Headteacher, Mrs J Finlay B.Ed (Hons) N.P.Q.H

Walkden Road, Worsley, Manchester M28 7FG

Tel: 0161 790 4234 Fax: 0161 921 1566

e-mail:

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Policy for

Community Cohesion

Authorised by / Governing Body
Date of authorisation / February 2016 VU
Review date / February 2017
Equality Impact Assessed / Model Policies EIA by Salford LA

Introduction

At MesneLeaPrimary School we recognise the pivotal role we play in developing community cohesion and are committed to supporting this by:

  • developing a common vision and sense of belonging;
  • developing an appreciation of the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances;
  • creating opportunities for all students to achieve their potential;
  • building strong and positive relationships.

We recognise that this is of particular importance for a school which is predominantly mono-cultural in preparing its students for life and work in a multi-cultural society and world.

The term ‘community’ has a number of dimensions for us including:

  • The school community ~ the young people it serves, their parents, the staff and governing body and community users of the school’s facilities and services;
  • The local communities of Walkden, Worsley and Salford;
  • The U.K. Community;
  • The Global Community.

How do we contribute towards community cohesion?

We help to build community cohesion by:

  • Promoting equality of opportunity and inclusion for all pupils, irrespective of background in terms of gender, ability, culture, ethnicity, religious belief, or socio-economic circumstances.;
  • Promoting school values and encouraging pupils to engage with others to understand what they all hold in common.

The school’s contribution to community cohesion can be grouped under three headings:

i)Teaching, learning and curriculum

Helping young people to understand others, to value diversity, respect human rights and to develop the skills of participation and responsible action.

ii)Equity and excellence

To ensure all pupils have equal opportunity to achieve their potential.

iii)Engagement and extended services

To provide opportunities for pupils to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures;

To contribute to be a positive influence within our local communities;

To build links with different schools and communities;

To provide extended services.

Where are we now?

Promoting community cohesion is already strongly embedded in our existing practice as detailed below, but we are committed to developing this aspect of our work further.

Teaching, learning and curriculum

  • We are an effective school with high standards of teaching, learning and curriculum provision. We have high expectations of our pupils and we set challenging individual achievement targets.
  • There are opportunities across the curriculum to promote shared values and help pupils value differences and to challenge prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping. This is particularly evident in our PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), and Collective Worship programmes but is clearly evident throughout the taught curriculum.
  • Extensive programmes of curricular and extra-curricular activities enrich students’ understanding of community and diversity through activities promoted by visitors from outside the school and visits.
  • There is a dailyassembly for collective worship,

Equity and excellence

  • We promote high standards of achievement for all. We set challenging individual targets for all our pupils, monitor their progress regularly and have robust strategies of intervention and support.
  • We make sure there are no barriers to achievement and work to remove disparities in attainment between different groups.
  • We promote an inclusive, caring, supporting ethos and maintain a highly effective pastoral system.
  • We expect the highest standards of behaviour and have effective approaches in place to deal with incidents of prejudice, bullying and harassment.

Engagement and Extended Services

School to school

  • We have links with other local schools, both at pupil and teacher level.
  • Teachers have links with other schools through a range of activities.

School Parents and the Community

  • Pupils have a strong voice and opportunities to take responsibility through our School Council and in responses to surveys within school.
  • We engage with parents through a range of activities including parents’ evenings, questionnaires, informal interview sessions, the headteacher’s ‘open door’ policy and parent activity sessions.
  • There is an active Parent Teacher Association
  • We have strong links with external agencies including social services, the health service and police.
  • The school is used for several activities by external organisations

Extended services

There is a Breakfast Club and An After-School Club and parents/school are in the processing of trialling our second Holiday club.

Where would we like to be?

Teaching, Learning and Curriculum

  • Continue to strive to ensure that every student achieves their potential by setting challenging targets, monitoring progress and developing more effective intervention and support mechanisms. With the number of children from minority ethnic groups attending the school increasing, we will explore ways of assisting those children in developing an awareness of their own identity.

Equity and Excellence

  • Continue to track and monitor the performance of particular groups in school.
  • Continue to develop our pastoral systems to promote a caring supportive ethos free from prejudice, discrimination and bullying.

Engagement and Extended Services

  • To develop international links.
  • To further develop links with other local schools and to continue to share ‘best practice’.
  • To strive to build governor links with the governors of other local schools .

School to parents and the community

  • To explore links with community based groups.
  • To continue to develop the pupil ‘voice’ by taking every opportunity to involve groups of pupils in consultations on local issues.

Extended Services

  • To ensure pupils and parents are aware of the extended services on offer in the community.

Policy Review

Mesne Lea School encourages discussion and reflection from staff, parents and pupils and this policy will subsequently be regularly reviewed.

1

VU Reviewed on February 2016