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Comenius Assistants
Becoming an assistant
What does a Comenius Assistant do?
Hosting an assistant
Host a Comenius Assistant
Welcome the European Dimension into your school

UK schools and colleges can apply to host assistants from other European countries for 3 to 10 months

Who can host a Comenius assistant?
Comenius assistants can be hosted by any of the following;- pre-primary schools, primary schools; secondary schools; special schools; sixth form colleges; further education colleges and adult education institutions.

Host institutions are required to help their Comenius assistant find accommodation.

Cluster applications
You can also choose to share the hosting of a Comenius assistant with up to two other schools or colleges or institutions. In this case, schools are responsible for the Comenius assistant's travel expenses between schools.

How are Comenius assistants paid?
Comenius assistants receive a monthly grant and travel allowance from their home National Agency. They are a valuable teaching resource and come at no cost to the host institution.

What does it involve?
Comenius Assistants work 12-16 hours per week, and must teach a minimum of 2 hours of their native language. Schools are expected to have a regular timetable in place, and to offer regular monitoring to support their Comenius Assistant's development. First time host teachers should also attend a regional briefing.

How do I apply to host a Comenius assistant?
The deadline for applications to host an assistant during the 2009/10 academic year and the application form for 2009/10 are posted on the Application Forms and Guidance page.

National Priorities
National Priorities have been set for 2009 for schools applying to host a Comenius assistant. Additional weighting will be given to applications from schools satisfying these criteria. Find out more

Important
Comenius assistants are not primarily intended as a language resource. If you are a secondary school or further education college offering qualifications in foreign languages, you will not be entitled to host a Comenius assistant whose native language is one that you offer.

If you require a language assistant to help with delivery of language courses, you can apply to host a British Council language assistant.

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