Category Archives: news

We support and will always stand by the children, families and people of Ukraine, and all of those who have become victims of this unfolding tragedy. 

First of all, we stress the values and key purpose of Azbuka: a British independent bilingual primary school and nursery situated in London, a megapolis that brings together so many different people from around the world. We are a small charity and work exclusively for the families of our community without operational support from either Russian or British governments. 

Azbuka offers children the chance to grow, learn, achieve and thrive in a safe, Russian-English bilingual educational environment, secure in their multicultural identity, enjoying a broad culture-rich creative and academically stimulating curriculum and achieving their full potential as unique individuals, caring friends and responsible citizens.

To be able to speak in more than one language and exposed to different cultures is a true gift to any child, family, community, country and the world at large.

People from mixed families and those brought up in a multilingual environment would never argue for conflict and war, but rather for understanding, love and friendship. This is the true miracle which reflects the unique benefits of a bilingual education embracing any languages and is the pedagogy we and a growing number of bilingual schools have promoted for over many years. That cause is needed more than ever today – for Ukraine, Russia and Britain. 

We believe that the children who have completed our programme can show us the way forward and teach us to be better people. 

These are Azbuka’s values and we will remain strongly committed to them. 

We strongly condemn war and aggression in all its forms, and more particularly, the current military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We call on the world’s leaders to end fighting and ensure that those in Ukraine can start to heal following the pain that has been inflicted on them. 

Azbuka is an international school. We have children, parents, teachers and governors who represent many languages and cultures: Russian, English, Ukrainian, French, Swedish, Portuguese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Moldovan, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Chinese (among others). 

Ukraine and Russia share a similar language and culture, and many families at Azbuka have connections and ties in both countries. Our multinational community, especially families and teachers with family members in Ukraine, are in shock about this personal tragedy. They are grieving. The school is grieving. 

As with any grieving family, we would ask for respect for their privacy. We ask for respect of our space so that we can continue to apply the principles and guidelines to teach and protect our children, parents and teachers. 

We seek to protect them from the horrors of the current conflict as much as we can, and to allow them to study and play in the small oasis of peace we represent.

Despite our modest size and resources, in these tragic times Azbuka is seeking to make a real difference by helping innocent children and families caught in this conflict by: 

*  supporting refugees, creating school places and fundraising for bursaries for children coming from Ukraine, whether they speak Ukrainian, Russian or both 

*  supporting the Ukrainian language in the curriculum by engaging Azbuka Ukrainian teachers and volunteers 

*  extending our multilingual pedagogy by offering Ukrainian as a third family language through special clubs and lessons 

Bringing people together when everything is being torn apart, helping to rebuild bridges when they are being destroyed – these aims are at the very heart of Azbuka School. 

From now on – and perhaps for years to come – there will be few places where Ukrainian, Russian and British children have the opportunity to learn and play harmoniously in their languages and cultures.

Azbuka is now a school where these children can grow and thrive side by side in peace.

Out of the darkness will come the light. 

Governors of the AZBUKA Foundation

Maria Gavrilova
Dr Charmian Kenner
Jason Manning
Svetlana Malinina
Irina Khabibulina
Andrew Jack
Dr Vally Lytra 

Приглашаем всех заинтересованных родителей на ДЕНЬ ОТКРЫТЫХ ДВЕРЕЙ в Русско-английской начальной школе АЗБУКА с полной программой обучения (с понедельника по пятницу).
17 марта 2022 (четверг) в 18.30 в здании Начальной школы и Детского сада АЗБУКА по адресу: AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual Primary School & Nursery, Studland Hall, Studland Street, Hammersmith, London W6 0JS (карта).
Для записи напишите нам Ваше имя и фамилию по адресу admin@azbukafoundation.org
Запись обязательна. Просим сообщить об участии заблаговременно! Места ограничены.
Мероприятие будет проходить на русском языке, вопросы и ответы на русском и английском языках.День открытых дверей проводится только два раза в год, не пропустите этой возможности.
“Школа Азбука – прекрасное место для разностороннего развития и раскрытия способностей наших детей. Этому способствует не только уникальная билингвальная общеобразовательная программа, но и интереснейшие занятия искусством, музыкой, танцами, наукой. Так же в расписание включено множество увлекательных экскурсий.” – родители ученика 5 класса
www.azbukafoundation.org
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AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual Primary School OPEN EVENING for parents.
Thursday, 17th March 2022 at 6.30 pm at our premises in Hammersmith.
Address: AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual Primary School & Nursery, Studland Hall, Studland Street, Hammersmith, London W6 0JS (map)
All parents are welcome. Book early to guarantee a place. Just email your full name to admin@azbukafoundation.org
This event will be held in Russian, Questions & Answers in both languages. Please note that Open Evenings take place only twice a year.
«What makes Azbuka a unique place: The concept of bilingualism which the school embodies. Its curriculum enshrines both the Russian and English culture and language.» – parents of Year 2 Students

