School in London

The kids in a school in south London come from all over the world. At Southfields Community College, in Wandsworth, south London, the 1.300 pupils come from 60 countries altogether. There are 71 languages being spoken at the school. London has many multicultural schools. At Southfields, many of the pupils spoke little or no English when they first arrived. “We believe the best way for pupils to improve their English is by listening and speaking in class,” said Anita Sollis, a teacher at Southfields. “Most teens have some basic English when they arrive, and we immerse them in English in class. It’s fantastic how quickly they learn the language. “If kids speak no English at all, Southfields takes these pupils out of class for one lesson a day to give them extra English. Sports and activities are also important. Ifrah Omar, 15, from Somali, said after-school clubs helped her to make friends in Britain. “When I got here, I met friends playing sports. I didn’t know how to play the games; I couldn’t speak English and I didn’t know anyone, but the others helped me. I still have these friends today. Kristina Dimova, 13, from Bulgaria, has been there for just a few months. But she’s already learned a lot about other cultures. “My friends come from Brazil, so I’m learning about their country and language. I also teach my friends about Bulgarian traditions.”  Walking around the playground is like a trip around the world. Kids from different countries play together. Shahid knows a lot of the kids and he’s proud of his knowledge of other cultures. He said, “It makes you feel clever to know people from so many different backgrounds.”