Polska Szkoła
Przedmiotów Ojczystych

Polish Saturday School in Slough

Diamond Jubilee

Dear Friends, Parents and Pupils,

I am honoured and really pleased that the 60th anniversary of the Polish Saturday School in Slough has fallen during my term as Chairman of the Polish Educational Society.  Over the last 60 years many people have worked hard to make the Polish Saturday School in Slough happen.  I have great respect and admiration for all those people, head teachers, teachers, chairmen, committee members, parents and students. I would like to reiterate our gratitude to all those who gave their time and effort to make things work for the school.  The Priests and Lay Council of the Polish Catholic Parish, the Pastor of the Shiloh Pentecostal Church, the head teachers and caretakers of various schools where the Polish Saturday School had a home, the Polish Association in Slough whose idyllic grounds have echoed to the noise of children having fun over the last 60 years.  

The list goes on, just like the lists of children enrolling into reception aged 5, the lists of pupils attending morning and afternoon shifts, the lists of students taking GCSE exams and A-level exams, the lists of graduates having children and bringing those children to learn their mother tongue.  

There is of course a long tradition of educating the young people of the Polish nation where ever they may be and in whatever circumstances they may find themselves.  In times gone by Polish Schools have had to teach in secret, sometimes in mortal danger.  More recently in the UK many Polish Saturday Schools sprang up through the efforts of the post war émigrés.   A few years ago it seemed that their grandchildren were too few in number to sustain a thriving school, now Polish is the second most widely spoken language in the UK.  

Each generation must face up to the challenges set before them.  My sincere wish is that all of us involved with the school can make it run successfully, efficiently, safely and within all the legal frameworks we now have to comply with.  This will allow our talented teachers to continue their invaluable work of presenting interesting and exciting lessons so that our children can learn in a stimulating environment and not say ‘do I have to go to Polska Szkola’ of a Saturday morning!  I would like to thank our redoubtable head teacher, all the teaching staff and my colleagues on the committee of the Polish Educational Society who, despite the growing demands of running a school of nearly 400 pupils, offer their time,skills and advice with relentless good humour week in and week out.

Long live Polska Szkola!