School Needs - what we are trying to do

To Western eyes Sohm has many pressing needs, in terms of education, health, employment diversity, social provisions, transport, fuel, web connectivity, diet, agricultural improvements etc.

We are realistic, we cannot help with everything. We are exclusively concerned with education in the village.

We ask a single question to all requests for support in the village "How will this help improve the education for the schools' students?" If we and the principal don't get a convincing response to the question, reluctantly we will not support the plea for assistance - difficult as this often is.

Our priorities are:

• upgrading the skills of the teaching staff;
• getting electricity to the school;
• increasing the availability of key educational equipment and books in the school;

Regional Education Director, Babucarr Suwareh and Principal Ishmaila Sambou, examining a microscope. More equipment like this, urgently needed!

• developing educational opportunities, through structured extra-curricular activities;
• assisting students to travel to and from school, from outlining areas;
• enhancing the living conditions for staff living on site; and
• improving the educational performance of all of the schools' pupils.

Staff - their background

There are 20 staff at the Sohm Senior Secondary School, about a third of whom are unqualified. Most of the others have very basic teacher training qualifications.

Sandra with head of English, Buba Mendy, unloading books donated to the school

Lack of books and equipment in the school means that staff, necessarily rely on "talk and chalk" as the main teaching method.

Helping to improve the teaching skills of the staff and enhance the educational experience of students at the schools is central to our mission.

Curriculum - what is taught

The Gambian school curriculum would be familiar to most people with an understanding of British secondary education. English, Maths and General Science are taught as core subjects. Other subjects taught include Agricultural Science, Metalwork and Woodwork, Social and Environmental Studies and Home Science.

Most of the older pupils come from feeder junior secondary schools, some miles away. The standard of education and levels of achievement, as measured by national exam results, is pretty low. It is a priority of our charity to address this weak performance at the feeder schools and to seek a higher level of attainment.

The curriculum is a West Africa wide one, originating from Nigeria, where most of the core textbooks are published. Much of the course content is still, however, very UK-orientated.

Offering curriculum support, through teaching aids

The Gambian government provide some textbooks for pupils in schools up to grade 9. But not for the vast majority of pupils at our school. Few of the pupils can afford them, so a major priority of our charity is to address this need and help with the supply of textbooks.

Secondary School Report - who goes

There are currently 263 pupils at the Senior Secondary School, most of whom are in years 10 - 12 (older teenagers). Since 2011, a year 7 has been introduced to the school, and within three years the roll will have risen to over 400 pupils, and offer education for 13 - 18 year olds in Sohm and its surrounding area.

54% of the pupils are boys and 46% girls. They come from nine different ethnic or tribal groups, each with its own language. Jola and Mandinka are the largest of them, and account for two thirds of the pupils.

Boys, girls, Christian and Moslem, from different ethnic and language groups learning together

Although English is the official language of the country and the school, many pupils speak an African language as their first one, at home.

It is a secular school. About 60% of the pupils follow the Islamic faith and 30% are Christian.

The school is, however, fully integrated in terms of gender, ethnicity, language and religion. All pupils and their needs are treated with equality and respect.

Track Record - achievements to date

Although we were only established in late 2011, we have managed to make a difference to the life chances of Sohm's youngsters, already. We have:

• arranged for the sponsorship of 11 pupils at the Lower Basic and senior secondary schools;

Sandra with a group of Sohm School Support sponsored students, February 2012

• provided basic school stationery for every student at the secondary school;
• provided over £600 of core textbooks, in English, Maths and Agricultural Science for the secondary school;
• supplied wall posters and maps for each senior secondary school classroom;

Deputy head, Nicholas Mendy (right) with a student putting up donated poster in science lab

• provided examination papers for all pupils in the final year of the Lower Basic School;
• generated national press coverage for the school (observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/jersey-technical-senior-secondary-school-boosted).