Demand for Taster Days continues to grow

Sixty pupils from primary schools in Bristol and South Gloucestershire will have joined a class for a day at Colston’s School when the 2009/10 Taster Days programme is completed at the end of this month.

	Year 7 Co-ordinator Kayleigh Goddard pictured with four Year 6 guests and their Colston's hosts (left to right): Jonathan Wolter, Mason Newton, Tom Fisher, Jenson Fricker, Jacob Pratt, George Pomphrey, William Wolter and Kallum Knight.

From the time they are met at 8.15am by their Year 7 hosts, they are absorbed into all timetabled lessons and activities.

Demand for Taster Days continues to grow, and February 5th was typical with four visiting Year 6 pupils placed in three classes.

Jonathan Wolter from St Helen’s RC School at Alveston was hosted by his brother William who joined Colston’s last September. He started the day with double science, followed by music and German. Jonathan’s morning finished with double hockey, the perfect appetiser for Friday lunch which naturally included fish and chips, and the afternoon brought maths, history and IT.

Mason Newton from St Stephen’s Junior School, Kingswood joined Jenson Fricker’s class with a morning timetable of RS, science, English, German and double hockey. In the afternoon Mason tackled maths, history and French.

Kallum Knight (Whitehall Primary School) and Jacob Pratt (Henleaze Junior School) found themselves in the same class with their hosts George Pomphrey and Tom Fisher.

	Lunch was more than welcome after double games. Clockwise round the table, from the top, are Jenson Fricker, Mason Newton (in the white shirt), Jacob Pratt, Tom Fisher, Kallum Knight, George Pomphrey, William and Jonathan Wolter.

Their Colston’s day comprised English, French, double science, double hockey, maths, Spanish and science.

Kallum was also keeping an eye out for his aunt Chloe Adams who is a member of Year 11 at Colston’s.

The Taster Days programme is the responsibility of Year 7 Co-ordinator Kayleigh Goddard.

“One of the striking things for me in setting this up is the enthusiasm of our hosts in Year 7,” she said. “There’s no hanging back, no lack of volunteers.

“They all seem to want to be involved, and clearly enjoy the responsibility from the start of the day when they meet their guest pupils until they say their goodbyes at the end of the afternoon.

“We all know that Colston’s pupils are the school’s best ambassadors, and the way our Year 7s take to the role in only their second term here is a measure of their growing confidence.”

	First into lunch were Tom Fisher (right) and his guest Jacob Pratt from Henleaze Junior School.

Headmaster Peter Fraser commented: “We organise this programme for boys and girls from other schools because our Year 6 pupils at Colston’s Lower have been getting an insight into the Upper School for five years or so.

“For us it is a real pleasure to have these potential newcomers with us for a day. Naturally we hope that they eventually join the school, but we realise that parents have to weigh up many considerations before making their final decision and we would wish them every success in their secondary schools.”