Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School students are continuing to make a difference in the community through a long-standing partnership with Broadacres Care Home.
The partnership started back in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when our students became pen pals with residents who were unable to receive visitors due to lockdown restrictions.
What began as handwritten letters of kindness soon developed into regular in-person visits, and they’re now an established and much-loved part of our school life.
The collaboration is now a structured and sustained programme that runs throughout the academic year. Each half term, a different year group visits Broadacres to take part in a variety of shared experiences:
- Music sessions such as karaoke, Christmas carols and student performances on piano and clarinet
- Creative projects including joint artwork, crafts and garden planting
- Reading and writing sessions where children share their stories or read books selected from the school or Rawmarsh Library
- Seasonal celebrations like Christmas visits, Easter bonnet competitions and themed craft days
These visits continue to be mutually rewarding for both students and residents, creating moments of genuine connection. Students gain confidence and a deeper understanding of the world around them through the experiences, and the activities are also blended into our school’s wider curriculum – helping children develop social skills, responsibility and respect for others.
Dawn Roper, Headteacher at Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School, said: “Citizenship is more than just belonging to a community, and that’s why we encourage our students to make a positive difference within it. At Rawmarsh Ashwood, we want our students to show kindness and respect, and we try our best to empower them to make the world a better place.
“I am extremely proud of our students and the special relationship our school has with Broadacres Care Home. These collaborative events really are a wonderful part of our school calendar and I hope that this partnership continues for years to come.”
Helen O’Brien, CEO at Wickersley Partnership Trust, said: “Community engagement is one of our Trust’s core priorities and the partnership between Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary and Broadacres Care Home is a wonderful example of this in action. Creating these kinds of opportunities for our students helps them develop empathy, respect and a real understanding of their place in society.
“It’s inspiring to see our children making a genuine difference to others while gaining invaluable life experiences themselves. This is exactly the kind of education we aim to provide across our Trust – one that builds not only knowledge but character and community spirit.”
Simon Underwood, Activities Coordinator at Broadacres Care Home, added: “Broadacres Care Home is proud to celebrate our ongoing partnership with Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School – a relationship that strengthens the bonds within our community. Through regular communication and shared activities, our residents and the students offer one another companionship, joy and mutual respect. It is partnerships like this that remind us how vital community connections are – the foundation upon which a caring society is built.”
Visiting Broadacres Care Home is an exciting and heartwarming part of our school calendar, and our students love having the chance to chat to people who are of a different generation.
Willow, a Year 5 student at Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School, said: “I love talking to the residents. They told me about what school was like when they were little. It made me realise how much we can learn from people of different ages.”
Oliver, another one of our students, added: “When we sang to them at Christmas, they smiled and sang with us. It made me feel really proud to be part of our school.”
We’re looking forward to our next visit to Broadacres over the festive period!
Wickersley Partnership Trust is committed to embedding its schools at the heart of their communities. Its Community Engagement strategy aims to build lasting connections that inspire positive change and transform our local environments. Through initiatives like intergenerational projects – like this one – our Trust strives to raise aspirations and prepare young people to play their full part in an ever-changing world.
