‘This is Our School’: Provision, purpose and pedagogy of supplementary schooling in Leeds and Oslo

Abstract

The article examines supplementary schooling within ethnic minority communities in Leeds and Oslo. Through an analysis of original research involving visits to a sample of supplementary schools in both cities, interviews with teachers and pupils, and reviews of unpublished documentation, the article seeks to understand the scale of provision, variety of purpose and the nature of pedagogy in these schools. Following a brief account of contextualising literature, the article gives an overview of supplementary schooling in each country, and describes research design and the pro le of the participating schools. The article analyses the case study data under the following themes: group solidarity as the overarching function; community vs. individual interests; and curriculum, pedagogy and links with mainstream schooling. It thus considers the positioning of supplementary schools, both in terms of their purpose and relationship with mainstream provision, and examines the assessments of value made by participants. In conclusion, the article discusses the implications for policy and the role of individuals and communities in negotiating social, cultural and educational frameworks.

Learning to Read ‘Properly’ by Moving Between Parallel Literacy Classes

“…As Hall et al (2002) put it, when reviewing the British and Norwegian situations, in the majority of cases these schools have been established as a direct response to the lack of home language provision within mainstream schools:…”

Prácticas docentes y actuaciones educativas en el aula para la mejora del aprendizaje y la convivencia en los centros educativos de primaria y secundaria con alumnado inmigrante

“…De este modo, esta educación complementaria ofrece una respuesta que el currículum oficial no es capaz de incorporar, debido a su rigidez (Hall et al, 2002).…”

Co-constructing bilingual learning: an equal exchange of strategies between complementary and mainstream teachers

“…Most work in 'borrowed' spaces that belong to or are used by others, ranging from rooms in church halls or community centres to mainstream classrooms (Gregory and Williams, 2000;Martin et al, 2006). Classes are often mixed-age, multi-level, or both (Hall et al, 2002). A few practitioners have textbooks from home countries whilst many have none, and access to ICT resources is rare (Issa and Williams, 2009).…”

“…Their work is often underpinned by the strong teacher-student relationship and communal approach characteristic of informal learning settings. Studies in the UK (Barradas and Chen, 2008;Hall et al, 2002) and the US (Tran, 2008) describe relationships between complementary teachers and their students as close and supportive. Parents and teachers are jointly committed to students' success as individuals who are members of a community with shared cultural as well as academic goals.…”

“…Parents and teachers are jointly committed to students' success as individuals who are members of a community with shared cultural as well as academic goals. Staff at complementary schools teach to their students' strengths (Hall et al, 2002) and help them develop confident learner identities (Creese et al, 2006, Gregory et al, forthcoming). Older or more advanced students may act as learning mentors in mixed-age, multi-level classes, as found by Rosowsky (2006) in mosque classes in northern England.…”