`Teaching, learning and curriculum' audit

Thurrock Council

Children Education and Families

Audit of Community Cohesion Policy and Practice for Thurrock Schools

Community Cohesion Audit Tool

Introduction

In 2008, it became a school responsibility to monitor and develop community cohesion. The purpose of this tool is to help schools pull together the diverse elements of community cohesion and to use it to inform the SEF.

The toll is based on the DCSF recommendations issued in April 2008. It has been updated to the new framework and has greater clarity where areas are KS3/4 specific.

The audit is based on judgements of embryonic, developmental and embedded. The judgements are not aligned to Ofsted grades as the overall Ofsted judgement is based on the impact of all of these areas being addressed.

The judgements should be made as follows:

Embryonic:

EITHER No policy or practice in place
OR Policy and practice just introduced but no current impact
OR School Development plan has scheduled development but not yet in place
No or limited current impact on pupils

Developmental:

Policy and practice in place but still in developmental stage
Some evidence of impact but practice either still embedding or too new to fully evaluate
Govern ors and staff are aware of policy and practice but further development and CPD required
Pupils know of policy and are beginning to see impact when consulted

Embedded:

Well embedded policy and practice that can be articulated by the school community
Clear evidence of impact through evaluation of standards and ethos
Pupils Clearly engage with policy and practice and can articulate the positive impact on the school and community

If you require support or advice in using the audit, contact Richard Epps on [email address] or on 07825 691161 / 01375 652526.

Thurrock Draft Community cohesion Audit Tool 1

Teaching, learning and curriculum audit

Aspect for school to consider.	Embryonic	Developmental	Embedded	Notes
AWARENESS OF SCHOOL VALUES The school community is familiar with the schools' vision of a diverse, inclusive, tolerant and equitable society.
AWARENESS OF OWN IDENTITY Pupils develop an interest and pride in, and deeper knowledge of, their family roots and their emerging cultural allegiances and, for some, their religious or spiritual identity.
EXPRESSING OWN IDENTITY Pupils are encouraged to express their emerging and changing identities in positive and creative ways that encourage interaction with others
APPRECIATING OTHERS' LIVES Pupils develop empathy and insight into the lives of people from different backgrounds - through literature, other media and personal contacts
RESPECT FOR DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS Pupils are encouraged to recognise and respect how people see things from different viewpoints
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES Pupils have opportunities to discuss sensitive and controversial issues with staff who have the confidence to guide the debate and develop appropriate thinking skills.
CULTURAL APPRECIATION Pupils have opportunities to enjoy cultural and creative experiences that reflect and celebrate UK's increasing diversity
RECOGNISING COMMONALITIES Pupils learn about cultural and religious diversity with an underpinning theme exploring commonalities and respecting differences
UK CULTURE (Upper KS2 -KS4) Pupils know out about the diverse roots and sources of modern UK culture including the ways that English language has borrowed from other languages
MIGRATION HISTORIES (Upper KS2 -KS4) Pupils learn how migrations throughout history have helped to shape our society
FUNDAMENTAL EQUALITY PRINCIPLES Pupils learn the significance of basic principles of equal opportunities, justice and human rights as they apply to their own daily lives and to wider community and global issues. KS3/4: Pupils become increasingly aware (when this is consistent with their other areas of knowledge) of the significance of these principles to citizenship and democracy
ADVOCACY SKILLS KS1/2: Pupils develop skills required to deal with prejudice through SEALs and other initiatives. KS3/4: Pupils gain the skills and confidence to enable them to apply human rights to situations they encounter, to recognise and challenge abuses, discrimination and injustice and to advocate and claim their own human rights whilst fulfilling their associated responsibilities.
REGULAR WORK WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE Pupils learn through close and structured collaboration to work with different groups, encountering different styles of thinking and to develop flexible interactive skills. These groups include differing ages, genders, ethnicity, faiths and backgrounds.
TEAM AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS Pupils develop collaborative team and communication skills through planned activities that progress year on year through the curriculum.
PEER LEARNING, LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY Pupils develop the skills and confidence to recognise when their peers need help or support, mentoring, coaching or mediation. Pupils assume peer leadership roles (e.g. sports, reading support, student councils, community service)
DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING (Upper KS2 to KS4) Pupils gain experience and understanding of democratic process and recognise its significance in British society.
A SHARE IN POWER (KS3/4) Pupils gain understanding that, in a working democracy; people have a share in power that can influence the decisions, which affect them and the people around them.
SOCIAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE (KS3/4) Pupils realise that change and improvement can come about through collective efforts guided by a shared vision of well-considered goals.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The school has identified the areas of professional development needed by their workforce to improve the teaching and learning for the promotion of community cohesion and has plans in place to provide it.
STUDENT VOICE Students develop the skills to contribute to the evaluation and improvement of teaching, learning and the curriculum. Their contributions are welcomed and acted upon.