www.azbukafoundation.org

We are happy to announce that the Azbuka International Children’s Orchestra in London will launch in January 2022 at the Azbuka Russian-English Bilingual school in Ravenscourt Park. Azbuka is a unique educational and cultural project in the UK, the leading Russian-English bilingual school and a charitable foundation open to the wider community of families in London and beyond. Azbuka Orchestra is open to all young musicians both from Azbuka and schools in the surrounding area.

 Our aims and vision

• All instruments will be considered for entry to the orchestra, making the ensemble unique.
• The orchestra will be overseen and lead by professional international musicians and offers a unique experience for students to discover and play repertoire from different countries and a wide range of cultural and musical backgrounds.
• We wish to empower our students through musical performance to reach new levels of artistic expression and to learn to work together as a team playing and performing music together.
• We hope to bring our work into the public eye through regular concerts.

To apply for entry please follow this link to read more information and register your interest.

Opinion Language and grammar    Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2021. All rights reserved.

Global Britain needs to improve its language learning

Better teaching methods that draw on the country’s diverse population could improve international understanding

ANDREW JACK

School pupils take part in a language class. Demand for French and German is waning, while it is rising for Spanish © Red Snapper/Alamy

Andrew Jack AUGUST 17 2021

 

In a classroom this summer at Azbuka, a London bilingual primary school of which I am a governor, the children switched easily between English and Russian as they designed colourful posters in the two languages to help learn about coronavirus, climate change and mental health.

Not all have a Russian parent, including my son, who attended its Saturday complementary school some years ago. But their ability to absorb languages and cultures in a creative and engaging way is impressive and provides a lesson for Britain’s global ambitions.

Immersive learning that draws on the strengths of different cultural backgrounds remains an exception in England. Education is focused on the overly-academic study of foreign languages and too few people are convinced of their broader value.

A high proportion of people in London speak English as their second language, says Maria Gavrilova, Azbuka’s founder, yet they live a life of monolingualism. “There is a tragic unwillingness to explore successful methodologies and programmes for teaching foreign languages or maintaining first ones,” she says.

A recent survey by the British Council found that more than half of English primary schools stopped even rudimentary language teaching in the first lockdown last year and a fifth had still frozen their activities in early 2021. State schools in deprived areas were among those most affected. Nearly two-thirds of primary schools and two-fifths of state secondary schools reported no international activities last year, such as trips abroad or hosting a foreign language assistant, due to Covid restrictions.

Since the compulsory requirement to take a foreign language until the age of 16 was scrapped by the government nearly two decades ago, GCSE and A-level language qualifications have been in decline and a number of university modern language departments have closed.

Brexit risks depressing European language study still further, as fresh costs, new visa requirements and the axing of the Erasmus student exchange programme restrict the flows of assistants and teachers from former EU partner countries, and of students travelling to the EU.

Michael Kelly, emeritus professor of French at Southampton university, warns against complacency fuelled by the status of English as an international language. “We’re due for a fairly sharp awakening,” he says. “It’s already clear the EU is speaking more French and less English, and the Chinese increasingly expect others to speak their language.”

For Newcastle University’s René Koglbauer, chair of the board of trustees at the Association for Language Learning, an overhaul of language teaching is essential. He argues for a new national policy that puts greater emphasis on the value of languages and cultures, backed with more compelling ways of learning.

