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Polish School in Spalding celebrates 10 years with summer fair featuring traditional music, dance, food and special guest Polish Consul Radoslaw Gromski




A school which helps youngsters learn about their heritage and traditions is holding an event to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

The Polish School runs a weekend class at Wygate Park Academy, Spalding, for four to 12-year-olds and has grown in numbers over a decade.

A special guest from London - Polish Consul Radoslaw Gromski is due to attend the celebratory summer fair, which will feature Polish dancing, music and food.

Polish School students recently visited Laxton Hall where they meet every year organised by the Polish Education Society. PHOTO: SUBMITTED
Polish School students recently visited Laxton Hall where they meet every year organised by the Polish Education Society. PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Headteacher Anna Smolen said: “When we first started we had around 20 children with a different head teacher.

“We now have 150 children and I took over as head.

“The Polish community is quite big in Spalding.”

Children who attend the classes are descendants of Polish grandparents or have parents who have moved to the UK.

Lessons are all taught in Polish on a Saturday morning between 9am and 1pm where they find out about the community and its history.

Classes supplement their mainstream education and includes history, reading, writing, Polish history and geography.

Mrs Smolen, who lives in Donington said: “Most of the children have Polish grandparents so it is important to speak in Polish with family and cousins.

“It may be that they have a British mum and dad with Polish parents who want to develop the Polish language.

“They learn Polish and we see the progress of teaching.”

The summer fair takes place on Saturday, June 29, and will feature an assembly, history of the Polish School, traditional dancing and children reading poems.

It will include Polish music, food and Polenez, a traditional dance that is one of five of the national dances in Poland.

Mrs Smolen added: “To me the importance of teaching is the impact on the children.

”Learning little things and to see them coming on and learning to write their name.

“They grow so quickly.”

Students recently visited Laxton Hall where members of the Polish School meet every year organised by the Polish Education Society to bring all the schools together.

Mrs Smolen, a qualified teacher from Poland, moved to the UK in 2013.

Having worked as a teaching assistant at Monkshouse Primary School for 10 years, Mrs Smolen is keen to celebrate the Polish community and culture.

For more information go to: https://szkolaplspalding.co.uk/ for further information.

- Do you have a story? Email jenny.beake@iliffepublishing.co.uk



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