Thurrock Draft Community cohesion Audit Tool 2

Equity and excellence audit

Aspect of school to consider	Embryonic	Developmental	Embedded	Notes
MONITORING AND EVALUATING ATTAINMENT The school has effective procedures in place to monitor patterns of attainment as young people progress through their education. Results are analysed by various relevant characteristics (e.g. ethnicity, gender, social class etc.) that may reveal indirect discrimination. Strategies are in place to tackle achievement gaps.
MONITORING AND EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES, SCHOOL EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS The school has effective procedures in place to monitor responses to, participation and success in wider educational and social experiences. For example; participation in school trips, sports, out of hours activities, community placements, positions of responsibility, creative performances. (Where uptake appears to be gender or ethnically biased, schools should investigate why)
INCLUSION INDICATORS The school has effective procedures to monitor inclusion indicators such as attendance, behaviour, admissions and transfers, harassment incidents (including racist, religious and homophobic), disciplinary sanctions including exclusions. Patterns that do not reflect the wider population of the school are investigated.
WELCOMING INDUCTION The school has effective procedures to welcome and integrate new arrivals. All school staff understand their responsibilities in this process. Direct evaluation of the experience is sought from young people and parents.
RESPONSIBILITIES UNDERSTOOD Governors and school leaders ensure that all staff understand their duties to implement equalities legislation as it applies throughout school activities.
DIVERSE ROLE MODELS 1 Efforts are made to ensure that learners encounter role models representing a wide range of the population including those who do not conform to stereotypes of age, gender, ethnicity, occupation and those from backgrounds different from their own.
DIVERSE ROLE MODELS 2 The school should have evidence that where the community does not reflect the range of ethnicity in the UK, that opportunities are provided to understand the diversity of the country
REPRESENTATIVE STAFF AND GOVERNORS Efforts are made to ensure that the governing body and staffing are broadly representative of the different groups in the local community.
BEHAVIOUR FOR POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS All members of the school know, through policy and CPD, that behaviour which undermines positive relationships (including threats of violence, abuse, discriminatory behaviour and bullying) is dealt with firmly and effectively by the school
ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES (Foundation schools and Academies) The admissions authority complies with the admissions code and ensures that admissions policies do not unfairly disadvantage any group.
EQUALITIES LEGISLATION All staff know their legal duties under equalities legislation and are aware of the systems within the school to deal with incidents of discrimination. Incidents are properly recorded and monitored by SLT and governors.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The school has identified the areas of professional development needed for the workforce to improve the equity and excellence dimension of its work in cohesion and has plans in place to provide it.
STUDENT VOICE Students develop the skills to contribute to the evaluation and improvement of equal opportunities within the school. Their contributions are welcomed and acted upon.

Thurrock Draft Community cohesion Audit Tool 3

Community engagement, extended services audit

Aspect of school to consider.	Embryonic	Developmental	Embedded	Notes
EXTENDING SERVICES Where extended services are being offered, the school ensures that collaboration is established with the LA and local providers
A WELCOMING SCHOOL All members of the community feel welcomed, safe in the school and valued and respected by the people there.
SCHOOL ETHOS IS COMMUNICATED The school uses a range of different methods to communicate its vision of inclusion and equality the school and local community. It demonstrates through its official publications and activities that it sets out to cater for the full range of groups in its community.
ALL FEEL THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE All members of the school community know that their views can help to shape the development of the school and that there are ways in which they can share these views with others and make them known. Special efforts are made to include hard reaching groups (e.g. looked after children, learners new to English language and new members of the local community).
LANGUAGE The school is aware of which languages are spoken locally and how many parents have difficulty with English. Where there are different languages spoken in the school's communities, the reflects this heritage
FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT The school is involved in strategic planning to enhance the community facilities for the locality, including active promotion to make them available to all sectors of the community.
PROMOTING INTERACTION The school creates opportunities for different groups (for example mixed age, genders or backgrounds) to share facilities and work together (Examples include; mentoring projects, reading schemes, ICT support, community placement schemes, young volunteers leading out of hours activities
CONSULTATION Inclusion of key Stakeholders Parents, LA, local Police, Voluntary sector, Faith groups, Elders etc. in developing priorities and school policy and practice
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The school has identified the areas of professional development needed by the workforce to improve community engagement for the promotion of community cohesion and has plans in place to provide it.
STUDENT VOICE Students develop the skills to contribute to the evaluation and improvement of the school's community dimension. Their contributions are welcomed and acted upon.