“I hope the sense of a regional movement to support under-resourced pupils will have gathered further momentum, and that the Colyton Foundation will have become a ‘go-to’ hub for all schools and other organisations looking to support higher attainers & HE progression within the region.”

Nick Wakeling is Director of Studies at Colyton Grammar School, and Director of the Colyton Foundation, a charity established to ensure that, for Young People in the South West, background is no barrier to flourishing at school, attaining highly and progressing to higher education. 
 
We were pleased to interview Nick to find out more about his work for the Colyton Foundation. 

1. How does your position as Director of the Colyton Foundation draw on your qualities and aptitudes?
The Colyton Foundation exists as a charity to support schools and pupils in the South West to make sure that students - particularly those from under-resourced backgrounds - are able to attain highly and access higher education. My background as a teacher with 15 years’ experience in different schools, has been very helpful in terms of understanding schools as institutions.  The way schools work, the challenges that teachers and school leaders must deal with every day and in particular, working at Colyton Grammar School for eight years, I have gained an understanding of what academically able students need to thrive and succeed.
 
This experience is combined with another huge influence on me personally from taking part in the SW100 Programme run by the Reach Foundation. In conjunction with lots of other schools and Trusts in the South West this provided me with fantastic opportunities to visit incredible schools and to hear from national experts who are doing great things to supporting disadvantaged and under-resourced students to flourish. Drawing on this experience and national expertise in visiting some inspiring schools has played a big part in the development of the Colyton Foundation.

However, what is slightly different about my role with the Colyton Foundation from my previous experience in schools is leading a charity that has grown from nothing. It feels more entrepreneurial in some ways compared to my first experiences as a teacher in terms of forging partnerships, bringing together different organisations, and scaling up an idea to something that is having an impact on the ground, and drawing on a different creative skill set. It has been fun, but also challenging, because there is no safety net of existing systems and institutions to draw upon.

As for my qualities, I would say perseverance and determination, and the ability to have a long-term vision and to put together into a strategic plan in order to get to where we wish to be.
 
2. What have you found to be the most personally rewarding in your role to date?
Following on from question 1 above, it has been most personally rewarding to take something from an idea to a reality. We are now at the point where the programmes are designed are now fully up and running.
 
We have yet to experience this moment, but we will shortly reach a hugely significant milestone when our cohort of 130 Year 7 pupils from 32 different schools across the South West physically come together for the two employer visits organised later this month to Leonardo Helicopters and Spaceport Cornwall. This will be a very special moment because the programme is all about bringing together those students and creating that sense of shared belief and a cohort identity, connecting the students and schools. Previously, we brought the cohort together remotely at the launch event back in October. It was wonderful to see all the students there in their schools waving to each other, supported by their parents, teachers and senior leaders. This brought home that project was up and running. It was real and reaching the students that we want to help access to opportunity. When we are together in person, I imagine it will be even more powerful.
 
Another particularly striking moment was our study visit for senior leaders in November to the University of Cambridge and two high performing schools in London. It was very rewarding to spend time with leaders from schools across the South West who so obviously share a commitment to supporting their students to achieve as highly as possible. It was hugely affirming to spend time in their company and hearing their reflections, for example when visiting Cambridge, commenting how the students were both hugely impressive, and on another level, no different from students in their schools in the South West, who can absolutely achieve the same things.
 
3. What insights are you gaining from working with various partners?
A huge amount!
Our model is fundamentally collaborative: it’s about bringing together organisations with shared goals to pool expertise and resources.  Our work can be so much powerful when we pull together.
 
Our partner universities, for example, are very experienced in widening participation and how to support students at the application stage of the university application process, and this advice and guidance have been hugely valuable.
 
Our partner schools have a highly nuanced understanding of the South West context and specific challenges facing their communities – often linked to rural and coastal isolation. Bringing together these first-hand lived experiences with the university perspective has been very powerful.

Finally, working with SWIFT has been incredibly helpful (and I am not only saying that because I am the January interviewee!). The experience and expertise of all the wonderful SWIFT colleagues in designing programmes at scale for teacher professional development has been instrumental as we have started to get our programmes up and running.

4. What would you wish “a regional centre of excellence for high attainment” to look like?
Our vision is for the South West of England to be seen in the same way as the areas of London – the Borough of Newham is one particularly striking example – which have transformed school outcomes, HE progression and other opportunities for under-resourced young people over the last 10 to 15 years.
 
The context in the South West is very different, with different challenges, but there is no reason that, through the collective effort of schools, universities and the Third Sector, we can’t develop a similarly transformational model. On the one hand, it is about improving school outcomes and progression rates. But it is also about creating that powerful network of organisations and schools with a shared commitment to ensuring all young people from the region can access opportunity.
 
Sadly, there are not many rural areas where these efforts have been successful, and that is why our partnership work at the Colyton Foundation is all the more important and exciting. We have interest from the Department of Education from HE partners looking at our work as a potential model to be replicated and repeated in other areas with similar demographic contexts. I am hopeful the South West can become a model and inspiration for other areas of the country facing similar challenges can help young people to flourish.
 
