Old Basford School is a proud member of   

Nottingham Schools Trust. 

In 2017 a group of Nottingham schools joined forces to establish the Nottingham Schools Trust – a collaborative partnership focusing on improving education for the children of Nottingham.  NST has a priority to provide sustainable school to school support to all of the member schools within the trust and take full advantage of the breadth and expertise that already exist in member schools.  NST’s guiding principles are to challenge, support and improve member schools and academies to ensure that all their children succeed.

Old Basford School has a voice in the decision-making process, through the Trust’s open and transparent governance. Moreover, the Trust values the diversity which exists in our schools and actively encourages each school joining the Trust to maintain and further develop its own distinctive culture and identity.

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY (RSC) LEAD ASSOCIATE SCHOOL

  Our journey with the RSC began in 2015 when we became involved in the exciting 'Dream 16' project which was a co-production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' between the RSC and amateur companies across the UK, commemorating the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. Since then, our partnership has grown in strength, we joined the RSC Associate schools programme, and are now proud to be known as an RSC Lead Associate School.

  We work very closely with 3 other Lead Associate schools in Nottingham, 8 Associate schools and Nottingham Theatre Royal and Concert Hall and Nottingham Playhouse. Together we are committed to provide our children with a rich arts-based project. The annual Associate Schools programme includes:-

• RSC- led CPD in rehearsal room techniques (delivered in Nottingham) 
• RSC- led CPD in Stratford for Associate Schools lead teachers
• Access to a wealth of RSC resources and RSC website
• Participation in the RSC Ambassador programme (3 children per school)
• Access to backstage heritage and careers tours at the Nottingham partner theatres
• Co-working with the Nottingham Associate Schools and sharing of ideas and resources
• Performance of one of Shakespeare's plays in school
• Children participate in a joint production and perform at one of the theatres
• Study of a Shakespeare play by all children in school (FS to Y6)
• Delivery of bespoke lessons by associate artists in drama, visual art and music

 In recognition for the work our school has done and our commitment to working in partnership with the RSC, Nottingham theatres, creative associate artists and other Nottingham schools, in March 2022 we were honoured to achieve the RSC Artsmark Alliance Platinum Award.

  Please click the link below to find out more about Shakespeare work and events at OBS.

CREATIVITY COLLABORATIVES 2022

  Creativity Collaboratives was a key recommendation of the Durham Commission report published in October 2019 who wanted to investigate the role of creativity in the classroom and to find ways to make creativity a bigger part of children's education and life beyond school. Arts Council England set up a pilot research project (funded by Freelands Foundation) with the aim to establish what conditions help creativity to thrive in schools. OBS alongside 11 other Nottingham schools make up one network of 8 national 'Creativity Collaboratives'. 

  The Creative Collaboratives will creative strategies and pedagogies and test out approaches to help answer the research question...

  How do we nurture our children’s innate creative capacity and sustain their curiosity about the world?

Learning from the programme will build a national overview of the impact and value of teaching for creativity pedagogies and practice to be shared across the education sector and with Government.

Old Basford School's first collaboration with practitioners aims to help answer the question ...

  How can teaching for creativity through technology improve outcomes for children with recognised SEND?

Our Year 4 team will be working with the company 'Digit Music' to explore ways of teaching Science and Music creatively during their 'Flashes and Bangs' topic. Watch this space!

ENTHUSE PARTNERSHIPS

The schools in the Primary 6 Partnership (P6P) were only one of 15 groups of schools to be granted funding to work as an Enthuse Partnership from 2017-2020. The funding is provided by STEM learning working with the Department of Education. STEM covers science, technology, engineering and maths subject areas.
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ENTHUSE Partnerships are groups of between four and eight schools and colleges located in England. These groups receive a bursary of up to £12,000 and can use this money to work together to address local issues and to support the development and success of STEM subjects. ENTHUSE Partnerships aim to support collaborative activities over two years to develop and strengthen local partnerships which can then continue independently.

​In the P6P we are using this funding to support work in Year 4 and will be providing high quality science training for Year 4 staff in each school, including joint activities over the next two years. We will be particularly supporting the leadership of our science subject leaders as well as developing our Year 4 class teachers. Part of our work will include a joint Year 4 Science Festival in March 2018 and increasing our links with local industries. Through this project we hope all children will be enthusiastic about science and expect progress and attainment in science to improve for all and for children eligible for the pupil premium grant in particular. We are pleased to be working with our local Science Learning Partnership, Ellis Guilford Secondary School and Basford Hall College as well as other partners like STEM Ambassadors along the way.