We also spoke to Nasira Amin who has been running Reach High 2 since 2005.
“If Study Support closes, it's going to be a great loss for the young people because it's the heart of the community. At Reach High 2, we have 80 – 90 children attending each week; we also have a waiting list for 20 – 25 children. Study support has made such an impact, not just for the children but also for parents who are much more involved in their children's education now. If it stops, things are going to go back to the way it was before, with no aspiration from children or parents. We have a strong link with the community and schools are now recognising how much study support helps. I hope we can find a way to continue.”
Young people at Reach High 2 explained how much the project meant to them.
“I like coming because it helps me with my learning. If you get a good education you can get the job that you want. I want to be a barrister, I've got a nice loud voice.” Nimra Y6
“I wasn't that good at English before, but Reach High has given me a lot of confidence. When we have to do ‘big writes’ at the end of topic, I've performed better and now could go up to a level 4.” Uzyar Y6
“Before I came to study support my levels weren't very good, now they've gone really high. I'd like to say to the Council: if you were in children's shoes, you wouldn't like it if something you really liked got shut down.” Naimah Y6
“I'm dyslexic, so its quite hard in school to catch up with my work, but here it’s much easier. You can't have one to one in school, but here the teachers can. I have improved with my grades and it would be quite upsetting if it closed as I would go down in school.” Seema Y9