Parental engagement in heritage language schools

The more diverse Britain becomes, the more scope there is for mainstream schools to take advantage of, and bene t from, the extensive network of supplementary schools that exists in the country. These community-led educational programmes enjoy parents’ support, and offer a personalised and informal learning environment that complements mainstream education. There are between 3,000 and 5,000 supplementary schools in Britain (Ives and Wyvill 2008), set up largely by migrant and ethnic minority communities to offer out-of-school educational programmes covering areas including the core curriculum, languages, and cultural activities. At their best, these supplementary schools offer children and young adults a rich learning experience. They provide personalised learning with strong pupil–teacher engagement. They give young people outlets to explore complex questions of identity, engage with role models from similar backgrounds, and develop networks of peer support. An estimated 80 per cent of supplementary schools teach mother- tongue languages: this helps reinforce English language learning, makes children more effective communicators, and develops problem-solving abilities and reading pro ciency (Maylor et al 2010). And, as they are community- and parent-led by nature, supplementary schools also provide an avenue for parent engagement as well as community engagement more widely. This report recommends greater complementarity and coordination between the mainstream education system and these thriving supplementary schools. This would make some mainstream schools better prepared and equipped to deal with the pressures that come with catering for a diverse student body.