SIMBA EDUCATION

SIMBA started in January 2000 as a pilot with a group of 10 pupils from Henry Mellish School, in Bulwell Nottingham UK. The project was run on a one day per week basis and Based at New College Nottingham and further at the Full Gospel revival centre in Bathley Street, Meadows Nottingham with its Head Office at 40A Bramcote Avenue in Beeston Nottingham. 

The main SIMBA programme is a direct extension of the Supplementary School Movement within the UK. The organisation came into being in order to bridge the gap of underachievement among African Caribbean pupils and disaffected mainstream young people. 

The Supplementary School Movement acknowledges the problem of underachievement among black pupils, but did not accept that this was a problem that would be solved solely by mainstream. Hence, the number of Saturday and after school projects in community-based organisations. Most of them being community self-help initiatives. 

Supplementary schools do a great job in promoting positive self-images and building self-esteem. They are not however empowered to directly impact on qualifications in their current state. 

In acknowledging that underachievement among the identified group still continues, even with the increase in supplementary education and the introduction of numerous mainstream strategies, SIMBA need to build on the Supplementary school idea and create a structure, which would have a direct impact on qualifications leading to a reduction in underachievement. 

The two main gaps identified in the Supplementary School Movement were: (1) that the vast majority of young people who needed to be reached by this resource did not see it as ‘cool’ to attend an after school or Saturday School session, and therefore would not attend. (2) Whilst the Supplementary School Movement were able to provide individual pupils with academic support for mainstream subjects, they were not able to directly impact on pupils’ levels of entry. 

Consequently, a large number of African Caribbean pupils tended to be entered for foundation rather than intermediate or higher tier examinations. Thereby limiting their access to A – C grades in examinations. What was needed therefore is a structure that would complement the Supplementary Schools in the following ways. 

1. A structure, which would accommodate the hard to reach targeted Supplementary School pupils 
2. A structure, which would facilitate examination qualifications. 

SIMBA created such a structure by (1) partnering with local schools and recruiting pupils identified by the schools as underachieving. 

This way pupils took examinations in addition to any examinations they would be taking in school. To further maximise the impact on reducing underachievement levels, SIMBA worked closely with schools in areas of Nottinghamshire to deliver a mentoring programme aimed at promoting a positive self and higher aspiration levels among borderline A-C grade pupils. 

SIMBA enjoyed success both in the delivery of its mentoring programme as well as the delivery of qualifications. 

• A bridging Programme for secondary schools with an influx of students with English as an additional language. Developed and trialled at the Langham School in Haringey. 
• A curriculum spelling Bee programme aimed at raising literacy levels within a school. First trialled at Stockwell Park High school in Lambeth