Saturday School

The Hamara Supplementary School is one of our longest-standing and most valued projects; originally developed to address the educational disadvantages often faced by BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) children. We do this by identifying the barriers that can hinder academic success within mainstream school settings and actively working to remove them.

Our aim is to raise educational attainment while creating a nurturing, supportive environment that responds to each child’s individual needs. We adopt a dynamic teaching style that recognises and respects different learning preferences, increasing every child’s opportunity to succeed, both academically and vocationally.

The Supplementary School welcomes children from a wide range of diverse backgrounds into a progressive and inclusive learning environment. Sessions take place every Saturday from 10am to 2pm, led by a team of five trained teachers who provide academic support in line with the national curriculum. In addition to classroom-based learning, we organise educational trips that offer positive, engaging experiences and help foster a lasting love of learning.

At the Hamara Centre, we firmly reject a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we assess each child individually and adapt our teaching methods, accordingly, creating a space where children can flourish without needing to fit into a mold.

In addition to our supplementary school, we also run an accessible holiday club throughout the main school holidays, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Leeds Community Foundation through their Healthy Holidays initiative. This vital provision is specifically designed to support low-income families, with a particular focus on children eligible for free school meals.

We understand the critical need for affordable, reliable childcare during school breaks, and our holiday programme has been thoughtfully developed to fill that gap. Beyond just providing a safe space, our play scheme offers a rich variety of carefully planned trips, workshops, and engaging activities. These experiences are crafted not only to promote fun and play but also to foster educational development and personal growth for every child who attends.

Achievements

Working in partnership with Mainstream Schools, Leeds City Council, The national Resource Centre for Supplementary Education, The Leeds Supplementary Schools Network, Leeds Beckett University, Into University, Child Friendly Leeds, Yorkshire Cricket Board & BME forum.

57 pupils were supported through the supplementary School project over the last 12 months.

The Supplementary School project is recognised by the National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education with Quality Framework Awards including Bronze in 2014 and Silver in 2015 & Gold in 2016 as well as the Child Friendly Leeds Supporting Schools Award at the Child Friendly Leeds Awards in January 2016.

‘My children are very grateful for the summer holidays club this year. They enjoyed many activities that were provided, the meals were great, and they loved the indoor and outdoor games. As a parent, this holiday club helped me to get many other things done for myself and the family without the children distracting me. Thank you to all the teachers for your time, kindness, care, and support for all the children’

Feedback – Parent (Holiday Club)

Saturday School

Registration required. Contact 0113 277 3330 or email Hannah Zaman at hannah.zaman@hamara.co.uk