Croydon Vineyard English School – A Mid-Year Update
Dear friends and partners,
I hope you are well. As we move past the halfway point of the academic year, I wanted to share with you an update from Vineyard English School (VES). Across Croydon, the need to support people seeking sanctuary continues to grow - and it’s been a privilege to see our community English school play a small but meaningful part in that shared borough-wide response.
You’re receiving this because of your connection to VES, the Active Communities Hub, or the wider Croydon asylum and refugee networks. My hope is simply to keep partners and friends gently in the loop - but if these updates aren’t helpful to you, please do just reply and let me know!
For those newer to VES - or who only know one part of the work - Vineyard English School is a free English school run by Croydon Vineyard Church, serving internationals residing in Croydon. Each week we welcome in excess of 200 asylum seekers and refugees into the “ACH” at Centrale Shopping Centre for classes where they can learn English, build community, and receive careful signposting toward positive next steps.
Thank you for the part you play in this - through partnership, encouragement, funding, collaboration, and prayer.
A Season of Growth
A significant shift for the school came in November, when we expanded from two to four mornings a week of classes for the first time. Since then, participation has continued to grow quickly - with our weekly participation recently reaching over 380 people, a more than 80% increase on this time last year.
Part of those numbers is a wonderful volunteer team - now around 50 strong - a growing proportion of whom first came to VES as students themselves.
Alongside the increase in classes, we’ve also been able to run childcare alongside three mornings each week, thanks to support from Croydon Council’s Displaced Children’s Fund - enabling many parents to attend consistently.
As one of our mums, Aziza from Morocco, shared: “The classes have been very helpful. The teacher helps us to talk and not be shy, she supports everyone at their level. My child is in the nursery so I am happy and relaxed. I only wish the nursery was open every day so more mums can come.”
Youth Support Drop-In - A New Step
One of the most encouraging developments this term has been the launch of our ACH Youth Support Drop-In - a weekly space for secondary-school-aged young people navigating the asylum system.
It’s intentionally low-key, Tuesdays after school for homework support, English practice, conversation, and a safe environment for young people to have some fun together. It’s been brilliant to see the teenagers connect with our team and each other so well in our first few sessions.
Active Communities Hub (ACH)
In January, Vineyard English School began coordinating the day-to-day management of the Active Communities Hub at Centrale, in ongoing partnership with Croydon Voluntary Action. Together we’re continuing to build a well used community hub in the heart of Croydon - it’s a great home for VES, and continues to be used by a wide variety of other community groups throughout Centrale opening hours.
Partnership in Action
Alongside our partnership with CVA on the ACH, VES continues to grow through partnership in every area of our ministry. Our ongoing collaboration with Bluetouch CIC provides expert asylum “next steps” advice for our students week in week out. We’ve also continued to work with partners including the NHS, local churches, and organisations like Lloyds Bank Community Inclusion - whose recent visit enabled several students to open UK bank accounts, a genuinely life-changing step for some.
Voices from the Community
Ran, a student from China, shared: "Vineyard English School made me realise that learning in pure English allows us to connect more with the community, make more friends and help more people who have just arrived in the UK. I found Jesus at VES."
Geeta, from Afghanistan, said simply: "The classes are very helpful and I’m enjoying them. I’m learning new vocabulary, tenses and difficult words I don’t know."
Opportunities to Connect
Understanding Sexual Exploitation Workshop - a lunchtime session for leaders and frontline workers provided by Orchards UK
https://croydonvineyard.churchsuite.com/events/w1fh5mt9
Save the Date - “Welcoming Well” 2026
Monday morning 1st June - our third annual gathering of frontline workers and leaders across Croydon’s asylum and refugee ministry space.
Looking Ahead
The academic year so far - expanding to four mornings, increasing our childcare provision, starting the youth drop-in, and stepping into the ACH partnership - has been a significant step for the school.
As we head into the next half term, our focus remains simple: to welcome people (many of whom are in a dark chapter in their lives), to serve people (primarily through providing good English classes), and to signpost well (helping people take their best next steps).
Thank you again for standing with us. If you’d ever like to visit a morning or explore partnership ideas, I would love to connect.
With much gratitude,
Andy Brims
Director - Vineyard English School www.vineyardenglishschool.org.uk
PS — A few simple ways to connect with what’s happening at VES:
Refer a student — https://www.vineyardenglishschool.org.uk/start-learning
Explore volunteering — https://www.vineyardenglishschool.org.uk/start-volunteering
Explore partnership — https://www.vineyardenglishschool.org.uk/partnering