through a process of learning and self-discovery. The multi-cultural team imaginatively engaged the girls in citizenship issues through the notions of shelter and self-build, as well as fundamental maths/design principles. The girls learnt valuable personal skills alongside curriculum content. They were made to focus on self-development and the idea of building themselves into valued and achieving people - to see themselves constructively within their communities - having a positive contribution to make and the team often challenged some of their current perceptions of citizenship and global citizenship.

They achieved high standards of work - each team producing a substantial and useable chair made from newspaper.

The wider benefits

• Impact on the girls: Increased self confidence, ability to work with others in a team, cooperation and patience.
• For transition pupils an accelerated settling in period - therefore less adverse effects of any 'lost learning'.
• Exposure to different cultures (Ghana, Pakistan & South Africa) through the diverse nature of the teams involved sharing different points of view and contexts - both implicitly and through explicit references to life for people in other nations.
• Increased awareness of how curriculum based subjects are applied in the 'real' world - increased understanding of the purpose of their school life.
• Teachers from the school gained in subject specific knowledge - many planning ideas for extending their curriculum planning within and beyond the school day.
• School has an increased positive view of the power and efficacy of study support projects and will continue to grow study support as an integral part of their raising achievement agenda.
• The multi-cultural/international dimension of the school will continue beyond the life of these projects - links with South Africa and Ghana to be maintained and grown.
• Sustainability therefore needs to be an integral part of any summer school/study support project- this model demonstrates how partnership working can be very powerful and empowering for all involved. And how the out of hours space can contribute enormously to the learning ethos of any school in a unique and valuable way.

For further information on the project contact Sue Doxon, Study Support Coordinator.
Tel: 01604 236423