Projects
Our 2016 Symposium Gateway to Success
About MEaP 2016 Symposium
On 2nd April 2016, MEaP, in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), launched its first symposium at the Brooks Building. This event was not merely a conference but a call to action, marking a pivotal moment in our journey to reshape the educational landscape for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in Greater Manchester.
The symposium served as a “Gateway to Success” open day, bringing together educators, community leaders, and academics to address the “Culture of Low Expectations” often faced by BAME students in mainstream education (Source: ResearchGate – MEaP Overview). Led by Dr Ornette D. Clennon, Dr Esther Oludipe, Amber Abisai, and Henry Ngawoofah, the event explored how community-led initiatives can foster resilience and academic excellence.
What the 2016 Symposium Entailed
The day was structured as an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, focusing on how supplementary schools act as vital bridges between the home and the classroom. Key themes included:
- Exploring what decolonised education looks like within our schools and its role as a tool for political activism (Source: Palgrave Macmillan – The Polemics of C.L.R. James).
- Providing a critical response to the “Educational Excellence Everywhere” white paper and its implications for social inequality (Source: MaCTRI – Commentary on Educational Excellence).
- Investigating how grassroots education can be sustainable through social enterprise models, including a focus on the 2016 GIFT-led Summer School Enterprise programme (Source: MaCTRI – Journey to a Successful Career).
Key Events and Highlights – Introducing Our Supplementary Schools
Showcases from key partners, including GIFT Academy, Highway Hope Supplementary Schools, and WIOCC Supplementary School, highlighting their unique contributions to the community.
Introducing Highway Hope Supplementary School
Theo talks about the activities that he and his colleagues lead at the Highway Hope School.
Introducing GIFT Academy Supplementary School
About the work being done for 20+ years at G.I.F.T. Academy Supplementary School.
Introducing WIOCC Supplementary School
Amber speaks about the ethos and activity of her school. See PDF slides and Commentary.
Enterprising/Self-Employment
Dr Esther Oludipe provides 4 Enterprising and Education case studies on journeys to a successful career. She mentions how Highway Hope, her organisation, successfully prepare service users for self-employment, and creating and managing thriving social enterprises.
Can “Educational Excellence Everywhere” play its part in tackling social inequality?
‘Can “Educational Excellence Everywhere” play its part in tackling social inequality?’ is an invited paper presented by Ornette D Clennon
Educational Excellence Everywhere White paper | Powerpoint (ppt) | Commentary | More on our MMU research page.
Youth Performances
Cultural showcases, including performances by the CLR James Community Action Trust, demonstrating the intersection of arts and educational engagement.
Plenary Discussions
The 2016 symposium also included in-depth debates on critical theory and culture, informed by scholars like Nadine Doharty on the challenges of Black History in the current curriculum (Source: The Runnymede School Report).
Plenary Discussion excerpt 1
Excerpt of a live discussion with the audience about culture and the political importance of supplementary education and other issues surrounding Supplementary education.
Plenary Discussion excerpt 2
Another excerpt of a live discussion touching the partnership in supplementary education and surrounding topics
Outcomes and lasting impact
The 2016 Symposium demonstrated the immense appetite for community-led educational reform. The event had broad attendance, including headteachers, co-ordinators, and tutors from across the Manchester Supplementary Schools Network. It strengthened ties between MEaP, MMU, and Manchester City Council’s Directorate of Children and Families. The targeted support focused on Caribbean, Irish, and Roma communities who are statistically at higher risk of school exclusion (Source: ResearchGate Case Study).
The 2016 Symposium was the catalyst for several of MEaP’s core ongoing projects, including the formalisation of the Manchester multi-agency partnership model that continues to support supplementary schools today. The discussions held during the symposium also directly informed our current GCSE provision in English, Maths, and Sciences. Finallym the event’s themes contributed to significant publications, including chapters on decolonised education as a tool for social change (Source: ResearchGate – Clennon 2016).
Our 2016 Symposium reiterates the fact us that education is a collective responsibility. It was here that we first declared that for our children to truly succeed, we must not only teach them how to climb the existing ladder but empower them to build their own.