Children and Younger Adults Department 1 Developing Community Cohesion Stonelow Junior School March 2009 Brian Richards Senior School improvement Adviser

Children and Younger Adults Department 2 Aims  To establish a common understanding of community cohesion  To explore the place of community cohesion in the wider curriculum  To place current provision in the context of national expectations  To begin to consider areas for further improvement

Children and Younger Adults Department 3 The Statutory Framework  ‘The curriculum for all maintained schools should promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities and responsibilities of later life.’ (Education Act 2002)  ‘Schools have a duty to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between people of different groups.’ (Race Relations Act 2000)  ‘Schools have a duty to promote community cohesion’ (Education Act 2006)

Children and Younger Adults Department 4 What is Community Cohesion By community cohesion, we mean working towards a society in which there is …….

Children and Younger Adults Department 5 The Aim of Community Cohesion Achieve a situation whereby children:  Understand others, value diversity, apply and defend human rights and are skilled in participation and responsible action  Fulfil their potential …..with no barriers to access and participation in learning and to wider activities and no variation between outcomes for different groups  Have real and positive relationships with people from different backgrounds, and feel part of a community, at a local, national and international level

Children and Younger Adults Department 6 The diversity of our community …..?

Children and Younger Adults Department 7 The Role of Governors  Legally responsible for ensuring school meets its duty to promote community cohesion  Forging partnerships across the local community  Extending the school’s network of local partners  Ensure school’s strategic plans are informed by local area plans  Ensure ECM is embedded in school planning

Children and Younger Adults Department 8 The current context:

Children and Younger Adults Department 9 The role of schools +-

Children and Younger Adults Department 10 Ofsted expectations In order for a school to be at least satisfactory inspectors must be clear that a school:  has developed an understanding of its own community in a local and national context including an awareness of each of the three strands of religious, ethnic and socio-economic factors  has developed an appropriate strategy, based upon its analysis of its context, which must include actions to promote impact beyond the school community itself  is evaluating its impact on the schools and local communities at least and can demonstrate to the inspectors that this impact extends across each of the religious, ethnic and socio –economic factors and also that:  School leaders have had an impact on building the school itself into a cohesive community in which learners, at the very least, accept each other’s differences

Children and Younger Adults Department 11 Where are we now?

Children and Younger Adults Department 12 What do we need to do?

Children and Younger Adults Department 13 Governors may wish to consider;  how they ensure the school is complying with the duty to promote community cohesion  what information they need about the present situation and plans to improve  whether a school audit is necessary  whether a separate policy and action plan for community cohesion is needed  whether work on community cohesion should be linked to other policies and plans such as equality, extended services, teaching and learning and creativity  how progress will be reviewed

Children and Younger Adults Department 14 Next steps …?