Copthall School and Mill Hill Foundation Sign Their Official Partnership

Headteachers Evelyn Forde and Jane Sanchez along with their respective Chairs of their Governing boards, Julia Blackman and Dr Craig met on 8^th November to sign their official Memorandum of Understanding to formalise their partnership.

This is a really exciting collaboration, unique in our area, which began in June 2017 in order to:

• Improve academic results for pupils
• An enriched educational experience beyond the curriculum for pupils
• Professional development opportunities for pupils and staff (preparation for university and employment beyond for pupils and continuing professional development for staff)
• Personal skills development (sometimes referred to as character education)
• Opportunities for engagement with a community larger than that contained in the schools own walls

This partnership enables students at Copthall to benefit from Mill Hill’s world class facilities and also to mix with a wider range of students from different walks of life; preparing them for college/university, the world of work and life in Modern Britain.

Moving forward we have further expanded the programme to include a shared careers fair, sixth form lectures and debates, co-curricular engagement e.g. sports matches and academic support, such as subject workshops.

One of the most exciting aspects of the collaboration is Copthall’s STEM Scholarship Programme which launched in September 2018 and will see students from both schools benefiting from bespoke STEM lectures and mentoring as well as a range of stimulating trips.

Evelyn Forde