5. What are your top three aspirations for the Foundation over the next five years?
In five years’ time, “Your Future Story” will have been running for five years, and will have supported 500+ children. Our pathfinder cohort, who have started the programme this year, they will have taken their GCSEs and we will look forward to seeing the impact of the programme on their outcomes, and in our partner schools more widely.
 
I hope the sense of a regional movement to support under-resourced pupils will have gathered further momentum, and that the Colyton Foundation will have become a ‘go-to’ hub for all schools and other organisations looking to support higher attainers and HE progression within the region.

Our work with “Your Future Story” work, which starts support at Year 7 and runs throughout secondary school will, I hope, have fully connected with our partnerships with Atom Learning offering attainment support to all FSM & PP pupils in primary schools, and the support we offer Sixth Forms in the region with applications to the most competitive university courses, to see outcomes for young people in the region improve in all these areas.
 
In other words, there is lots of look forward to over the next five years and every moment will count!
 
We thank Nick for sharing his passion and vision for the Colyton Foundation.
Interview by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant 

​SWIFT is pleased to be collaborating with the Colyton Foundation and Colyton Grammar School on a new initiative for schools.

The Colyton Foundation is a school-centred charity which aims to increase access to competitive higher education courses for young people in the South West, particularly those who have experienced disadvantage.
 
Working in partnership with SWIFT, we are pleased to share details of a programme of support for students in South West schools considering applications to Oxford, Cambridge and universities in the USA, plus those applying for Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry. The programme also seeks to develop the knowledge and expertise of teachers and advisors supporting higher education applications in participating schools.

This programme aims to use the knowledge and capacity Colyton has developed in this area to support students in schools and colleges which may have fewer applicants to these destinations each year.
 
The programme combines advice, guidance and subject specific preparation for students with continuing professional development for Sixth Form teachers and advisors, designed to develop their ability to support future competitive applications.
 
Teachers and advisors receive a half day training course early in the programme and are encouraged to shadow student participants during other programme elements to develop their capacity to support students in future.
 
The fee for participation of the programme, to include CPD for one teacher/advisor and application support for up to four students, is £975 per school.
 
In line with the Colyton Foundation’s aims as a charity supporting schools, every attempt has been made to keep the cost to schools as low as possible.
  
Bespoke quotations are available where numbers of participating students and staff vary, and where multiple schools within a Multi Academy Trust wish to participate in the programme.

For More Information
If you would like to discuss the potential for collaboration with your school or college further, please get in contact on the links below.

​By Nick Wakeling, Director, Colyton Foundation

We are pleased to be working with The Colyton Foundation and Atom Learning to provide FREE access to Atom Home for all Key Stage 2 Pupil Premium/Free School Meals pupils in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset primary schools. 

The Purpose of this Initiative
Evidence shows that children from under-resourced backgrounds in the South West are amongst the least likely in England to attain highly at school, and to access Higher Education. 

The Colyton Foundation aims to work collaboratively with schools and universities throughout the
South West to increase levels of high attainment for under-resourced children, guided by their ‘cradle
to career’ philosophy. Partnering with leading universities and Multi Academy Trusts, The Colyton Foundation are dedicated to supporting high attainment for young people in primary and secondary schools, and Further Education.

As part of this work, The Colyton Foundation has established a partnership with Atom Learning to support pupils from under-resourced backgrounds to attain highly at Key Stage 2 by giving them access to Atom Home. This responsive online learning platform is proven to support successful attainment through tailored support that builds confidence, strengthens knowledge, and prepares children for the transition to secondary education.

Benefits for your Pupils
We understand the challenges faced by schools in ensuring that all children, especially those
experiencing disadvantage, have access to the best possible educational resources.

This Atom Learning initiative is designed to provide that much-needed support, at no cost to your school.

1. Tailored Learning
Atom Home adapts to each child’s learning level, ensuring they receive the right support for
their individual needs.

2. Key Stage 2 Focus
The platform covers all essential content in English, Maths, and Science, supporting your
efforts to raise attainment.

3. Comprehensive Resources
Pupils will have access to an extensive library of teacher-created practice questions, learning challenges, and resources to support their mastery of the curriculum. 

About Atom Learning
Atom Learning is an online learning and teaching company for Key Stages 2 – 3 with a range of products for families and schools to support with learning, exam preparation, teaching and assessment.

Atom Home is the home learning and exam preparation platform for Key Stage 2 pupils.
Practice questions, video tutorials and learning resources are created by experienced teachers and Atom provides targeted support to help all learners thrive.

Areas are identified where each pupil needs support and the difficulty of tasks is adjusted accordingly to provide a personalised learning experience.

This offer is FREE to all Key Stage 2 Pupil Premium pupils in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset primary schools​. Normally Atom Home would cost £575.90 per year. ​

Access Atom for your Pupil Premium Pupils
You can find more information about how to access and implement Atom Home for Key Stage 2 Pupil Premium / Free School Meals (FSM) pupils in your school in the link below.