There are some positive signs. Rosanna Hume, a Teach First ambassador and head of Spanish at St Wilfrid’s Roman Catholic College in South Shields, says that although demand for French and German is waning, it is rising for Spanish, with students and their parents drawn to the language through music, TV shows and holidays. “Particularly in post-Brexit Britain, it’s more important than ever not just to know vocabulary and grammar but also to appreciate foreign cultures,” she says.

A pilot programme, The World of Languages, to be launched in several dozen primary and secondary schools this autumn, aims to inspire children by drawing on their own diverse heritage and exploring the links between different languages and cultures — including their role in the development of modern English.

“The only way out of the labyrinth is to celebrate the fact so many of our kids are bilingual. Why are we not doing more to build on that?” says John Claughton, one of the developers and former head of King Edward’s School, Birmingham. “Make them the poster boys and girls of languages. There is a future for celebrating multilingualism.”

Not all families or communities are multilingual, of course, and bilingualism is not easy to maintain for those that are. But even monoglot English speakers would benefit from greater appreciation of the foreign influences on their own tongue and ways to engage with other cultures.

andrew.jack@ft.com

 Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2021. All rights reserved.

AZBUKA COVID PROTECTIVE MEASURES/Safeguarding – Autumn 2021

REGISTRATION AND ADMISSION TO AZBUKA RUSSIAN-ENGLISH SCHOOL & NURSERY 2021-2022 IS NOW OPEN

[English version below]

Началась регистрация на обучение в Русско-английской начальной школе АЗБУКА (дети от 5 до 10 лет) и Детском саду АЗБУКА (2-4 лет) на 2021-2022 учебный год.

Последний день регистрации 22 марта 2021.

Для регистрации Вашей заявки необходимо заполнить форму «Заявка на обучение» (Register your Interest) на сайте Фонда АЗБУКА www.azbukafoundation.org

В ответ на Вашу заявку Вам будет выслана Короткая регистрационная форма и инструкция по оплате регистрационного депозита £40. Далее Вы будете приглашены на интервью/посещение школы.

Русско-английская школа АЗБУКА является независимой селективной школой. Количество мест в классах строго ограничено. В начальной школе АЗБУКА используется программа двустороннего языкового погружения, совмещающая английские и российские учебные методики. Преподавание ведется на двух языках.

Вся дополнительная информация о приеме в Школу и Детский сад находится на сайте www.azbukafoundation.org в разделе ПРИЕМ (Admission).

REGISTRATION AND ADMISSION TO AZBUKA RUSSIAN-ENGLISH SCHOOL & NURSERY 2021-2022 IS NOW OPEN

Registration has begun for places at AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual School and Nursery for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Nursery for children 2-4 years old

Reception for children who will have turned 4 before 1st September 2021

Year 1 for children who will have turned 5 before 1st September 2021

Year 2 for children who will have turned 6 before 1st September 2021

Year 3 for children who will have turned 7 before 1st September 2021

Year 4 for children who will have turned 8 before 1st September 2021

Year 5 for children who will have turned 9 before 1st September 2021

Year 6 for children who will have turned 10 before 1st September 2021

Deadline for the registration – 22 March 2021

IMPORTANT! Due to a very limited class capacity, there are limited number of places available. Please do not miss the deadline!

REGISTRATION AND ADMISSION PROCEDURE

• Register your interest by completing the Registration for Intake Form on the home page of our website. (If you have already completed this step – please go to the next point). You will receive an automated confirmation that your child’s name has been put on the waiting and mailing list.
• Admission process. Short Registration Form is sent to the parents. We will arrange for you and your child to come for an interview/assessment, or an examination (School from Year 1); and interview /visit (Nursery/Reception).
• Registration deadline. You confirm your acceptance by sending back the signed Short Registration Form and the payment confirmation of Registration Deposit of £40 (non-refundable).

This must be sent to admin@azbukafoundation.org by the registration deadline 22 March 2021

Any supporting documents (covering letters, medical assessments (if applicable), reports should be received by the school by the date of the interview, examination or the visit day. If any child requires a bursary, the school should be informed prior to the interview and all relevant documents sent to the school administration. We will also require any reports (character or academic) from the current or last nursery or school – local or those from abroad.

