Duty to promote community cohesion

1
Duty to promote community cohesion
2
Why has the new duty for schools to promote
community cohesion been introduced?
3
Background to the duty

• 2001 disturbances in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford
• Cantle report concluded that people from
  different groups were not mixing and were living
  parallel lives
• LGA/ODPM/Home Office/CRE/Interfaith Network
  produced guidance on community cohesion in 2002
• DfES/Home Office/CRE produced community cohesion
  education standards for schools in 2004
  www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/pdf/commcohesion.pdf
• events of 7/7 2005 added new impetus to the
  community cohesion agenda, resulting in formation
  of the Commission on Integration Cohesion
  (final report Our Shared Future published in 2007
  www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk)

4
What does the law say about the new duty for
schools to promote community cohesion?
5
Education and Inspections Act 2006, section
38(1)(5)

• The governing body of a maintained school
  shall, in discharging their functions relating to
  the conduct of the school
• (a) promote the well-being of pupils at
  the school
• (b) in the case of a school in England,
  promote
• community cohesion.
• Came into force on 1st September 2007
• From 1st September 2008, OFSTED will include
  schools contributions to promoting community
  cohesion in their inspections

6
What is community cohesion?
7
The community has a number of dimensions

• school community
• community within which the school is located
• UK community
• global community

8
What is community cohesion?

• Working towards a society in which
• there is a common vision and sense of belonging
  by all communities
• the diversity of peoples backgrounds and
  circumstances is appreciated and valued
• similar life opportunities are available to all
• strong and positive relationships exist and
  continue to be developed in the workplace, in
  schools and in the wider community

9
Links with the equalities agenda

• race and faith are often seen as the most
  frequent friction points between communities, and
  the most visible sources of tension

10
However

• schools should note that the focus of the duty is
  much wider and includes different
• - cultures
• - ethnic groups
• - religious or non-religious groups
• - socio-economic groups
• - the disabled
• - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
  communities
• - different age groups
• - different gender groups

11
Barriers to community cohesion

• Fear and ignorance - mistrust of different
  groups, particularly those new to the local
  community
• Stereotyping
• Perceptions of preferential treatment
• Lack of opportunity to interact

12
Schools contribution to community cohesion
12
13
Schools contribution to community cohesion

• Teaching, learning and curriculum
• Equity and excellence
• Engagement and extended services

14
Teaching, learning and curriculum

• helping pupils to understand others and value
  diversity
• promoting shared values
• promoting awareness of human rights, and applying
  and defending them
• developing the skills of participation and
  responsible action (e.g. through the new
  Identities and diversity living together in the
  UK strand within secondary citizenship education)

15
Equity and excellence(inclusion by another name)

• ensuring equal opportunities for all to succeed
  at the highest level possible
• removing barriers to access and participation in
  learning and wider activities
• eliminating variations in outcomes for different
  groups

16
Engagement and extended services

• providing reasonable means for children, young
  people, their friends and families to interact
  with people from different backgrounds and build
  positive relations
• links with different schools and communities
• the provision of extended services with
  opportunities for pupils, families and the wider
  community to take part in activities and receive
  services which build positive interaction and
  achievement for all groups

17
What will schools need to do?

• consider how different aspects of their work
  already support integration and community harmony
• take stock of what has worked so far, for them
  and for other schools
• consider where there may be scope to improve
  their existing work

18
Where can schools go for guidance around
community cohesion?
19
DCSF guidance on the duty to promote community
cohesion

• May be downloaded from
• www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/communitycohesio
  n/