K E S Services

The KES Outreach Programme provides a range of free masterclasses, workshops, competitions and concerts for local primary schools. Over 13,000 children from more than 200 schools across Birmingham and the wider region take part in our Outreach Programme each year. Due to the current restrictions placed on schools across the UK, primary school visits are currently suspended. We remain committed to resuming a full programme of Outreach activities as soon as we are able to. We are investigating ways of providing online support for our partners schools.

Our science workshops are designed to be both fun and educational, and to provide enrichment to the primary science curriculum. Designed for teams of four young science enthusiasts in Year 4 and 5, our Science Quizzes take place within one afternoon, beginning at 1.30pm and finishing by 3pm. Competitors answer science-themed questions and watch a demonstration performed by one of our teachers in the science labs. There is one Science Quiz held per term, two of which are for state schools and one is for independent schools.

Our Debating Workshop aims to increase primary school pupils' confidence about offering their opinions and encourage them to consider the views of others. Run on a Friday afternoon by four of our pupils at the primary school, the one-hour workshop introduces the concept of formal debating to the schoolchildren. Working in small groups, the children are given practice in public speaking skills and challenging others' points of view, and are encouraged to back up their arguments with factual evidence.

Our Modern Languages Workshop is designed to introduce primary schoolchildren to the principles of learning a new language in a fun and engaging way. The one-hour workshop is run by a small group of our pupilsat the primary schooland provides a taster session in learning either Spanish or French. The children will be taught how to introduce themselves and learn the words for colours, days of the week and other basic vocabulary through the use of games and songs.

Each year we host continuing professional development (CPD) training courses for primary school teachers. The types of courses offered include support for changes in curriculum, requests for help from primary schools on a particular issue, and development of teaching techniques. Previous topics covered range from Mastery in Writing, delivered by the Educational Development Trust, which was designed to reflect the new National Curriculum and Assessment without Levels; workshops run by the Ogden Trust to support the teaching of science in primary classrooms; and techniques for teaching Shakespeare in association with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.