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Beeston Primary receives glowing Ofted report
Beeston Primary is a good school. According to education watchdog Ofsted, pupils are happy, well looked after and make good progress.
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Despite their low starting abilities, by the time they leave for high school the children are performing above the national average in an area of south Leeds inspectors described as facing "significant social and economic disadvantage".
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The only blip on a very positive report earlier this year was concern about science.
Test scores were only marginally below the national average, but it was an area highlighted for improvement.
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"We knew the school needed to improve its science results," said headteacher Chris Lees. "But we also knew that that wasn't going to come about by just making the children do more science."
The answer, the school decided, lay in prompting its pupils to become interested and enthusiastic in a subject that is generally thought of as among the most difficult on the curriculum.
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And to help them do that, Beeston had to get its parents on board.
"The principle of involvement is key for us," said Mr Lees, who took charge of the school in September last year. "We were really keen to see as many parents involved as possible. We knew that if the children saw their parents were really enthusiastic about science, then they would be too."
The vehicle for encouraging parent participation was a Canadian idea called Mad Science.
Now franchised across the globe, the company works on a local level to instill a grass-roots love of science.
In Beeston, that meant training up a willing group of parents to be able to teach after-school classes.
"We thought it would be a really good idea that would encourage parents into school and help their children with their learning," said Beeston Primary's parent support worker Sue Knowles.
"The Mad Science classes always pick really interesting subjects which the children love.
"They have looked at how substances are formed and made their own green slime, they've done some astronomy and looked at the planets and they've used prisms to look at light.
"They've also done electricity and used a Van De Graaf generator that makes your hair stand straight up.
"It's about science but it's also about a different way of learning.
"The parents learn all the theory and how to teach the lesson, but when the children join them, it's very much hands-on."
The Mad Science lessons are an example of the Government's extended services programme, in which schools become the hub for community services such as health, social care and adult learning.
The science project at Beeston is designed to involve parents more in their children's education and give them the skills to help with homework.
The parents take part in afternoon sessions with a Mad Science tutor – who is typically a trainee teacher or university scientist – who teaches them about the subject, answering any questions they may have.
Beneficial
The parents then teach their children during the hour-long after-schools classes.
"It's a great course," said Mrs Knowles. "The children and parents both
love it, and it helps pupils socially and emotionally as well as from an academic perspective.
"It's really beneficial for pupils to see their parents enjoying the subjects they are learning at school.
"Pupils realise that their mums and dads are interested in what they are learning."
Mrs Knowles first saw Mad Science in action at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
She then contacted the Leeds-based arm of the company and arranged for the classes, which are funded by Education Leeds' Family Learning Partnership.
When it was launched, 17 parents signed up and they were split into two groups – one on a Tuesday afternoon and the second on a Thursday.
The parents, who will all be awarded accreditation for taking part, join in the hour-long workshop before teaching a practical science lesson straight after school.
The 15-week programme has proved so popular that the school is planning to start with another raft of parents in the New Year.
Staff are also looking at further learning opportunities for parents that have completed the course.
The Mad Science sessions follow other extra-curricular activities at the school including football training with Leeds United coaches and a storybag project in which parents and their reception year children create props before making up their own stories.
"Schools are increasingly being asked to look further at what they offer their local community," said Mrs Knowles.
"Some parents might not have had very good experiences when they were at school and so coming through the school door might seem like a barrier to them. We want to remove that barrier and engage as many parents as we possibly can."
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 18 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
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