The Bal-Balika Mandal at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London has once again received a Gold Award from the National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education (NRCSE).
The NRCSE is a national strategic and support organisation for the supplementary education sector across England. It serves as the “national champion for excellence, innovation and partnership in supplementary schools”.
The award was conferred after a detailed appraisal by representatives of the National Resource Centre on Sunday 5 June 2016. They observed assemblies and classes, conducted a thorough examination of policies, and spoke with pupils, teachers and the school director as part of the formal assessment.
The findings from the visit were documented in a statement prepared by the Centre. It especially mentions the “fully engaged and eager students” and the “clear, confident technique [of the teacher]”, which contributed to a “most effective and enjoyable lesson”.
This follows the same achievement in 2012, when the Bal-Balika Mandal was first awarded a Gold Award from the NRCSE for its “high standards of service in providing supplementary education to the community” – the first supplementary school in the London borough of Brent & Harrow to have achieved the gold standard.
Other distinguished accolades for the Bal-Balika Mandal include The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services, conferred in 2009.
Among its various activities, Bal-Balika Mandal in London organises a Sunday School to teach Gujarati, in which it has attained a 100% success rate in GCSE exams, with more than half of the students receiving a grade A or A*. During the weekly classes, some 70 volunteers assist the 350 students. The school strives to provide value-based education helping young people develop into responsible and respectable British citizens.
Sharing his thoughts on the latest award, Manoj Patel, lead volunteer for the Bal-Balika Mandal, said, “We are delighted and honoured to receive the Gold Award once again. The achievement is a testimony of the collective efforts from the children, parents and all the volunteers. We are committed to providing a positive and rewarding learning environment and hope we can continue to build on this success in the years to come.”