Hampshire County Council

SACRE Item 7

10 June 2008

Project on social cohesion in Hampshire

Report of the Director of Children's Services

1

Summary

1.1

This report provides a summary of the progress achieved within the first year of the pilot project to address social/community cohesion in Hampshire which culminated in a conference held on 27^th March. The project has enabled the construction of a strategy for addressing social cohesion in relation to community diversity and conditions for effective learning of pupils in schools.

This project supports the following Hampshire County Council priorities:

1.2

"Making Hampshire safer and more secure for all" - by encouraging better and more informed relations between communities and institutions

"Maximising well-being" - by addressing common purpose amongst communities in Hampshire and its children

"Enhancing our quality of place" - through providing support for the positive recognition of minority communities and religious groups.

1.3

The decision supports the following Aims of the Children Act:

(Being healthy; Staying safe; Enjoying and achieving; Making a positive contribution; Economic well-being) by ensuring that social cohesion is addressed in Hampshire and its neighbouring communities to enhance the safety of environments, positive relations between different groups, achievement and enjoyment of children in schools and their larger learning, improving the prospect of economic well-being for minorities of different faiths.

2

Recommendations

That:

SACRE notes the report and endorses the continued developments of the Social/Community Cohesion project into its second year .

3

Background

3.1

A very successful conference was held on 27^th March 2008 which was hosted and funded by Aimhigher at Winchester University. Guests representing schools and SACREs from Hampshire and other local authorities and representatives from different faith communities were warmly welcomed by Cllr Kirk who provided a key note address to open the conference. Pupils and students from the participating schools provided presentations which focussed on their experiences and findings following their enquiry into the concept "difference". Guests were then invited to attend discussion groups where students and pupils were able to answer questions about their experiences of the project and their recommendations as a result of their findings.

3.2

A report of the first year of the project was presented and ratified by Education Members on Decision Day on 22 May 2008 (See Appendix 1). The social/community cohesion project will continue for another year until the end of March 2009.

3.3

The findings and recommendations of the pupils/students have been positively received and the students involved will provide a presentation to the Hampshire Council on 2 July 2008. There has also been national interest in the pilot project and pupils and students have been invited to provide a presentation at a national conference on 26 June 2008.

3.4

The County Inspector for RE gave a presentation on the social/community cohesion pilot project at the National Association of SACREs (NASACRE) Annual General Meeting in London on 8 May 2008.

3.5

Invitations have been sent to faith representatives in Hampshire inviting them to attend training on the concept led enquiry approach to pupils' learning. This is the methodology of the agreed syllabus, Living Difference, which facilitated pupils' learning throughout the project and which will inform the second year of the enquiry.

LINK(S) TO CORPORATE STRATEGY

YES

NO

Hampshire safer and more secure for all

_

Maximising well-being

_

Enhancing our quality of place

_

This proposal does not link to the Corporate Strategy but, nevertheless, requires a decision because: