All Saints CE Primary School, Whitefield, Bury, partnered with O2
Written by Gary Jones, Mentoring Coordinator, Bolton and Bury
EBP
Background to the scheme
Bolton and Bury Education Business Partnership was looking to
extend Number Partners into the Bury area with a business that was
willing and able to support a local primary school. After initial
discussions, O2 were very interested in working with us on the
project which we started at the end of 2007.
Staff at O2's Bury contact centre were encouraged to volunteer for
the project. Initially, around 40 staff expressed an interest in
the programme. From this group, 15 were selected for Number
Partners training which took place on-site.
To minimise the impact on the day-to-day operation of the
business, Bolton and Bury EBP always tries to pair businesses with
schools in the immediate vicinity. All Saints CE Primary in nearby
Whitefield were keen to take part. The headteacher, Gail Branch,
had been involved with Bury LA's numeracy strategy so she valued
the additional support that O2 were offering.
A typical session
The school decided to work with Year 5 students. The volunteer
coordinator at O2 organises staff rotas and ensures that at least 2
or 3 staff members attend the school each Wednesday lunchtime. Each
volunteer plays BEAM games with 3 students. Sessions typically last
for 30 minutes which allows time for one or two games depending
upon the students' abilities. The school also scheduled a rota so
that all students in the year group get to have a Number Partner
throughout the year. This ensures that no one is excluded.
Feedback about the programme from the school has been positive,
particularly how all the children looked forward to playing the
games with the visitors.
Impact of the Number Partners sessions on the students'
numeracy skills
At the end of the first year the Y5 teacher compiled numeracy
statistics based upon class tests. Results of selected students are
shown below.
| Name |
Level in Y4 |
Level in Y5 |
Improvement
Points |
| Adele ****** |
3b |
4a |
+8 |
| Ryan ****** |
4b |
5c |
+4 |
| Ellie **** |
4c |
4a |
+4 |
| Regan ********** |
3a |
5b |
+10 |
| Joshua ****** |
3a |
4b |
+4 |
| Hannah ********** |
4b |
5c |
+4 |
| Dominique ***** |
3b |
4b |
+6 |
These children played the maths games every week. The results
show that their maths has improved significantly. (N.B. An average
child improves by 3 points every year).
Additional benefits for the students taking part
An additional benefit is that the students interact with adults
other than teachers or family members. This provides opportunities
to improve students' communication skills, learn about the world of
work and potentially broaden their horizons.
The O2 volunteers find the visits enjoyable and rewarding. Being
a Number Partner allows them to take a break from their daily
routine and feel as though they're making a positive contribution
to the local community.
Highlights for volunteers and students
At the end of the first year the students made a huge 'thank
you' card and presented it to some of the Number Partners.