Schools have a duty to promote community cohesion and need to work with all children to help them develop a positive identity and sense of belonging.

Activities run by schools to promote community cohesion can be very successful in building positive relationships between different cultural groups, either through the curriculum or via linking projects.

School linking projects have been found to promote positive interactions between different cultural groups. But one-off events or short projects have limited impact. Activities to promote community cohesion need to be sustained over time and integrated into the school curriculum and extended services.

A whole-school approach to raising achievement among minority ethnic pupils, which also involves parents, has been shown to be effective.

Schools need to work closely with parents and other community members and develop strategies to strengthen community cohesion together.

School governors should represent the local community, but where they don't, steps should be taken to recruit more widely among different ethnic groups and social classes.

Strategies need to be tailored to local circumstances and take account of children's starting points. There is some evidence that negative attitudes can harden among pupils with prejudiced views after involvement in activities designed to encourage respect for diversity.

Promoting community cohesion requires clear commitment from school leaders and teachers, and is helped by effective training and central support for activities, such as school linking.

Employing staff from local communities, as parent advocates or in other outreach and support roles, can help schools to engage with traditionally 'hard to reach' groups and increase social capital in the local community.

Boys playing in a park

Reflection points

Consider the following in light of your own practice:
  • Do your partnership arrangements include head teachers, the local education authority, the primary care trust, social services - and all other relevant organisations?
  • Are you promoting the recruitment of under-represented groups as school governors by, for example, encouraging council staff to become school governors and leafleting community centres, mosques and black-majority churches?

Further reading

Bird, S. (2003) Do the right thing: how governors can contribute to community cohesion and accountability, London: DfES (available at

www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/Do_the_right_thing.pdf ).

Raw, A. (2007) Keighley Schools Linking Project: external evaluation report 2005 (available at

www.schoolslinkingnetwork.org/PDF/Keighley%20Schools%20Linking%20Evaluation%202005-06.pdf ).

The Education and Inspections Act, 2006.

The Bradford School Linking project involved 61 primary and 12 secondary schools. Key features are:

  • matching pairs of schools across populations and areas
  • training and supporting of teachers by a central team
  • a common format for links between primary schools: an initial day, two contacts a term and further shared activities
  • activities which facilitate teamwork and contact, as well as sharing ordinary lessons like literacy and numeracy.

Ideas for recruiting different new governors include:

  • a dedicated governor recruitment officer
  • advertising in local press and radio
  • recruitment stand at local community events
  • mentoring and support programme for new governors
  • allowances to cover childcare and other costs.

Bird, 2003.

Raw 2006.