School Improvement and Supplementary Schools
Supplementary schools are schools run by local communities either after mainstream schools hours or at weekends.
There are 24 supplementary schools in Northamptonshire.
Supplementary schools in Northamptonshire fall into two groups that for convenience are called A and B.
Group A offer services to black and ethnic minority young people supporting the mainstream curriculum with black perspectives. African Caribbean Saturday schools and homework clubs fall into this category.
Group B offer services to young people from communities who have a mother tongue other than English. These schools teach mother tongue to GCSE, sometimes to A level. They teach cultural awareness and some also teach cultural forms, such as music and dance.
Clearly the work all these schools do is extremely important in terms of maintaining cultural identity, raising self esteem, developing language and communication skills, providing opportunities for an additional GCSE and in enriching the out of school curriculum.
Study Support is working with the Supplementary Schools on three fronts
- To raise the profile of the schools and disseminate good practice.
- To address training needs.
- To develop the relationship between the supplementary schools and the mainstream.
Language research shows that children who are fluent bilinguals have a cognitive advantage over monolinguals through the acquisition of highly developed semantic skills.
Recent NFER research shows that linking out of school learning with the mainstream enhances the learning that takes place in both contexts.
From this point of view, it is clear that the linkage of the supplementary schools with study support provides an important tool for school improvement.
Supplementary Schools and Study Support
In Northamptonshire it is the view that the work of the supplementary schools is study support based in the community.
Management committees and tutors in the schools therefore need access to the same range of information and training opportunities that we would offer study support coordinators, providers and schools.
In order to meet this need study support has
- Allocated space within the study support newsletter for the supplementary schools
- Includes the supplementary schools in the UFA fellowship training
- Invites the schools to study support inset days where appropriate
- Offers tailored training for each school
- Developed a teacher training course for the language tutors for which accreditation is sought
In addition the study support team has worked closely with the lead officer for supplementary schools, offering strategic support, access to resources and inclusion within the study support framework. The supplementary schools are developing school brochures. There is a brochure for the Arabic schools and the Wellingborough African Caribbean School available. The supplementary schools are regularly reported on at the study support steering group meetings.
Lead Officer for Supplementary Schools is Morcea Walker, email MWalker@northamptonshire.gov.uk
There is a national supplementary schools service:
National Office
Paul Morrish - Continyou
0787 9006 776
admin@supplementaryschools.org.uk