Local authorities
How local authorities can take a lead: ideas for collaborative work
It’s important that mainstream schools ask families before they contact local supplementary schools on their behalf.
The QCA website advises:
‘Some newly arrived communities who may be seeking asylum from persecution in their home countries can also be wary of contact with other people from their countries. Some asylum seekers from minority communities in their own countries may also speak different languages and have a different cultural backgrounds from the majority community. They may feel uncomfortable with the ethos and activities in some supplementary and mother-tongue settings.'
Train volunteers as interpreters and explainers – don’t rely on children
Research shows that children may often be used as interpreters for their own school reports and open evenings. Professionals interviewed for this project cited this as a major concern.
One parent described how he feels at a loss when he attends school open evenings as he speaks very little English: ‘My son is a good boy but I want to hear from the teacher how he is doing. He (son) is my ears; unless he tells me, I don’t know.’
A Somali community leader thinks that this may contribute to children dropping out of school. ‘The amount of times parents tell me that they had no idea their child was doing so badly as all the notes and meetings with school are in English and they get their child to interpret!’
Recruit and train mentors for looked-after children
Where children are looked after – as defined by the Children Act, 1989 and 2004 – supplementary schools may be an important link between the children, their own communities and their schools. Asylum-seeking children, whether unaccompanied or in families, may face multiple moves, especially at the point of gaining refugee status. This often leads to a dislocation between their social and learning environments, which can be mitigated by the consistency and support a supplementary school can offer.
Supplementary schools are also well placed to provide links between the different schools that have provided education for a child. Bullying is an issue that affects children from all backgrounds. However, it can be more prevalent for newly-arrivedchildren. A partnership approach, which can identify people from the community who can be trained and CRB-checked to act as family mentors or advocates, can offer shared benefits.
Involve supplementary schools in the common assessment framework
Invite supplementary school volunteers and leaders to induction and training sessions on the common assessment framework along with other professionals. Not only will they meet colleagues working in health, children’s services and in other voluntary organisations, they will also learn more about these services and what they are trying to do. Visit www.continyou.org.uk/coreoffertoolkit
Share expertise through membership of governing bodies and management committees
The DCSF publication, Governors (Summer Term 2007), says: ‘Governors are key to making sure students from all backgrounds have equal opportunity for academic success.’
A supplementary school might welcome the additional expertise of a volunteer teacher from a mainstream school on their management committee, while supplementary schools may propose and support members of their communities to volunteer for inclusion on schools' governing bodies. Both volunteers would also be involved in wider matters, and could help both organisations learn about each other.
‘I think the idea of appointing representatives supported by supplementary schools is one I will be taking forward. We have vacancies on our governing body and this makes a great deal of sense. It will provide a valuable link between the school and the communities represented in the student body. It also supports stronger partnership arrangements and is a direct contribution to the running of the school.’ Head Teacher of local school in Hackney
Run joint cultural events and community celebrations
Although schools often arrange cultural events and celebrations, this is not usually undertaken as a shared activity by supplementary and mainstream schools. The benefits of a shared approach would be to broaden pupil exposure to other cultures as well as offer opportunities to incorporate curriculum objectives as part of the preparation and evaluation of such events.
Make joint funding applications
Where supplementary and mainstream schools identify areas of common interest, joint applications for funding may strengthen the application and subsequent outcomes.
According to Denise Barrows, (Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Education and Programmes Manager):
‘An application for funding, which represented a partnership between a mainstream and supplementary school would be very well received – depending of course on the specific details and merits of the application, certainly stronger than if each applied independently.’
