AN ongoing collaboration between Bishopton Primary School and King Edward VI School has brought together students from both schools in a project that focused on mentoring and mathematics, giving younger pupils the chance to grow in confidence while being inspired by older role models.
Since the start of the year, Year 4 & 5 pupils from Bishopton have visited KES on a weekly basis to work with Year 12 students. The sixth-form students took on a mentoring role, supporting the younger pupils in developing their mathematical understanding and building their confidence through engaging, small-group activities.
The initiative has proved mutually beneficial. Bishopton pupils were given the opportunity to experience life in a secondary school environment while learning from older role models. At the same time, the KES students developed valuable skills in leadership, mentoring and teaching.
Kind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark Williamson
Mr Russell Orme, Head of Mathematics at KES, commented: “It has been a real pleasure to work with the staff at Bishopton and to provide this opportunity for the students. It has been a genuinely wholesome experience watching the pupils work together - seeing our Year 12s inspire, and the younger students be inspired. I look forward to seeing how our continued partnership flourishes, helping more young learners develop a love for maths and build confidence as they prepare for secondary school.”
Reflecting on the experience, KES Year 12 student Alexandra Francis said: “The mentoring programme has been such a positive experience for both myself and the visiting primary school pupils. It has been great to see how their confidence and skills have grown, and at the same time, it’s helped me develop my own communication and leadership abilities. It’s a really rewarding way to give back—and learn—at the same time.”
The project included a memorable session, where pupils from both schools designed and launched rockets on the KES Quad - some reaching heights of over 100 feet.
Mr Terry Pearson, Chair of Governors at Bishopton Primary School, explained how the project came about.
Kind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark Williamson
“KES is one of the leading schools in the country, however, Bishopton School were aware that even amongst their most academic pupils, despite our school moto of ‘Aim High, Prepare To Achieve’, too many felt that K.E.S. was not the school for them,” explained Mr Pearson. “Additionally, it is recognised that one of the greatest challenges for pupils is the transition from primary to secondary school. This is particularly true for the more vulnerable. Bishopton knew that pre-teaching, a technique to support some children, is a very powerful tool and they considered whether something similar could help with transition. The idea was to expose the children on a regular basis to a secondary school environment so that when they did move it would be familiar to them.”
Parental feedback has also been positive, with one Bishopton parent in particular writing to say their son had enjoyed such a happy and positive experience that they had been inspired to do the 11-plus, something they hadn’t considered before.
King Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 4 and 5 students. Last week the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark Williamson
Mr Andrew Smith, Headteacher of Bishopton Primary School added: "Our Year 5 children have been enthusiastic about attending the weekly sessions and built up positive relationships with their Year 12 mentors. Learning has been prioritised alongside giving our primary school children the fantastic opportunity of attending lessons in a larger senior school environment. We are so glad to have begun this partnership and are already seeing the benefits. Year 4 are now experiencing lessons at K.E.S. and these will continue into Year 5 from September."
Final word goes to an enthusiastic Year 5 pupil at Bishopton shared their feedback on the experience: "KES was amazing! It helped me a lot with my learning and my mentor explained everything very well. I looked forward to going there when it was my turn. The last week was especially fantastic because we got to build and create rockets, which we then tested out to see how far they would fly. We were really surprised and happy to see how far they flew.”
Kind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark WilliamsonKind Edward VI School Year 12 pupils have been working in partnership with Bishopton Primary School to offer maths mentoring for Year 6 and 4 students. Last week the the group was tasked with creating their own rocket designs made from plastic, paper and cardboard. The rockets were then launched in the KES quadrangle using compressed air pump. Photo: Mark Williamson