We will make any reasonable adjustments during the admission/interview/examination process for the children with SEND or disability. The assessments/documents will be reviewed by the school prior to the Interview and the parents will be contacted to discuss any special arrangements.

• Visit/examination/interview. The parents will be offered a day/time slot for an interview/examination/visit.
• Provisional place offer. Successful candidates will receive the official letter offering a provisional place for the child. The full Admission Pack will be sent to parents with all relevant instructions, forms and Terms and Conditions.
• Admission. The child is officially admitted to AZBUKA on receipt of all the necessary documentation of the Admission Pack and the Main School Deposit (£650). The deadline is specified by the School. The deposit is not refunded if the pupil is withdrawn prior to formal entry (first day of term). The deposit is refunded on request when the child leaves school and the parents give the school a term notice in writing.
• Reserve List. If we cannot accommodate the successful candidate, pupil’s name is carried forward and kept on the Reserve List until a place becomes available.
• All unsuccessful candidates will be informed in writing.

For more information on Admission Policies and Procedures please go to our website www.azbukafoundation.org tub ADMISSION.

Kind regards,

AZBUKA Administration

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В реальной школе или дистанционно школа АЗБУКА всегда предоставляет уникальное и качественное обучение. Наряду с изучением основных предметов ребята участвовали в виртуальных школьных поездках, ставили опыты и эксперименты, занимались фотоохотой, исследованиями, танцами и даже цирковым искусством! Участвовали в онлайн встречах с интереснейшими людьми.
Присоединяйтесь к АЗБУКЕ!

[full English text – below]

Русско-английская школа АЗБУКА продолжает работать в билингвальном режиме онлайн. Наряду со сложностями живого дистанционного обучения, есть и свои плюсы. Мы все лучше осваиваем новые платформы обучения, разбираемся в своих гаджетах, учимся печатать на двух языках и создавать мультимедийные проекты.
Мы – это и ученики, и учителя, и их родители. Учителя уделяют много внимания прогрессу каждого ребенка и стараются помочь справиться с трудностями или предоставить дополнительный усложненный вариант работы опережающим программный материал. Во время наших занятий всегда находится время на индивидуальный подход к каждому. Ребята справляются с программой этой четверти и работают в хорошем темпе.
На уроках русского языка мы продолжаем постигать грамматические премудрости, учимся писать, читаем русских классиков и знакомимся с различными фольклорными литературными жанрами. Третий класс читал зимние сказки русских авторов, а четвертый познакомился с баснями И. Крылова. Дети работали над созданием своей басни. К процессу даже подключились дедушки и папы!
Нас всех в Азбуке связывает общий язык, хоть и не для всех он является родным и не все мы имеем русские корни. Окружающий мир на русском открывает дверь в мир русской культуры и традиций, истории и географии России. Эта тема звучит лейтмотивом в программе предмета, начиная с первого и заканчивая шестым классом.
В этой четверти, например, пятый класс путешествует по Транссибу и изучает географию России, но путешествие на поезде начинается в Англии по известной исторической причине.
И так любая русская тема в нашей школе всегда связана с большой картиной мира в целом.
Присоединяйтесь!

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At AZBUKA, staff and children have risen to the challenge of lockdown by ensuring that the provision of our broad and rich curriculum continues. By providing live teaching, subject content while adapted to suit remote provision, remains engaging, stimulating and personal.

In English, children are exposed to high quality, diverse texts that stimulate their imaginations and challenge them with important themes to stimulate discussion and debate. Through carefully planned activities, teachers develop children’s comprehension, eg through role-play, evidence hunting, writing in role, comparing texts with similar themes to name a few.

In World Around Us, children are kept engaged as teachers take them on voyages from prehistoric times (the dinosaurs and Stone Ages), through Ancient civilisations (the Greeks and Egyptians), into modern eras.

Children discuss and learn about important issues affecting the world and work collaboratively to suggest ways we can improve our impact on the environment. Science, Music, Art, PE, Philosophy and PSHE are included so that links and connections can be made across all subjects.

To complement our English, Maths and World Around us units, specialists also provide Circus and Dance! Virtual visits to museums and places of interest; online theatre/music shows; virtual visits from authors, musicians and actors further enhance our broad and rich curriculum.

Join AZBUKA now!