Transparency data

Colchester County High School (Essex) URN: 137515

Updated 14 February 2020

This transparency data was withdrawn on 14 July 2023

The Selective Schools Expansion Fund is closed and there are no plans to run future rounds.

Applies to England

Fair Access and Partnership Plan Summary

The above school has made a commitment to deliver the following fair access and partnership plan by 2020 (and in subsequent years) as part of its successful Selective Schools Expansion Fund Bid.

Admissions

The school intends to increase its year 7 published admission number (PAN) by 32 places to 192 for September 2020.

After the admission of looked after and previously looked after children scoring at least 320 in the selection test, 20 children eligible for the pupil premium will be offered places providing they have scored at least 320 in the selection test (around 10.4% of the total number of places available).

Children not eligible for the pupil premium will be ranked by their score in the test and offered places in order – highest scoring first.

The above changes will make it easier for pupil premium children to access a place with a lower test score than they might otherwise have needed.

Outreach

The school will initially be partnering the following schools for its outreach work:

• Cherry Tree Primary Academy
• Home Farm Primary
• Gosbecks Primary
• Tiptree Heath Primary
• St Lawrence CE Primary
• Langenhoe Community Primary
• Queen Boudica Primary
• Bishop William Ward CE Primary
• Brinkley Grove Primary
• Langham Primary
• Old Heath Community Primary

Some of these schools have larger proportions of high ability disadvantaged PP students on roll (such as Brinkley Grove, Bishop William Ward, Cherry Tree, Gosbecks, and St Lawrence). All these schools have expressed an interest in working with the school in improving outcomes for the more able disadvantaged including developing potential to achieve admission to a grammar school.

The school will appoint a senior leader as Transition Coordinator to work with partner schools in leading and coordinating an outreach programme designed to widen access to the 11+ test.

These new activities will include:

A 3 day summer school – targeted at disadvantaged pupils in the partner schools. Focusing on literacy and numeracy including familiarisation with the selection test requirements in English and Maths and Key Stage 2 SATS preparation - for example planning and writing pieces of continuous writing in a range of contexts (one of the English test requirements).

Identification of more able disadvantaged students in partner schools at the start of Year 5 and the establishment of a ‘School Champions’ sixth form student one to one mentor programme on a fortnightly basis targeting key skills in literacy or numeracy or both. This will be supported by access to the proposed new school library facilities and enrolment on Colchester County High School’s (CCHS) Accelerated Reader Programme, a programme aimed at increasing the reading age of pupils.

A Joint Schools Problem Solving and STEM day to be held at CCHS in the summer term with the aim of overcoming fears and barriers to grammar schools and familiarisation with the school itself as well as developing key thinking and problem solving skills and use of computer programmes such as Raspberry Pi. This is an expansion and further development of existing activity which is currently run on a much smaller scale (such as with fewer schools). The Joint Schools Problem Solving Stem Day will involve pupil premium students from the target primary schools. As CCHS evaluates progress on the programme, the intention is to widen access to a greater range of primary schools

Targeting specific days/times within existing Open Day Tour programme in July each year for parents and disadvantaged pupils with a specific talk by a senior lead to address any negative perceptions and concerns and to encourage attendance at the summer school. Disadvantaged students will have been identified by primary partner schools as above, and they and their parents invited.

By supporting literacy and numeracy across year 5 in partner schools, the school aims to develop the confidence and skills of more able disadvantaged students. By holding the STEM workshops in the school, it will provide opportunities which encourage higher thinking skills whilst having fun, so creating a desire to join the school. The targeted tours/talks will develop familiarisation with a grammar school environment and raise aspirations ,thus increasing the number of test applications. By holding the summer school and mentoring support throughout year 5 the school will improve the number of disadvantaged students achieving a score of 320 or above in the selection test.

To engage children from the above partner schools, students involved in the programme would also be invited to attend a variety of creative arts and sports activities such as year 7 School Shakespeare Festival, Drama Productions, Gym & Dance Show, Artist in Residence Days, development of the voice and speaking skills with a voice coach and opportunities for swimming in the new swimming pool facility currently under construction

Free test papers are and will continue to be available to all through the CSSE website. The CSSE is the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex. They are the administrator of the selective test on behalf of CCHS and other CSSE partner schools.

The school’s intention is to research need and involve other local primaries with disadvantaged students in the Colchester area in the outreach programme over time.

Partnership

The school will raise standards through greater support of more able disadvantaged students which will be able to be carried through to year 6 Key Stage 2 SATS, so having an impact on final outcomes and primary school performance. Specific details of this work are included in the outreach section above.