Location of Schools

“Although there are many outside-of-school programs, this one seems innovative.”
                     Temple Freedom Prize Judge, 2007

 

We now run twelve supplementary schools in London, West Yorkshire and Birmingham. Further schools will be opening in 2008.

Click here to see them on google maps.

Sanaton Saturday School (Bethnal Green)
King’s Cross Saturday School
King’s Cross Evening Lessons (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Hammersmith Saturday School
Camberwell Evening Lessons
Kilburn Saturday School
Keighley Saturday School
Bradford Saturday School
Yardley Wood Saturday School
Great Yarmouth Saturday School
Killinghall Saturday School (Bradford)
Future schools

Tasnim and Tahlima in a maths lesson at the 2007 summer school

Sanaton Saturday School

10am - 1.30pm, Gatehouse School, Bethnal Green

We first became involved in supplementary schools when Luke Geoghegan, warden of Toynbee Hall, told us of a group of Hindu Bengali parents who were so concerned by the conditions in local schools that they had tried to start a Saturday school. It collapsed after a few months, largely owing to lack of funds to pay the teachers.

These parents are members of the Sanaton Association which serves the Bengali-speaking Hindu community of Greater London by providing education, community work and cultural events. The parents are aspirational, and well aware of the importance of education for their children, but they earn low wages. We therefore decided to use donated funds to revive the Saturday classes. We started in January 2005 and have continued ever since.

The children are aged between six and sixteen. We concentrate on English and maths, with science for the older children. All children have shown considerable improvements in their reading ages, and are, for the most part, ahead of their chronological age.

King’s Cross Saturday School

2pm – 5pm, York Way Court Community Centre, Islington

As word of the success of the Sanaton Saturday School spread in the Bangladeshi community, we were asked to open a similar school for children living on a housing estate near King's Cross station. Classes began in January 2005, in association with the Thornhill Neighbourhood Project. We have a waiting list, as well as requests from parents for us to start a class for secondary-age children.

King’s Cross Evening Lessons

5.30pm – 7.30pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays, York Way Court Community Centre

The first two Civitas supplementary schools were attended by children from ethnic minorities who belong to very strong community groups. However, we would see other youngsters hanging around on the King's Cross estate, often behaving in an anti-social manner. We were keen to reach out to all children, regardless of race or religion. Most do not belong to any strong community groups so we delivered leaflets door-to-door around the estate advertising after-school lessons for six- to eleven-year-olds. We were amazed by the positive reaction. At the start of the first open evening there was a crowd of parents at the community centre gates eager to talk to us. Nearly all expressed great anxieties about their children's education and were very enthusiastic about the prospect of extra lessons. Due to the popularity we now run two separate evening classes.

(Right) Ikem in a maths lesson

Hammersmith Saturday School

11am – 2pm, Queen Caroline Community Centre, Hammersmith

In January 2007 we opened a Saturday school on the Queen Caroline Estate in Hammersmith. Ruth Phillip, a resident on the estate, had been trying for some time to start a Saturday school for local children. The majority of the children are struggling at school and at risk of becoming disillusioned with education. We now have four teachers at the classes to provide as much support as possible.

Camberwell Evening Lessons

5pm – 7pm, Cambridge House, Camberwell

In September 2007 we started after-school lessons at Cambridge House in Camberwell.

Kilburn Saturday School

2pm – 5pm, Cotleigh Road, Kilburn

The Kilburn Saturday School opened in December 2007.

Keighley Saturday School

10am – 1pm, St Anne’s School, Keighley

We were approached in August 2006 by Lee Craven, a business man from Bingley who was concerned with the poor educational results in Keighley, West Yorkshire. There is racial tension in the town and it is no coincidence that the leader of the BNP chose to stand in Keighley at the last election. We believe that if all young people are educated in a way that will help them get on in life, these bitter social conflicts can be reduced. The Keighley Saturday School opened in January 2007 and now teaches 40 children each week.

Bradford Saturday School

10am – 1pm, Laisterdyke College, Bradford

In July 2007 we were approached by members of the Hindu Cultural Society of Bradford who had heard about the good results at our supplementary schools in London. They were eager for their children to have similar classes in maths and English. We were keen to expand the programme in Yorkshire and started the Bradford Saturday School in November 2007.

Yardley Wood Saturday School

2pm – 5pm, Billesley and Yardley Wood Community Centre (previously in Sparkhill)

The Yardley Wood Saturday School opened in July 2007. We have six teachers working with 55 children

Great Yarmouth Saturday School

10am – 1pm, The Priory Centre, Great Yarmouth

We opened the Great Yarmouth Saturday School in April 2008 with the assistance of Theodore Agnew.

Killinghall Saturday School

10am – 1pm, Killinghall Primary School, Bradford

Due to the heavy demand for places at our first Bradford Saturday School, we opened the Killinghall classes in April 2008.

(Right) An English lesson at the Sanaton Saturday School

Future schools

Murton Saturday School (Durham)

Wapping Saturday School (London)