The first celebration for students at Nottingham’s Community Learning Centres, formerly

Supplementary Schools, takes place today (Thursday, 28th February).

It will mark the achievements of more than 300 pupils who have passed exams and certificates in community languages, including three students of GCSE Modern Greek who have been named by their exam board among the 10 best students in the country.

A total of 50 pupils gained A levels, 111 gained GCSEs and another 254 will receive Level I and 2 certificates. The awards will be presented by Nottingham City Councillor Ibrahim Mohammed, Assistant Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services.  

He said: "We are proud of these students and their qualifications, which are in addition to their full time education. These skills will enable individuals to benefit from wider work opportunities and to contribute to the local economy."

More than 2,000 young people attend the 27 centres dotted around the City that teach more than a dozen community languages. Most operate on Saturday mornings, a few take place on Sundays and a small number operate after school on weekdays. The centres are run by volunteers and receive grants from Nottingham City Council.

Languages taught include Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese and Mandarin, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Panjabi, Polish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese. There is also a centre for Jewish Studies and three centres for pupils with African or Caribbean heritage. Students learn about their cultural heritage, study the language, and English and maths tuition is also on offer at some centres.

The centres are encouraged to enter pupils for A level and GCSE exams. Chinese, Greek, Panjabi, Polish and Urdu were entered at both AS and A2 level last year. The centres’ links with schools are good.

The awards evening, organised by Nottingham City Council, is for pupils, parents and teachers. During the evening Purnima Vadera, Aimhigher Manager from Aimhigher Nottinghamshire, will provide information for all those interested in going on to higher education.