Nassea Services

NASSEA is a professional organisation, established in 1989, to represent northern services and teams of staff focusing on Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA). The association has members from 31 Local Authority Services and teams stretching from Newcastle to Cheshire. Member services work with schools and other educational settings in a variety of ways to meet the needs of ethnic minority pupils. The structures for delivery of these services range from peripatetic services in rural areas to school-based teams in inner-city areas. As an organisation, NASSEA acts as a forum for information sharing, mutual support and discussion of issues affecting our field of work. NASSEA has helped to develop pedagogies for English as an additional language (EAL) and bilingual support, developed professional development initiatives and contributed to national consultation exercises, often in conjunction with other groups such as National Association for Language Development In the Curriculum (NALDIC). We also regularly organise conferences and seminars to support EMA specialists, schools, teachers and teaching assistants to develop aspects of EMA work in schools. Membership is available to representatives of Local Authorities who work in the areas of Race Equality and Diversity, focusing on ethnic minorities including travellers. Services pay an annual subscription and send representatives to meetings, which are usually once each half-term. Representatives are usually senior managers, advisory teachers or officers but can be other service members. NASSEA has now established NASSEA Services, a not-for-profit consultancy service to schools, Local Authorities and educational settings.