The Karima Foundation in partnership with Cressex Community School & Bucks Education Authority

The MPA has been exploring ways and means of reducing the educational achievement gap which exists between the Pakistani origin and mainstream children in Bucks and we welcome the success of the Karima Supplementary School – Year 11 GCSE Intervention Project.

 

In 2009 the Karima Foundation in partnership with Cressex Community School and Bucks Education Authority delivered a 3 month pilot project that provided community based learning support for year 11 pupils in order to prepare them for their Maths and English GCSE examinations.

The short term intervention programme had the primary goals of:

 

• Increasing the motivation of the student
• Increasing the academic performance of the student

 

The programme was aimed at those pupils who, based on predictions, were not expected to achieve a grade C or above. The criteria for pupil selection were:

 

• Students had to be performing below their school targets and specifically below the grade C in Maths or English
• Students’ involvement had to be voluntary

 

We worked closely with the school but also with Youth and Outreach workers to identify 45 BME students from Yr 11 groups, to take part in this pilot.

Specialist Maths and English teachers were commissioned to design an Intervention Programme based on feedback from Schools and identified gaps in learning needs.

With a team of 5 teachers the 3 month programme was delivered successfully. 20 girls and 18 boys took part in the programme, with pupils attending from Cressex, Holmer Green, Highcrest and Great Marlow Schools.

Students attended 2.5 hour weekly sessions for 3 months on a Saturday morning with the majority of students having 100% attendance.

 

Outcomes:

• 62% of pupils achieved a grade C in English or Maths over this period. (None of these students was expected or predicted by their respective schools to achieve a grade C in Maths or English.)

 

• According to the Exit Surveys: 100% of students felt the unique learning environment and focussed teaching improved their preparation for their GCSE exams

 

• Students and Staff shared a good relationship and were able to relate to each other

 

• Lessons were delivered in contexts that engaged students

 

Since then....


At the Karima al-Marwaziyya Foundation we firmly believe that there is a continual need for short term intervention projects such as the pilot programme to support young people who are currently in need of support with their studies.  Early Intervention is a key route by which we can significantly reduce the number of students leaving school without the crucial 5 A*- C grades. They offer an efficacious, holistic approach to providing both short and long term interventions.
We have delivered the programme via our supplementary schools, which have been established since 2005. We have focused heavily on recruiting Community based Teachers and providing structured CPD programmes to meet the needs of those Teachers, so that we provide the best possible education to the Young People in our care. The Foundation has built up a large pool of paid and volunteer staff who deliver on their specialism’s to best support the Schools.

 

Background of the Karima al-Marwaziyya Foundation - KMF


The Karima Foundation is a grassroots organisation that has been established since 1998.  The Foundation became a registered charity in 2007.


The Foundation operates numerous projects including 3 supplementary schools, Language school, Arts, Sports, Community Cohesion projects and full time youth provision.


The Supplementary Schools are Faith inspired and base their foundations on early 19th century educationalist Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of creating highly literate living books written by writers (teachers) who like the writers have a rich story to tell/live. Two Saturday schools (a primary and a secondary school) as well as a weekday after-school program, operate serving approx 150 young people from the Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Kashmiri community in the Wycombe area (with a particular focus on Castlefield and Oakridge)


 

Further details of our activities can be found on our website: www.karima.org.uk
For contact please email: school@karima.org.uk or general enquiries to info@karima.org.uk

 

 

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