What we do

National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education

• Raising standards
• Raising profile
• Building support

Supporting local authorities

Working together with local authorities we are able to provide trainers and training materials free of charge (for a limited time) for a wide range of courses to develop skills within supplementary school. We can help to support forums and work with local mentors to support schools through the quality framework. Find out more about our work with local authorities.

Supporting supplementary schools

In areas where there is no support via your local authority we will work directly with supplementary schools. This can include support with the quality framework at bronze level; thereafter a local mentor will be provided. We provide a number of online resources to support schools including policies and procedures, sample forms, funding advice and information on volunteering. Find out more about our work with supplementary schools.

Supplementary Schools Database

The ‘Our Languages’ project began in September 2007 in response to the need to raise the status of community languages in the curriculum as well as the need to recognise the work of the complementary (or supplementary) education sector in England. Search the database at www.ourlanguages.org.uk/schools.

Supporting newly arrived communities

'We have moved house so many times it has been very hard. I have had to change schools three times and this [supplementary] school has helped me a lot. I still have my friends here and the teachers are nice.’ 12 year old boy whose family is seeking asylum.

Find out more about our work with newly arrived communities.

Training

Funded through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and DCSF until March 2010 we are able to provide free training to supplementary schools on demand when there is a minimum of 15 attendees.  Find out more about our training opportunities.

Quality Framework

The NRC has developed the first nationally recognised quality mark for supplementary education.  The Quality Framework for Supplementary Schools is a voluntary quality recognition scheme, which is independent, peer-assessed and self-regulated. It is run for and by supplementary schools and those who support them. It aims to recognise, celebrate, record and improve the achievements of supplementary schools. Find out more about the quality framework.

Partnerships and projects

We aim to work in partnership wherever possible as together we can make a difference. We are currently in the process of developing numerous partnerships with local authorities to support supplementary schools and their development.

Supplementary schools are run by almost every ethnic community group in England including African Caribbean, Afghan, Somali, Greek, Jewish, Turkish, Russian and Iranian. They offer children support in national curriculum subjects, as well as the opportunity to learn their community’s mother tongues and to understand more about their ethnic or national culture and heritage.
- Languages Review (DfES, 2007)