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What is the Shaping Futures Programme?
The Shaping Futures™ programme is a social mobility initiative that works in partnership with like-minded grammar schools across the country, and their local primary schools, to further equal opportunities.
The Shaping Futures™ programme has been developed in partnership with Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham, and its aim is to nationally widen horizons of opportunity for primary students, to raise ambitions and provide the knowledge and skills to support progress toward their future aspirations.
Shaping Futures™ works alongside primary schools to nurture the aspirations of able, underrepresented students, so that they are supported in reaching their full potential; be that within a grammar school or beyond.
Shaping Futures™ has achieved great things in its first year, and we would be delighted for you to join the programme and run your own Shaping Futures™ in your grammar school.
The Goal
The Shaping Futures™ programme’s core purpose is to:
Promote equal opportunities, regardless of socio-economic background, by widening access to Grammar Schools for Pupil Premium and Pupil Premium + children by providing a unique combination of :
- Additional academic support
- Guidance on the knowledge, skills, and characteristics required to achieve future goals
- Activities to support pupils to develop self-esteem, motivation for learning or self-efficacy
- Opportunities for pupils to encounter new experiences and settings
The programme is available to all grammar schools at an introductory price of only £1,250.
This fee will automatically be renewed annually before the start of each academic year.
If you would like your grammar school to join, please complete the registration form below to sign up.
Alternatively, please complete our contact form or email skywardkidslifeskills@gmail.com and we would be happy to talk to you about the programme.
Skyward Kids in Partnership with Pate's Grammar School
“I am delighted to be in partnership with Pate’s Grammar and to support the Shaping Futures™ programme. We are supporting the programme fully with our 11 plus on-demand courses.
The impact that academic support through Skyward Kids’ resources combined with the Shaping Futures™ mentor support, transition activities and extra-curricular events have had is tangible on student motivation and progress toward aspirations.”
Kathryn McMahon
What's Included
The Shaping Futures Programme includes all the resources and tools necessary to widen pupil access to your grammar school. Click on each topic to find out more.
- Introductory Welcome Call
- Programme Timeline
- Primary School & Family Communications
- Personal Development
- Microsoft Forms Links
- Shaping Futures™ Mentors
- Skyward Kids 11 Plus Access to Courses
As part of your subscription, an introductory call will be offered to provide a brief overview of the programme and optional guidance on how to establish the Shaping Futures™ in your school. As part of this call, we will be happy to answer any questions you have about adapting the programme to be most effective for your school setting.
This resource will provide a recommended timeline of when to run each phase of the programme. Based off pilot year results, which includes feedback from multiple primary school Heads, this resource will provide a structure of when to send out the communications included in the package and run face-to-face events to achieve the greatest impact.
One of the strengths of the Shaping Futures™ package is that is creates a cohesive community between primary schools, families taking part in Shaping Futures™, and secondary schools. To support with the clear communication between all stakeholders, to keep all parties effectively invested in the aims of the programme, the Shaping Futures™ package provides a variety of letter and email templates for you to adapt to your context. The suggested timeline will also provide guidance on when each communication will be most effective to share with the relevant person(s).
A core part of the Shaping Futures™ programme is to provide primary students with opportunities to experience new activities and settings, whilst building relationships with their mentors. The Shaping Futures™ package will provide examples of extra-curricular activities and trips to balance one-to-one 11 + and academic support. Adaptable example itineraries will provide a range of activities to ensure a broad and balanced timetable, to promote personal development and growth.
A Microsoft Forms sign-up link is provided to ensure that your school is GDPR compliant and has all the relevant safeguarding information required from families when they sign-up to the programme. Separate questionnaire forms are also included to capture regular feedback to help develop and shape the Shaping Futures™ programme.
The Shaping Futures™ mentors play a vital role in the programme’s success by building relationships with primary students. The role of a mentor is to encourage, educate and build a rapport with the students so that they become a stable and positive role model for their mentee. As part of the package, a mentor recruitment assembly, sign-up contract, Forms polls and training opportunities will be provided to help support your students grow into their role.
Access codes per school to access all 11 + courses
- 25 Year 4 pupil licences
- 50 Year 5 pupil licences
- 1 addition licence for school email
- Termly data downloads for the year, including:
- Course progress snapshot for all students
- Student test results including percentage achieved in each instantly-marked test, time taken to complete each test and a pass or fail indication
- Well-being and motivation survey summary
