A new type of polynomial analogue of the Rogers–Ramanujan identities is proven. Here the product-side of the Rogers–Ramanujan identities is replaced by a partial theta sum and the sum-side by a weighted sum over Schur polynomials.

We give a combinatorial proof of a general determinant identity for associated polynomials. This determinant identity, Theorem 2.2, gives rise to new polynomial generalizations of known Rogers-Ramanujan type identities. Several examples of new Rogers-Ramanujan type identities are given.