Community interpreting for schools
Interpreters for parents' evenings, admissions, attendance and pastoral meetings.
Sector: Education
Interpreting and translation for schools, colleges and universities
SILA Linguists provides vetted, trained and qualified interpreters and translators for schools, colleges, universities and learning providers: for meetings with parents, for admitting and supporting international students and for teaching in more than one language.
In schools across the UK and beyond, many pupils have a first language other than English. Many of their parents need an interpreter to take part in parents' evenings, special educational needs reviews, attendance meetings and safeguarding conversations, and to understand letters sent home.
Further and higher education has different needs. Admissions teams must check transcripts and diplomas from many countries, international students need certified translations for visas and recognition, and researchers need interviews, surveys and papers translated accurately.
Learning providers and training departments also localise courses, videos and assessments for learners in other countries. We bring the same discipline to this work as to legal and medical translation, so that learning content is accurate, consistent and appropriate for each audience.
What this sector needs
Language challenges in education
Parent engagement
Parents' evenings, admissions and attendance meetings work only if parents can follow and respond in their own language.
SEND and safeguarding
Education, health and care plan reviews and safeguarding meetings involve complex decisions and need professional interpreters, not pupils interpreting for their parents.
Letters and policies
Key letters, consent forms and school policies need clear translations that parents can act on.
Academic documents
Transcripts, diplomas and references from abroad need certified translation for admissions, visas and professional recognition.
Research projects
Interviews, focus groups and surveys in other languages need transcription and translation that preserve meaning for analysis.
Course localisation
E-learning modules, video lectures and assessments must work in each language, including on-screen text and subtitles.
How we help
Services for education
Telephone and video interpreting
Quick interpreting for calls home, short meetings and urgent conversations, through secure platforms and the SILA Linguists app.
Certified translation of academic documents
Transcripts, diplomas, references and qualification certificates translated and certified for admissions and recognition.
Research translation
Translation of interview data, questionnaires, papers and theses for academic research.
E-learning and video localisation
Localisation of online courses, subtitling of lectures and translation of assessments.
BSL and deaf communication
BSL interpreting for deaf parents, students and staff.
SILA Linguists®
Interpreting, certified translation and transcription for education with SILA Linguists®
Our qualified interpreters and translators can support schools, colleges, universities and training providers in their work with parents, students and learners across languages. Community interpreters attend parents' evenings, EHCP and SEND reviews, admissions and exclusion appeals, safeguarding and attendance meetings. Short calls with families can be handled by telephone interpreting, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, or by video remote interpreting, and Deaf students, parents and staff are supported by registered BSL interpreters in lectures, tutorials and meetings. Interpreters are briefed on the purpose of each meeting so that sensitive topics, such as exclusions or special educational needs, are explained clearly and kindly.
Our translators produce letters home, consent forms, school policies and prospectuses, and certified translation of transcripts, diplomas, degree certificates and references for admissions, recognition of qualifications and visa applications. For researchers, our research translation covers papers, theses and questionnaires, and transcription with translation covers research interviews and focus groups. Online courses, recorded lectures and e-learning are adapted through multimedia localisation with subtitles and voice-over, and graduations, open days and academic conferences can be supported by conference interpreting.
Education links closely with our services for the public sector, charities and technology companies building learning platforms. Universities supporting asylum-seeking students can also ask about our language analysis and cultural advisory services. SILA Linguists® covers more than 350 languages and dialects, including Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Urdu, Mandarin and Ukrainian, for education providers in the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Interpreters are vetted for work with children and young people, and pupil and student data is handled under UK GDPR and NDA.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Why not ask an older sibling or the pupil to interpret?
Children may not understand the terms used, may filter what is said, and should not carry responsibility for discussions about their own progress, behaviour or welfare. A professional interpreter keeps the conversation fair for everyone.
Are your certified translations accepted by universities?
Our certified translations are accepted by UK authorities, educational institutions and international bodies. If an institution has specific requirements, send them with your documents.
Can you translate research interview data?
Yes. We transcribe and translate interviews and focus groups, keeping speaker labels and noting culturally specific expressions so researchers can analyse the data properly.
Can you subtitle lecture videos?
Yes. We translate and time subtitles for recorded lectures and course videos, and localise on-screen text and assessments.
Get in touch
Tell us the language, the format and the date
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.