Lauriston Lights Summary

Ltd

Registered company number: 08312267 Email: lauristonlights@gmail.com, Website: http://www.lauristonlights.org/ Executive summary: Lauriston Lights is a non-profit organisation aiming to empower and inspire high achieving elevenyear-old children from low socio-economic backgrounds to reach their full potential. Lauriston Lights is unique (Daniel, 2013 child) for 5 reasons: High-achieving 11 year olds: Our personal experience and research demonstrates that age 11 is a key transitional age that the current system does little to cater to. University mentor students: Solely University students lead the camps harnessing on a currently untapped resource. Mentors set an example that intelligence is something to be prized not hidden so that it does not go unnoticed or unsupported. The high ratio of mentors to children offers the time, space and attention for children to develop. Aptitude: We strive to inspire the whole child and facilitate dynamic development in an encompassing a set of 8 aptitudes based on the work of Wellington College and Academy: moral, spiritual, logical, linguistic, physical, cultural, social and personal. Its not a question of whether a child is intelligent, but how they are intelligent. We strive to lay the foundations for children to be able to achieve high examination grades and also be succesful dynamic individuals in wider life. Character: Seligmans 7 key character strengths currently used in KIPP Charter schools are used to develop a set of coping mechanisms for dealing with personal problems and embracing positive thinking: zest/curiosity, grit/resilience, self control, optimism, gratitude and social intelligence. Innovative tools: A range of tools including Philosophy for Children challenge and support children in being able to confidently communicate the answer to the question: who am I, what am I good at and how can I improve? We hope the children will go on to lead happy and successful lives providing inspiration to future communities as Lauriston Lights. The Problems: The camp aims to address two interlinked problems: The education system: bright children getting lost in the system at secondary school. Low socio-economic background: low levels of aspiration, academic encouragement and wider support.

The camps:
In 2013 the camp was hosted at Gallions Primary School in Newham for high achieving - Level 5 in Maths and English at SAT level children from low socio-economic backgrounds who do not have a parent who went to University. The main content of the summer camp: Philosophy for Children and debating: to encourage moral reflection and critical thinking. Individual mentoring: to explore individual interests and encourage character reflection. Workshops (internal and external): to inspire all types of intelligence. Aspirational enrichment trips.

Funding: Our main donor is the Sam Griffiths Foundation. Others include Selwyn College
Cambridge, The Worshipful Company of Carpenters, Newham Council and individual donations.

The Future: We hope to build a sustainable model that university students can replicate. We hope
to build a network of University students and schools across the UK willing to be part of our mission.

What We Do: 5 reasons why we are different

Our mission: to empower and inspire high achieving eleven-year-old

children from low socio-economic backgrounds to reach their full potential.

Lauriston Lights is unique, Daniel, 2013 child

Low socio-economic & high achieving 11 year olds

Our personal experience and research demonstrates that age 11 is a key transitional age that the current system does little to cater to. We strive to equip high achieving 11 year olds with the tools to ensure that they achieve all they can in their secondary school and beyond. If it wasnt for the summer camp Id We seek to mitigate the challenge posed by be watching T.V. Lauriston Lights summer learning loss as identified by the summer camp is awesome, Education Endowment Foundation. Lornelle, 2013 child.

University students
We run two-week summer camps led solely by mentoring University students from across the UK harnessing on a currently under utilised resource. The high ratio of University mentors to children offers the required structured time, space and academic attention for children to develop personally and academically. Mentors set an example that intelligence is something to be prized not hidden so that it does not go unnoticed or unsupported. Lauriston Lights always gets my name right Khairat, 2013 child.

8 aptitudes

Lauriston Lights showed me and Zak Taking inspiration from the work of Havardthat if you have the right attitude and based thinker Howard Gardener, Lauriston the right aptitude you can achieve Lights strives to inspire the whole child and anything you want, Talat Queshi, 2013 facilitate dynamic development in an Parent encompassing a set of 8 aptitudes: moral, spiritual, logical, linguistic, physical, cultural, social and personal. Its not a question of whether a child is intelligent, but how they are intelligent. We strive to lay the foundations for children to be able to achieve high examination grades and also be succesful dynamic individuals in wider life. The 8 aptitudes approach is currently being pioneered by Wellington College, as well as in its Academy, Wellington Aacademy. Lauriston Lights and has expanded my views about the world, Cleo, 2013 child.

What We Do: 5 reasons why we are different.

Character
We focus on Martin Seligmans 7 key character strengths currently used in KIPP Charter schools proven to improve chances of success and happiness: zest, curiosity, grit/resilience, self control, optimism, gratitude and social intelligence. Character development through our innovative teaching tools is fundamental This week has changed my life in many to developing a tool kit for children to manage ways. It has boosted my confidence and difficult personal challenges they may face. If self-esteem (not that I didnt have any), they have all-round strength of character, Andrew, 2013 child. theyre, more likely to achieve success, both personally and academically.

Innovative tools

We employ innovative teaching tools that aim to inspire and empower. Internally mentors design and lead innovative workshops based on their degree level knowledge e.g. Philosophy for Children, debating and creative writing that introduce new ideas to the children. Mentors lead individual mentoring sessions that aim to draw upon and develop the individual interests and strengths of each child. We are fortunate enough to also have external organisations running workshops in a variety of areas from communication and practical problem solving e.g. MyBnk money management to theatre e.g Royal Shakespeare Company. We also organise enrichment trips, for example in 2013 a trip to Oxford University took place. Our goal is to challenge and support children in being able to confidently communicate the answer to the question: who am I, what am I good at and how can I improve? I have learnt things I hadnt understood before, Rohit, 2013 child.

LL is amazing: it gives you chances to express your thoughts and feelings about things, Dorela, 2013 child.