Community Cohesion in Schools
There is an act which was introduced in the year 2006 that was meant to promote community cohesion in all schools in England. It was not until September 1st 2007 that this duty for all schools came into effect. The duty on Ofsted became effective a year later.
Many schools have already started working towards making this effective. There are many schools. On the other hand, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) urges all schools in England to strive to achieve this goal; the main aim of this initiative is to have all children to learn and appreciate each without regard to the background that each come from (European Union, 2008). This will help to fulfill the potential of all children in all levels, local, national and international.
Cohesion is the act of bringing mutual understanding and having good working relations with the neighborhood. In this paper, I will give the extent of community cohesion in the primary school that I work in. in accordance to he various acts that have been passed by the UK government, our school administration has set up high standards of curriculum so that the expectations of all students has always remained to be high. Our school recognizes all cultures that are found in the school (Delener, 2005). The diversity that is surrounding the school is appreciated well in the school. The children that are found in this school come from different backgrounds, both socio-economically and culturally, their beliefs, and ethnicities. The teachers and the parents alike have strived to encourage the students to realize their potential in everything they do. The school has joined the other schools to integrate citizenship education in their curriculum. The school administration is expecting that this will be continued in the high schools in which the students will go. The beauty of it all is that the same has been started in high schools, dabbed Identity and Diversity: Living together in the UK. We have made sure that the pupils find all the opportunities to learn the diverse cultures within the UK and also international relations between the UK and the rest of the world (Erricker, Lowndes, Bellchambers, 2010).
The teaching is inclusive in the primary school. The needs of all the pupils are well catered for in the curriculum. The disabled are well catered for. The teachers have made sure that the students feel welcome in everything they do. As per the requirements of the UK government, our school has made sure that the teaching of Religious Education and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is well catered for (Woolley, 2010).
There are also initiatives which have been made so that communities other cultures in their way of worship; there are field-work activities which have been organized. They visit places of worship so that they understand community diversity. For pupils who take English as additional language, they are supported within the school so that they understand the subject as though it was their first language. There are also staff members who have English as a foreign language. To promote community cohesion, these people are brought up in a friendly way so that they don’t feel isolated in their language. This effort has resulted in the pupils and the staff achieving very high standards of English (Belli, & Radermacher, 2002).
There are assemblies which involve the wider community so that there is a mutual understanding from the neighboring community. In this initiative, the school ethos and values are appreciated and understood well. There is also the teaching of pupils and the staff about the diversity in the cultures in the United Kingdom so that there is an understanding of all. The school where I work has an open system which is capable of addressing the challenging situations in the school and the country generally. With this in effect, there is the spirit of oneness in the school and one will find it hard to differentiate between the community and the school (Partridge, & Hussain, 2007).
The school administration has ensured that the pupils achieve their fullest potential by ensuring that there is respect within the school. Pupils are respected irrespective of the ethnic background and the socio-economic classes they come from. They are treated equally. The exams in the school are administered fairly. The admission procedures of these pupils are done in a fair manner. Pupils are admitted basing on the same requirements without any bias. When the admission date draws, the pupils are given coded names so that there is no form of bias (Arthur, Cremin, 2010). This way, the admission officers are not able to determine the pupils and their race, and their appearance. For a long time, the school has been ranked one of the best in the region for their fair treatment of pupils. The acts that are highlighted in this paper are followed to the letter. The new School Admissions Code puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of following admission requirements that promote community cohesion (Starkey, 2009).