SHINE on Saturdays

Having been successful in its bid to BBC Children in Need, Reaching Communities Big Lottery, and with generous support from Wimbledon Foundation, Lehman Brothers Foundation and Clarion Futures, we continue to deliver learning opportunities on Saturdays. Shine offers 50 9-10 yr. old pupils (approx.10 per Cluster school) to take part in enrichment activities aimed at raising attainment. Shine Saturday School was successfully delivered online during academic 2020-21 and has returned to face to face delivery from Sept 21. We focused on connectivity, health and wellbeing and study catch up (creative writing and language development) as most children didn't achieve expected academic progress second year in a row due to isolation caused by school closures during national lockdowns. We are currently running a number of enrichment activities such as trips out, Shine Camera Club, Sports and outdoor club, Drama and Mindfulness. We have even bigger plans for the Summer 22 and hope to run an arts festival style programme with many renown visitors. Our Camera club’s young photographers are due to exhibit their works at Elys Wimbledon in June and we are planning a grand garden party and arts fest for the Queen’s Jubilee!

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Summer School and holiday provision

Mitcham Town Cluster, Wimbledon FC Foundation, HAF Merton and Attic Theatre partnered to deliver a blended summer holiday content. In total, over 300 places were offered to our Mitcham youth across 4 school sites. We offered theatre school and multi-sports courses during 5 weeks of summer holidays and a week during October half term. The holiday programme also covered team building, literacy sessions, problem solving, multi-sports and acting. Each week escalated into a drama showcase on the final day with guests including families and teachers. The feedback we received from stakeholders and sponsors was very positive. We have also offered our graduates a chance to come back and work on their confidence skills using drama to help them settle into secondary school as well as a mentoring programme to help with transition to secondary.

 

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After School Study Support Clubs 

The Study Support provision is a joint project, creating a partnership amongst all schools from Mitcham Town Cluster. During the pandemic we offered a mix of online revision programme and after school study support face to face sessions. Since Sept 22 the provision is offered in-house and hosted by our partner schools. All sessions are led by a fully qualified Tutor and run from school IT suites in order to provide stimulating, modern high-tech teaching and learning environment. The high ratio of tutors to young people enables development of confidence-boosting relationships between students and mentors ensuring rapid progress and key skills development. The programme is currently working on school referral basis and focusing on offering specially tailored study support and enrichment courses. We use cutting edge technology such as Oculus Rift, Lego-We Do coding and game creation activities. Use of iPads and artificial intelligence is encouraged to tease out and encourage independent learning. 

 

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The Sanctuary Art and Play Therapy Space

Our stunning Play Therapy Space continued to support children and adults in need this year. Our aim was to provide the emergency response and support for those families struggling with emotional wellbeing and effects of Covid pandemic. The Art Space remained open for most of the pandemic offering art, play and talking therapy. This specially tailored intervention helps over 40 pupils each year to deal positively with emotions which might affect their education and wellbeing, and enables them to fully engage in school and at all costs, avoid exclusion. Our Principal Play Therapist worked tirelessly to support and inform wider community and has produced a number of information booklets and continues to do so. We were also able to offer a phone helpline and 1-2-1 interventions. Thanks to tireless efforts of our Principal Therapist, each one of our member schools now benefits from PT student placements. The project is funded by the Taylor Family Foundation and will also be supported by Wimbledon Foundation from Sept 22.

 

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Green Arts Centre- "the arts where you are"

MTCT is very proud of its recent development, a state-of-the-art eco-friendly Green Arts Centre. GAC is a flexible and inclusive 150 seat venue offering a rich and exciting programme of arts activities and events across a wide range of disciplines such as music, theatre, film and dance. The focus is on creative opportunities for local young people and Rehearsal for Life - professional teacher training and development programme. Upon completion of capital works (April ’21) we created a fantastic summer and Oct half term holiday offer for over 40 young people. We also hosted local arts organisations’ events and have launched a Green Arts Youth Theatre school. 

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Rehearsal for Life Teacher CPD programme, funded by Paul Hamlin Foundation

RFL acts as a catalyst for change in approaches to teaching English language and literature at KS2 across our schools cluster. Using applied drama and music practice, we are improving learning outcomes, working with teachers to develop and embed innovative practice and creative approaches to learning across the curriculum. The project delivery partner is Wimbledon Theatre Civic Trust. Click below to view a teacher case study and infographics.​