Archived decisions

Title:

Item 8. Community Cohesion

Presented to:

SACRE

Presented by:

Director of Children's Services

Date:

9 July 2009

Distributed to:

All SACRE Members

Method:

Hard Copy

Date:

1 July 2009

Contact name:

Clive Erricker

Tel:

02392 441521

Email:

[email protected]

1)

Purpose of Report: Community Cohesion

1.1

This report provides an update on the progress of the project at the end of its second year and details of the proposal for the continuation of the project to 2011.

2)

Contextual Issues:

2.1

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: "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

3)

Overview of the project

3.1

The project's focus is seeking to identify best practice in Hampshire schools to promote community cohesion. The activities in which schools have become involved within the second year of the project have been funded from Hampshire local authority by providing support from the two RE inspectors through the advisory and inspection service. Funding has also been made available under the community cohesion brief, through the support of David Bond and the Hampshire Archive office. There are also close links with the Rights, Respect and Responsibility agenda and the Unicef award for a "Rights Respecting School".

4)

School activities:

4.1

The schools involved this year are :-

Fairfield Primary

Wavell Secondary

Farnborough Grange Nursery and Infant

Manor Junior

Cove Junior

New Milton Junior

Arnewood Secondary

Pupils have engaged in a variety of activities including links with World War 2 work , visits to the Ghurkha museum, visits from members of the community to speak to pupils, research into the concepts "Memorials", "Community"," Remembrance" and "Transition" and joint activities between schools.

5)

Dissemination of ideas and activities:

5.1

Some of the pupils' activities and findings are being recorded by David

Bond who will prepare a DVD and banners for disseminating ideas to

other schools.

5.2

Materials will be posted on the RE and History Moodle sites (Interactive electronic websites) that all schools can access.

5.3

Julia Graham of the Rushmoor Borough Council asked that information about activities in schools to promote community cohesion should be sent to her to disseminate via the Nepalese newspaper that is made available in the Rushmoor area.

6)

A unit of work about Travellers:

6.1

Swanmore and Yately Secondary schools are continuing develop work about Travellers in relation to the Community Cohesion project. This is being developed with Liz Statham, the Travellers advisor in Hampshire.

7)

Proposals for future development of the project:

7.1

The arrangements for funding for 2008-09 are now ended. After discussions with the project leaders and involved parties, the Hampshire Museum service has made a successful bid for funding that will enable the Community Cohesion project to continue into 2011. They plan to work closely with a partnership of a primary and a secondary school on developing strategies for community cohesion within their locality and to use museum space to disseminate the activities more widely with the involvement of parents and other members of the community. The funding will also enable the Hampshire RE team to continue in an advisory capacity.

8)

The Prevent strategy

8.1

The County Inspector for RE has been involved in the county prevent strategy group but the implementation of this in schools is being led by the county PSHE inspector

9)

Conclusions

That SACRE notes the report and endorses the continued developments of the Community Cohesion project led by the Hampshire Museum Service.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report. (NB: the list excludes published works and any documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.)

Document

Location