Learning
Bulgarian language, culture and belonging
At Azbukarche Bulgarian School – Glasgow, teaching is designed specifically for children who are growing up outside Bulgaria and who live in a multilingual world every day.
Our aim is not simply for pupils to study Bulgarian, but for them to grow into it — until it becomes a confident way of speaking, reading, writing and expressing themselves. Alongside the language, children discover Bulgarian literature, history, geography, culture and traditions, and build a stronger connection with their roots.
Our teaching follows the programmes approved by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science for Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad, while taking full account of the particular needs of children who live and learn in a foreign-language environment.
- Lessons
- Every Saturday
- Year groups
- Preparatory – XII
- School year
- 2026/2027
Age and level
Teaching shaped by age and language development
We teach children from the preparatory year through to grade XII, adapting both the content and the approach to each child’s age, year group and command of Bulgarian.
We pay close attention to the fact that, for many of our pupils, Bulgarian and English are developing side by side, and that confidence in speaking, reading and writing Bulgarian can vary widely even among children of the same age.
That is why we work to keep lessons accessible, consistent and encouraging, so that every child can make confident progress from their own starting point.
Core subjects
Bulgarian language and literature
Bulgarian language and literature sit at the heart of everything we do at Azbukarche. Depending on the age of the pupils, lessons develop different sides of their language ability.
Bulgarian language – grammar and written accuracy
In these lessons pupils deepen their grasp of grammar, spelling and punctuation, and learn to use Bulgarian correctly in both writing and speech.
We build a secure foundation step by step, together with the confidence to write independently.
Bulgarian language – speech development and communication skills
For children growing up outside Bulgaria, the chance to use Bulgarian in everyday conversation is often limited. We therefore give particular attention to speaking and to using the language actively.
Through conversation, retelling, description, discussion and practical tasks, pupils widen their vocabulary and develop the ability to express thoughts, feelings and opinions freely and confidently in Bulgarian.
Literature and reading literacy
Reading is far more than pronouncing words correctly.
In literature lessons we work on reading literacy — a child's ability to understand what they have read, to find the key information, to look closely at characters and events, to draw conclusions and to express an opinion of their own.
Through works of Bulgarian literature, children develop their language and, at the same time, come into contact with Bulgarian culture, history and values.
Our youngest pupils
Preparatory year and grade I
For our youngest pupils, learning is organised in shorter sessions that suit their age and their capacity to concentrate.
In the preparatory year and grade I the subject is “Bulgarian language and literature”, and teaching lays the foundations for:
- speaking and listening in Bulgarian;
- recognising sounds and letters;
- early reading and writing;
- a steadily growing vocabulary;
- understanding and retelling short texts;
- a warm, positive attitude towards the Bulgarian language and towards books.
It matters a great deal to us that these first steps are associated with interest, play, curiosity and a sense of delight.
The older year groups
The history and geography of Bulgaria
In the older year groups, pupils also study the history and geography of Bulgaria.
These lessons help them come to know the country not only as a place they visit in the holidays, but as their historical and cultural homeland.
Children learn about the people and events that shaped Bulgarian history, about the country’s landscape and geography, and about its cities, regions and cultural heritage.
Little by little, they build a deeper understanding of Bulgaria — and of their own place in its history and culture.
In person
Saturday school in Glasgow
Our in-person lessons take place every Saturday at Kinning Park Complex, Glasgow.
The school day is organised around the age and year group of the pupils, combining Bulgarian language and literature with the history and geography of Bulgaria and the extracurricular activities each child has chosen.
We want Saturdays to be more than a run of lessons — a day when children speak Bulgarian, meet their friends and feel part of a Bulgarian community.
Timetable
Lesson timetable for the 2026/2027 school year
The Saturday programme, year group by year group. Tap a timetable to open it full size.
Lessons take place every Saturday at Kinning Park Complex, 43 Cornwall Street, Glasgow G41 1BA.
Online
Online learning
For children and families who live far from Glasgow, or who cannot come to us in person, we offer online lessons in Bulgarian language and literature.
Lessons are taught in small groups, formed according to the children’s age and their level of Bulgarian.
In this way, Bulgarian children across Scotland and the rest of the UK can keep learning their language and stay connected to the Bulgarian educational and cultural community.
Optional
Extracurricular activities
Learning at Azbukarche does not stop when the lesson ends.
Pupils are welcome to take part in our extracurricular activities: “Bulgarian folk dance” and “Bulgaria – traditions, customs and culture”.
Through them, children encounter Bulgarian folklore, festivals, customs, music and cultural heritage, and grow into a real sense of belonging to the Bulgarian community.
A school recognised by the Ministry of Education
Azbukarche Bulgarian School – Glasgow appears on the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science’s list of Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad under Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 90 (ПМС №90).
Our teaching follows the curricula approved by the Ministry under Decree No. 90, and pupils receive the corresponding certificates for the studies they have completed.
Our approach
We want children to carry Bulgarian with them
We believe children learn best where they feel calm, understood and encouraged.
That is why success, for us, is not only a matter of grammar rules learned or texts read. It is also the moment a child begins to choose Bulgarian for themselves. When they finish their first book. When they tell their grandmother how their day went. When they recognise a Bulgarian song, festival or historical figure and feel that it is part of their story too.
We want our children not simply to know Bulgarian. We want them to use it, to love it and to carry it with them wherever life takes them.