BNP Teachers

Dear Mr Walker,

Re: Information Request - Reference Number: 2010010001

Thank you for your request for information received on 24 December 2009.
We are currently processing your request in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act 2000, and will respond to you within 20 working days.

For clarification we are using the following information for the purpose
of processing your request.

Details, as outlined in the request for information, regarding racial
equality in schools.

If you feel the information is inaccurate or requires amendment, please
notify us as soon as possible using the contact details provided above.

Yours sincerely

Lucy Lavelle
Information Governance Team

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Dear Mr Walker

Further to your recent Freedom of Information request which we received on
24 December 2009, please find our response below.

1) What evidence is there that schools*** equal opportunity
policies are effective in combating racism?

We have had positive outcomes from inspections in terms of no negative or
inadequate judgements being made in terms of schools*** promotion of
racial awareness, promoting community cohesion or equality of opportunity.
This is the same for primary and secondary.

One piece of direct evidence had been Lacon Childe***s Ofsted last summer
which was ***good*** for Community Cohesion. The school had been involved
in our Difference & Diversity initiative and the UNICEF Rights Respecting
School Award.

Continuing good relations with local police, Shrewsbury & Atcham Against
Racism (SAAR), re Hate Crime, emphasises the importance of effective
liaison re promoting Community Cohesion and Preventing Extremism.

2) What are schools in your area doing to promote racial equality
and promote community cohesion? Examples of measures deemed to be good
practice and recognised as being successful would be useful.

Additional guidance to schools has been issued to enable them to undertake
their duties in terms of promoting community cohesion. An audit tool was
supplied to schools in 2008 to enable them to draw together the many
things that they were already doing. This has been well used by most
schools and has been acknowledged as a good starting point for developing
practice by Ofsted during inspections. The LA is currently updating
guidance for schools to support their work in promoting good practice in
community cohesion but also to remind schools of their duties in terms of
race equality and preventing violent extremism. Workshop sessions will be
offered to school leaders who wish to explore these areas further. All
primary and secondary schools will receive the new guidance this term
through the headteacher briefing meetings.

Community cohesion and equality of opportunity are on School Improvement
Adviser agendas for the termly meetings with headteachers. We encourage
school self evaluation and work with them to address any issues raised.
We have always attached great significance to this in our work with
schools. Any of the advice/recommendations re policy development give
schools the ***potential*** to address this effectively. Our primary
monitoring/evaluation tool has been our Healthy Schools accreditation
process in which schools have had to describe how they combat stigma and
discrimination within their whole school approach to Emotional Health and
Wellbeing. 95% of schools have achieved this, with the remaining 5%
working towards the accreditation.

Schools are encouraged to report racist incidents information to governing
bodies, and they use an electronic system to report incidents to the local
authority. This was developed by the local authority in consultation with
schools some years ago.

The principle measure of effectiveness has been Shropshire schools***
relatively low levels of racist incident reporting.

Schools have been/are engaged with projects that promote Community
Cohesion such as:
** UNICEF***s Rights Respecting School Award;
** The Bridges Development Education Organisation (they have been
invited to relevant professional development courses and networks for
teachers to promote their work/resources in areas such as history of
ethnic minorities in Shropshire, school links with Africa).
** Webplay *** national organisation aiming to improve citizenship
through drama via school links nationally and internationally
** Shropshire***s Children and Young People***s Services Difference
& Diversity initiative with secondary schools
** Who Do We Think We Are Week

Teachers and community school nurses who have joined the council-led
nationally accredited Personal Social Health Education Continuing
Professional Programme have training and opportunities to reflect on the
impact Difference & Diversity has on their teaching. Currently 30
teachers and 15 community nurses have successfully completed this.

3) Can you provide me with any evidence that the measures listed
above have been effective (if this has not already been done)?

See above

4) Are further measures required to either maintain trust in the
teaching profession or protect children and young people?

Continued support for schools in sharing good practice and maintaining and
developing links with other agencies which can support and help promote
community cohesion, eg Hereford Diocese, Bridges Centre, British Council.

We trust that this answers your request satisfactorily. However, if you
should require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact
me.

Yours sincerely

Heather Jones
Assistant Information Governance Officer

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