Polish Pupils in London Schools: opportunities and challenges - Rosemary Sales (2008)
This report was commissioned by Multiverse and carried out by a team of researchers at the Social Policy Research Centre at Middlesex University. There is a substantial literature on recent Polish migration, but this is the first major study to look at the implications for teachers in schools and for tutors in Initial Teacher Training. The report includes interviews with staff in four London primary schools, with different numbers of Polish pupils, as well as interviews with Polish parents. The schools are of different types, with a variety of structures, a varied experience of diversity, and different levels of local authority support.
Polish people now live in all regions of England and are the most widely spread of all recent migrant groups (Pollard et al, 2008). Schools across the country are responding to these new arrivals and supporting their successful transition into the educational process. Many schools in large cities have long experience of supporting children for whom English is an additional language and who arrive with little knowledge of it. In rural areas, where populations have been historically more mono-cultural, this may be a new experience.
Many teachers lack information about the educational experience of Polish children and the expectations and fears of their parents. These teachers need effective strategies for supporting their pupils. However, a number of schools and education authorities, including some with limited experience of dealing with these issues, have welcomed the opportunities they bring. They have responded with positive projects aimed at integrating Polish pupils. See for example the Dorset-based Support for Polish Children Project Report [Tokarz, 2007] at http://www.dorsetforyou.com/index.jsp?articleid=370362
Polish Pupils in London Schools: opportunities and challenges includes the following sections:
- Scope of the study and the sources used
- Background to the new Polish migration, highlighting some of the specific challenges which this can present
- Key features of the educational system in Poland showing the differences from the British system, and the different expectations of parents about schooling
- Discussion of the response of the schools in the study - the challenges and opportunities which Polish migration has brought and the areas of tensions and differing perceptions between parents and teachers
- Discussion of strategies that have been implemented at national, local authority, school and individual classroom level
- Key conclusions and recommendations for teachers, policy makers and local authorities
- The appendix carries a more detailed discussion of the characteristics of the Polish population in Britain and of the numbers of Polish children in London
A copy of 'Polish pupils in the UK primary schools: a guide for parents' is available to download here:
A Guide for Parents (English language)
A Guide for Parents (Polish language)
Authors :
Rosemary Sales, Louise Ryan, Magda Lopez Rodriguez, Alessio D’Angelo
Article Id :
15120
Date Posted:
20/2/2009