THE SYRIAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL 123-127 Little Ealing Lane, London W5 4EJ The Syrian Community School was founded in September 1991 by a number of Syrian benefactors who live and work in the UK and are members of the Syrian Arab Association. They continue to be the school's patrons and sit on its Board of Governors. Soon after its foundation the school began to attract pupils from all Arab communities in London, including Egypt, the Levant and North Africa. Mission & Aims: The School evolved out of a growing need in the community to give their children an Arabic education that goes hand in hand with the English education provided by the state school system. Its inspiring principle is to provide the educational milieu and stimulus for its bilingual pupils that will enable them to grow into cosmopolitan citizens conversant with two cultures, aware of the contributions of both societies to human civilizations . By teaching them to value their ancestral heritage and to appreciate the culture and institutions of their host community. The school aspires to make of them future emissaries of peace and brotherhood, and thus abridging the cultural gap between East and West. The Curriculum: The school's initial aim was to serve the educational needs of children from Syrian background, and so it followed the Syrian Arabic Syllabus at first, but it soon perceived the need to widen its own curriculum to take account of the cultural backgrounds of the students from other communities. It is one of the priorities of the school in its program for expansion to design textbooks and school readers of a wider scope and more universal appeal than those used at present in any one single Arab country. Class Management and Tutorial Skills: Each class has its own teacher and support assistant, with the team leader giving additional teaching support and supervision. All teachers are highly qualified with strong commitment to their vocation. The school is keen that its tutors should update their skill and keep abreast of developments. Accordingly the school runs teacher training programs throughout the year which also enhance awareness of innovative teaching methods and techniques. The school maintains a close liaison between the teachers and parents to ensure the maximum benefit to the child. Among other things, home/school link homework books are used to encourage parents to support the child's learning. Parent/Teacher Meeting and Monitoring: Twice a year the school holds a consultation day, so that parents can avail themselves of this opportunity to discuss directly with the teachers their child's progress and coordinate with the teachers on future educational guidance to the pupil. At the end of each term, pupils are presented with a record of achievement showing details of the grades obtained and level reached in different aspects of linguistic proficiency. The Library: The school has a well stocked, well organized and catalogued library. The School Day: The school day begins at 9.15 am every Saturday. The children have 45 minutes for lunch and play time, and the day ends at 3.00pm. Accounts: A Charter Accountancy office is in charge of all the school's financial transactions and legal matters, including the overall budget.