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'Real sense of community at Polish school'

Chris CraddockJersey communities reporter
News imageBBC Julia is standing in a library area next to shelves filled with books. The individual is wearing a white and navy striped shirt with the word “Champions” printed on the front. Behind them, there are posters on the wall and a green sign partially visible on the right.BBC
Julia, 14, said the Jersey Polish School was helping connect her with her culture

A student studying GCSE Polish has said having a specialist school in Jersey is helping her stay connected with her heritage.

Julia, 14, studies at the Jersey Polish School and moved to the island two years ago with her family from Durham.

"I can talk to my talk friends in Polish, share stories about Poland," she said, adding: "There is a real community here."

The school runs from Springfield School on Saturday mornings and is open for children studying up to GCSE level.

News imageA classroom setting with several children seated at a table, working on colorful activity books. The table has open books, a pink pencil case, and a green water bottle. In the background, a teacher stands near a cabinet, and a large digital screen is mounted on the wall. The classroom is bright with large windows and colorful decorations.
The school has several classes for children of different ages

Julia praised the school and teachers for helping her settle into the island as trying to stay connected to her heritage "can be quite confusing because you have to speak English at my regular school but having this really helps".

She said she was surprised to see the difference between the integration of the Polish community compared with England.

"Even when I'm in the hospital or in my mum's surgery - I see posters in Polish as well as other languages which I was blown away by which we didn't really have in Durham," she said.

News imageMolly, Angelina, Ruby are standing indoors in front of a classroom display. They are wearing casual clothing in shades of white, pink, and maroon. Behind them, there is a wall with educational materials and a large map partially visible on the right side.
Molly, Angelina and Ruby said they enjoy learning about their Polish heritage

Molly, Angelina, Ruby, all eight, all attend the same class at the Jersey Polish School.

Molly said: "We can learn Polish so if we ever decide to move to Poland then we can speak to our family."

Angelina said the class was "really fun" because of its variety of activities.

Ruby also said the class was helping her with her language skills.

"I go back to Poland a lot to see family so it's nice to speak to them," she said.

News imageMonika is standing in a classroom in front of a bulletin board decorated with colorful hot air balloon cutouts. The board has the text “Flying High in Year 1” written at the top. She is wearing a patterned blouse, a black cardigan, and a visible name badge that reads “Monika.”
Teacher Monika Pal said she set up the school after parents told her there was need for it in the island

Teacher Monika Pal, who founded the school in 2011, said she had seen increasing numbers of students.

"We started with around five children and now we have more than 40," she said.

"The numbers have grown slowly year by year.

"There was a gap for some children whose parents have different backgrounds to learn Polish language and culture, so some parents asked us to help change that."

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