Concern over language funding


THERE are now 60 different languages spoken in Maidstone schools as pupils’ first language, but there are fears that a change in funding will make it harder for them to integrate. Tracy Crute, a KCC specialist teacher for minority and bilingual achievement, saysMaidstone has become similar to many London boroughs with a significant number of local children now having English as their second language. For instance, 24%of pupils in St Francis Catholic School in Oakwood Park have a first language dif- ferent from English. Some of these children may come from the Catholic Filipino parents who are working atMaidstone Hospital, and others from European economic migrants. She insists KCC is coping with the challenges this presents, but


from April the £2m government funding that supports her team will be given directly to schools,who will chose what they dowith their share. Ofsted has expressed some concern, especially about “advanced learners”, as KCCwill lose control over whether language and other ways to integrate children into schools are spent wisely or not. Alex Turner, chairman ofMaidstone Local Children’s Trust, said:


“So much has been done to help children and their families learn English and to start integrating into nurseries, schools and the community in Maidstone. “It is hoped that the experience of Maidstone schools –where al-


most every school has children with English as an additional lan- guage, and is working well with their families– will enable them


Working with


the Gurkhas AS local Nepalese families have moved out of theMaid- stone barracks and begun to become part of the wider community, they have left the protection and resources of the Army. However, schools like St


Paul’s Infant School and North Borough Junior School are working well with these families and their children, even when their first lan- guagemay be Nepalese (this was called Gurkhali – lan- guage of the Gurkhas).


1,000 miles in less than a day


A TEAM of cyclists achieved their target of riding 1,000 miles in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research. The indoor marathon, on static


bikes, took place at Beechwood Community Hall, Tarragon Road, Maidstone, with the teammanag- ing to complete the distance in 23 hours and 45 minutes. Friends joined organiser Alyson French’s core team of four, and two members of the local San Fairy Ann Cycling Club also donated time and effort. Alyson said: “The original tar-


to recognise the benefits of these kind of services and the expert- ise behind them.” The government announcement on the funding changes was an- nounced last year and is to come into force at the beginning of the next financial year. A KCC spokesman said: “Now that the money has been devolved out to schools it will be up to them to decide what meets their needs.” Ms Crute addressed a confer-


‘Don’t push


ence at the Masonic Centre in Tovil. The 70 people present from children’s centres, nurs- eries and primary schools were invited by Paul Shallcross and Fiona Miller from theMaidstone Preventative Services Team. She explained that KCC has


been working to help schools deal with minority groups for some years. Many Maidstone schools and nurseries are now able to cope with these new youngsters, who will become at least bilingual, without as much support as they used to need.


Travellers’ language a spoken


tradition, and rarely written TRAVELLER children tend to be good primary school attendees. They largely come from Romany or Irish traveller cultures.


Many of these children are already bi-lingual when they come into school, especially if the families have traditionally lived in the UK. They arrive speaking English as well as perhaps Shelta or Gam-


mon if Irish travellers, or a form of Sanskrit, which originates from Northern India if they are Romany. However, the problem for these children is that their language


does not tend to bewritten. Indeed,many older family members may not read or write, as their language is an spoken tradition. This means that, as travellers integrate into the local culture, they may lose their own language. Not many schools have information on traveller language and


many children want to know more about their own culture as well as the mainstream British culture.


MAIDSTONE Council has set aside £100,000 of government funding to help empower com- munities as part of its plan for the ‘Bigger Society’. The cash could be used to


help community groups, chari- ties and social enterprises work together in a way that benefits the local neighbourhood and does away with much of the present local government bu- reaucracy and ‘red tape’. A neighbourhood action plan


Alyson French with Dick Nay- lor from San Fairy Ann


get was to cover 1,000 miles and raise £1,000 pounds. I am happy to say everyone was still in fairly good shape when we finished and the total has hit almost £1,400.”


Transport improvements a priority MAIDSTONE’S transport diffi- culties need to be addressed as a priority if the town is to have a growing economy. Although the council excels


in areas such as housing and waste collection, the transport network needs improvement, the council’s cabinet was told. The council has had to make


tough decisions as a result of budgetary cuts since drawing


14 Town


up its strategic plan for 2011- 2015 and now needs to re- assess its priorities. The cabinet agreed the town needed a transport network to support the local economy if it was to grow and prosper. It needed to work closely with KCC on a transport strategy, which would include parking improvements and a shift in consumer behaviour.


has already been produced in Park Wood as part of a pilot scheme, which has identified several improvements that resi- dents would like to see, and a similar exercise is about to get underway in Shepway. The council will now be


asked to decide which actions should be carried out and how the community can be enabled to complete the remainder.


them too hard’ AS a rule, teachers tend not to push the non-English speaking children too hard and even through they may even be silent for some months they are taking the language in. Using pictures and other non-verbal cues, the children can be encouraged to slowly join in. Keeping parents fully involved is most important so that the nursery or school can understand the culture that the child has come from and some of their experi- ences in coming into the UK. All will have had some dis- ruption of their education and some may also have had major traumas. Achievement of these pupils still needs to be sup- ported, even once the child seems fluent in English. For instance, the grammar schools in Maidstone have needed some specialist help for “advanced learners” who have been here for more than two years. “When you think and dream in English, which may take many years, you have integrated English into yourself.


Maidstone’s Bigger Society The borough is already work-


ing on ideas for a website for Maidstone’s Bigger Society, which will pull together advice and links for community groups and individuals. It is also to set up a panel to consider applica- tions for funding. Budgetary cuts mean Maid-


stone Council has had to priori- tise its services and some services, considered crucial to local communities, have had to be reduced. Part of the ‘Big Society’ plan


is to allow local people to have more control over public fi- nance, deciding how public money is both raised and spent. A community does not neces-


sarily have to be geographical – it could be a group of people with a common need, such as the elderly or those living in re- mote rural areas.


Footpath condition for new delivery office THE proposed new Royal Mail Delivery Office in Park Wood has been given planning permission. The organisation is to move the delivery office from its current


hub in Sandling Road to the site of a redundant warehouse and of- fices on the former Whatman complex off Bircholt Road. Maidstone Council gave the go-ahead on condition that a foot- path to the new site is completed.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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