National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education

Who we are

The National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education (NRCSE) was established in 2012. It is the only specialist support body for supplementary schools and the agencies working with them. NRCSE provides:

• - A national Quality Framework for Supplementary Schools Awards scheme supported by statutory and voluntary sector agencies across England to ensure that supplementary schools meet minimum standards, following the Voluntary Code of Practice for out-of-school education with basic policies and procedures in place which best protect and support children, to date 450 schools have obtained a Quality Framework award.
• - A freely searchable online database of supplementary schools with detailed information about 600+ NRCSE members.
• - A range of nationally accredited training programmes for community volunteers, local authorities voluntary sector and other agencies supporting the supplementary school sector.
• - Online resources, advice and guidance on legal requirements and best practice available direct to community volunteers and SMEs running supplementary schools.
• - Advice and support to local and central government on best practice within supplementary education, and capacity to support specific projects, for example to engage disaffected families in areas of social and economic disadvantage in their children’s learning; tackle underachievement; and to build community languages into mainstream education.

NRCSE’s work is funded by charitable trusts (John Lyon's Charity, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Trust for London and BFSS), combined with individual subscriptions from supplementary schools and commissions from local authorities and other agencies for additional support services.

Our vision for the sector, is for there to be a change in attitudes to education with recognition of the value and role of community-based educational initiatives in supporting children and young people’s attainment and well-being, in particular children and young people from disadvantaged and/or minority backgrounds. This change needs to take place across all agencies: local and central government, mainstream schools, higher education establishments and funders. With recognition of the value of community-based initiatives there must also be government acknowledgement of its responsibility for the registration of all organisations offering supplementary education whether they be led by statutory, voluntary, community, private organisations or individuals.

Our vision is for all supplementary schools in England that are active and offering curriculum and/or mother tongue tuition to be supported to assure that their provision is safe and effective, such as by obtaining the Quality Framework for Supplementary Schools, within one year of establishment. Our ideal is for some form of quality assurance of all out-of-school-hours educational provision, including private tuition and faith instruction, to be in place by 2018.

Join us if you have the determination to help us achieve our vision for all supplementary school staff (paid and volunteers) in England to have access to appropriate training and support at times and in locations that are convenient to them.