- provide support for community languages teaching;
- foster collaboration between the complementary and mainstream school sectors;
- model good practice in teaching and learning;
- promote community cohesion;
- value plurilingualism; and
- celebrate pupil achievement.
The duty to promote community cohesion
A mainstream school's duty to promote community cohesion will become part of the Ofsted inspection process starting in September 2008. According to The Children's Plan (DCSF, 2007) 'Schools are well placed to become a focal point for the local community and to foster better relationships between diverse communities. The introduction of the duty on schools to promote community cohesion recognises the good work that many schools are already doing to encourage community cohesion and aims to achieve a situation where children:
- understand others, value diversity, apply and defend human rights and are skilled in participation and responsible action;
- fulfil their potential and succeed at the highest level possible, with no barriers to access and participation in learning and to wider activities, and no variation between outcomes for different groups; and
- have real and positive relationships with people from different backgrounds, and feel part of a community, at a local, national and international level.'
To view government guidance on community cohesion see the list of links on the righthand side of this page.
- The Languages Strategy (DfES, 2002)Learning other languages gives us insight into the people, culture and traditions of other countries, and helps us to understand our own language and culture. Drawing on the skills and expertise of those who speak community languages will promote citizenship and complement the Government’s broader work on the promotion of social cohesion.
