Education

The Local Education Authority (LEA) for Arun District is County Council. Arun has one nursery school (in Bognor Regis), forty primary schools, six secondary schools and one special school for 11 – 16 year olds. There are four adult education centres in Arun – in Bognor Regis, Felpham, Westergate and Littlehampton. These provide a wide range of educational activities to people of all ages. Chichester Institute of higher education, with a campus in Bognor Regis, is now the ‘University of Chichester.’

Child Care

Family Information Services (FIS) in England can help families, employers and childcare providers. They can provide unbiased guidance on choosing childcare in your area and may provide information on financial benefits. The West Sussex FIS can be contacted on 01243 777807 / [email protected] or visit their website.

Pre-school Children aged 3 and 4 get free pre-school education. This runs weekdays for either the morning or the afternoon. Telephone the FIS (Family Information Service) on 01243 777807 to get a list of providers in your area or visit the website

Children and Family Centres They provide a range of services to help support you and your family. Centres are located at a variety of sites and buildings including schools, libraries, youth centres and churches. In rural areas a mobile unit may be used. Services vary, but all centres are somewhere children can make friends and learn as they play, and carers can get support or meet with other families. Children & Family Centre Leaflet.pdf

You can find a list of Children & Family Centres in Arun on the website with details of drop- ins and facilities.  Angmering Children & Family Centre – Angmering Library, Arundel Road, Angmering, BN16 4JS – 01903 276894 / [email protected]  Bognor Regis Nursery School Children & Family Centre – 85 Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, PO21 2TB – 01243 642924 / [email protected]  East Preston Children & Family Centre – 92 St Mary’s Drive, East Preston, Littlehampton, BN16 1JB – 01903 270470 / [email protected]  Felpham Children & Family Centre – Pennyfields, Bognor Regis, Po22 6BN – 01243 642882 / [email protected]  Littlehampton Children & Family Centre – Wickbourne Centre, Clun Road, Littlehampton, BN17 7DZ – 01903 276840 / [email protected]  The Treehouse Children & Family Centre (Bognor Regis) – Bersted Site – Laburnum Grove, Bersted, Bognor Regis, PO22 9HT – 01243 642917 / [email protected]  The Villages children & family centre (Yapton) – Main Road, Yapton, Arundel, BN18 0ET – 01243 642958 / [email protected]

Going to School If your child is aged between 5 and 16, he or she must go to school. State education in the UK is free. The school year starts in September and has three terms – one from September to December, one from January to Easter (in March or April) and one from Easter to July. There is a six week break in the summer, and two weeks each at Christmas and Easter.

In order to apply for a school, you need to ring the Local Area Education Office on 01903 839141 and explain that you want to send your child to school. They will send you an explanatory letter, a list of schools and a Casual Admission Form (CAI Form) which you will need to fill in and return to them.

Please ask Admissions staff for advice if you would like your child to go to a voluntary aided church school, since you may need to apply directly to the school. You can find out more about this on the WSCC website.

If your child needs additional help with English and with settling in to a new country, the school will arrange for a specially trained teacher to visit your child in school. You can find out more about this on the WSCC website

Primary and Secondary Education State schools are divided up into primary (ages 5 – 11) and secondary (ages 11 – 18). There are different types of schools and some are Church of England or Roman Catholic. All UK secondary schools prepare pupils for CGSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) or equivalent level 2 qualifications. National examinations are taken before pupils leave school at age 16.

Post-sixteen Education After completing compulsory education at the age of sixteen, pupils may legally leave school and start work. Many, however, study A-levels or equivalent qualifications as sixth-form students in a school, sixth form college or college of further education.

Adult Education and English Language Courses Adult Education provides many different learning opportunities. You can take courses such as photography, music, massage, dance, foreign languages etc. You usually have to pay. However there are several places where you may be able to get free English lessons. These are:

Chichester College, Westgate Fields, Chichester Telephone: 01243 786321 Website

Northbrook College, Union Place, Worthing Telephone: 0845 155 6060 Website

Bognor Regis Adult Education Centre, The Regis School, Bognor Regis Telephone: 01243 871010 Website

Westergate Adult Education Centre, Ormiston Six Villages ¸ Westergate Telephone: 01243 546800 Website

Felpham Adult Education Centre, Felpham Community College, Felpham Telephone: 01243 826511 Website

Adult Education, The Littlehampton Academy Telephone: 01903 711120 Website

To enrol online for adult education or to find out more about Adult Education Centres in West Sussex, visit the website

ESOL Speaking English is a crucial matter for all foreigners living in the UK and it would be a cliche to dwell on the benefits of mastering the language. Arun provides ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses.

West Sussex Adult & Community Learning Service The Littlehampton Centre at the Littlehampton Academy – 01903 722155 / [email protected] The Bognor Centre at Westloats, Bognor Regis – 01243 872020 [email protected]

ACCORD ACCORD exists to promote effective & harmonious communication, understanding & acceptance between different cultural groups in the Bognor, Chichester & Littlehampton areas, promoting the integration (not assimilation) of different cultural groups into British society. They run a Saturday Polish school, after school Polish reading and writing club. Contact 01243 778291 / [email protected]