What Our Students, Families & Partners Say About Ensemble
“(Because of Ensemble) Children of Cameroonian background can now learn about their country by accessing resources at Manchester Central Library.”
Dr Aloyis Mbako - North West and South West Cameroonian Association UK
“I started learning French with Ensemble French Supplementary School at St Anne Primary School and it helped me quite a lot when I got to high school. Most of the catchy songs, like les jours de la semaine, les mois de l’annee or Bonjour et bienvenue, got stuck in my head, giving me the chance to get most of the answers right during French lessons and to feel proud of myself.”
Frank - Year 8 Student at Loreto High School
“My son has been taking French lessons through Ensemble French Supplementary School since 2014 when he was 10. His enthusiasm for classes has not changed once in this period. The combination of play with the teaching of a new language in a fun environment, often means that children do not even realise they are learning.
I’m very pleased with my son’s progress and cannot emphasise how much his confidence at school has increased. They keep parents fully updated with what is going on, when classes are, and the progress that each child is making with a personalised report being provided at the end of every term. I would happily recommend the Ensemble French Supplementary School to anyone without a second thought. It is a very useful and unique resource in our community.”
Vartan Lloyd Morris – Parent
“The Ensemble end-of-term family sports day always inspires me with new ideas to exercise at home and have fun with my kids, using French or Fefe to communicate with them!”
Mireille - Parent from Cameroon
“It's great to work with a heritage consultant from Ensemble, when trying to get children to become more engaged in accessing religious scriptures.”
Pastor - United Community and Hope Church
“It’s really useful to network and find ways to talk to children about where we come from.”
Manu - Cameroonian Community
“Going to Ensemble Holiday Camp always inspires me and makes me feel closer to my teenage children!”
Romain - Famille Banwa UK
“It's great to hear about new resources and schemes on the way that can be rolled over to other cities within the UK and used to share good practice even back home with technology!”
Flore - Parent from congo
THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF FOOTBALL
"The Unity and Community in Football has greatly transformed my life."
“I never really thought about my identity and cultural heritage until I started to engage with the Ensemble Unity and Community in Football project. When I first came to the UK at the age of 7 years, my friends used to describe me as the French boy because I spoke French. I felt different and struggled to make friends at first. When asked about where I came from in class, I used to say I come from Africa, and some classmates used to laugh saying, “Africa is dirty.” I felt very embarrassed. Throughout secondary school, I remember laughing and giggling with friends as I spoke about my Cameroonian origins, and most people where referring to Cameroon with their memories of FIFA world Cup 1990.
The way I see it is that football makes me feel proud of my Country of Origin and has motivated me to read more about the history of my country. In Cameroon the main spoken language is French, and it is important that I speak French so I can communicate with my grandparents and extended family. I have enjoyed every single step of my journey through Ensemble French Supplementary School, socialising with fellow young people, and Cameroonian amateur footballers. Being able to practice my oral interviewing with professional footballers has helped boost my self-esteem and confidence a great deal. The Unity and Community in Football project has greatly transformed my life.
Dany Young – Volunteer, Ensemble Manchester
