Chester Schools Together – Our Impact

Our Impact

Working in equal partnership, we provide educational, cultural and enrichment opportunities that support the personal development, confidence and future aspirations of young people, while also creating opportunities for collaboration and professional development across schools and organisations.

Across recent reporting periods, our partnership programmes have delivered more than 3,500 recorded programme attendances, alongside sustained activity in rowing, STEM and engineering, university preparation, qualifications, creative collaboration, leadership and wellbeing.

None of this work would be possible without the generous support of The Westminster Foundation, whose funding has enabled Chester Schools Together to grow a diverse and ambitious partnership programme

Chester Schools Together would like to thank the University of Chester, Storyhouse, Chester Zoo and our many educational, cultural, sporting and community partners for helping our partnership continue to grow and for creating meaningful opportunities for young people across Chester.

10 Partnership Highlights

1. Rowing Has Become One of Our Highest-Impact Programmes

The Chester Schools Together rowing programme has grown into a flagship partnership initiative, combining physical wellbeing, resilience, teamwork and leadership development.

Across Learn to Row sessions and Chester Regatta participation, students reported:

• 100% learned new skills
• 91% said rowing improved overall fitness
• 100% felt pride in what they achieved

The programme has also widened access to a specialist city sport that many students would not otherwise experience.

2. More Than 3,500 Beneficiary Attendances

Across 2022–2025, Chester Schools Together recorded approximately:

• 895 beneficiary attendances in 2022–23
• 1,370 recorded beneficiaries in 2024
• 1,400+ beneficiary attendances in 2024–25

This represents more than 3,500 recorded partnership engagements* across students, families, educators and community stakeholders.

*Programme attendance figures include repeat participation across sustained and multi-session activities such as our Learn to Row Programme and weekly sessions from Storyhouse Drama Practitioners from multiple schools.

3. Outstanding Wellbeing, Confidence & Pride Outcomes

Many programmes generated exceptionally strong wellbeing outcomes linked to confidence, belonging and leadership.

Highlights included:

• 100% pride in achievement through rowing
• 100% pride in Lifeguard Qualification outcomes
• 100% pride representing Chester at the Climate Symposium
• 98% enjoyment working collaboratively with students from other schools

These outcomes demonstrate the importance of collaborative experiences beyond the classroom, including opportunities for pupils from multiple schools to learn, work and participate together

4. Creative Partnerships with Storyhouse

Working alongside Storyhouse, students accessed professional creative opportunities not normally available within school settings.

Projects included:

• Drama Showcase
• Podcast Project
• Creative Careers Day
• Storyhouse Schools Festival
• International Women’s Day activity
• Northern Chamber Orchestra Masterclasses

Students developed confidence, collaboration, performance skills and pride in creative achievement.

5. STEM & Engineering Enrichment

Programmes such as Scalextric4Schools introduced students to engineering, design and collaborative problem-solving.

Outcomes included:

• 96% reported opportunities to problem solve
• 100% applied new skills in school settings
• 90% used specialist equipment or software previously unavailable to them

These programmes widened access to technical learning and engineering pathways.

6. Championing Inclusion, Diversity & Representation

Partnership activity has created meaningful opportunities for students to engage with equality, diversity and social responsibility.

Highlights included:

• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Conference
• Black History Month with Dr Charlie Easmon
• International Women’s Day collaboration
• Climate leadership and student voice programmes

These events challenged perceptions, encouraged discussion and widened awareness of inclusion, representation and prejudice.

7. Real Qualifications & Employability Skills

Real Qualifications & Employability Skills

Students have gained practical qualifications, leadership experience and employability skills through partnership programmes.

Programmes including Lifeguard Qualification, Paediatric First Aid and FA Referee training provided students with accredited qualifications, practical responsibility and transferable workplace skills.

The Lifeguard Qualification programme achieved:

• 100% pass rate
• 100% of participants reporting pride in achievement
• 85% adding the qualification to university applications or CVs

These opportunities combined confidence-building with tangible progression benefits, helping students develop employability skills, leadership, resilience and real-world experience beyond the classroom.

 

8. Climate Leadership & Student Voice

Chester Schools Together has created platforms for young people to engage with global issues and represent their communities publicly.

At the Chester Zoo Climate Change Symposium:

• 95% gained new knowledge or skills
• 82% presented publicly to audiences of more than 100 people
• 100% felt pride representing their school and city

These projects strengthened leadership, confidence and civic engagement.

9. Supporting Future Pathways & Specialist Careers

Partnership activity has provided students with direct access to specialist guidance, professionals and university insight.

Across Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science programmes:

• Hundreds of students accessed expert advice
• 95–100% reported increased confidence or inspiration
• 75% of mock interview participants later secured offers on chosen courses

Students particularly valued opportunities that would otherwise have been unavailable within their own schools.

10. Consistently Outstanding Feedback

Across all reporting periods, Chester Schools Together maintained exceptionally strong recommendation scores:

• 92% rated programmes 9–10 in 2022–23
• 86% rated programmes 9–10 in 2024
• 90% rated programmes 9–10 in 2024–25

Participants consistently valued:

• specialist expertise
• collaboration across schools
• practical learning
• cultural opportunity
• experiences beyond the classroom