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John Gulson Primary School. Large primary in inner city of Coventry (catchment in Foleshill and Hillfields) 587 on roll 29% FSM (estimated 45% eligible) High Pupil mobility (6%) High percentage in overcrowded households High indicator of School Deprivation (0.4) .
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John Gulson Primary School • Large primary in inner city of Coventry (catchment in Foleshill and Hillfields) • 587 on roll • 29% FSM (estimated 45% eligible) • High Pupil mobility (6%) • High percentage in overcrowded households • High indicator of School Deprivation (0.4)
John Gulson Primary School • Ethnicity - • 38% Pakistani • 22% Bangladeshi • 13% Indian • 4% White British • Increasing numbers of refugees/asylum seekers • 25 languages spoken in school
Global Citizenship Post-SATs summer programme with yr 6 • started summer 2002, in response to stresses on community/children following “9/11” • community/school partnership - a good-sized team of local volunteers and professionals • refined each year based on pupil, teacher and volunteer feedback • contributes to HMI “Achievement in PSHE is outstanding.” - June 2007
Other Positive Outcomes • Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and key adults in the community • Yr 10/11/12 pupils who were in GC in yr 6, now volunteer with foleshillfields vision project – inc. GC • Opening up key issues • identity/Britishness/faith • racism and Islamophobia • Active, positive, sustained engagement between local communities and school
Key strengths of GC • A diverse team • Work on identity issues • Making it fun • Modelling good relationships
A Diverse Team • Wide range of adults, young adults, teenagers • Parents, ex-pupils, older siblings • International students (Coventry Uni) • Youth, Children's and Community workers • Artists (paid) • Community and voluntary organisations • Led by volunteer who is a long-term Governor, and a local youth and community worker
Work on Identity Issues • My Self, My Family, My Community, My Country, My World • Britishness • Designing a flag, writing our own national anthems • “Who's British?” and geographical work • Empire and Migration history • illustrated with personal (family) stories from adults in classroom • starting with making a big map of pupil family origins • looking at global statistics • Tackling the controversial issues which arise • racism, Islamophobia, national identity
Making it Fun • Lots of creative content – crafts, music, circus, drama, rap, procession, photography, games, newsletter • Lots of volunteers – lots of opportunity for individual/small group attention and engagement • Ground rules for volunteers • giving individual children choices, including to constructively opt out of activities • chatting and relationship building seen as key outcome / learning opportunity
Relationships are the key • Modelling a diverse group of adults (including teachers and TAs) being friends, and working together • Working together, having fun together • Developing leadership • Building (and building on) community relationships • long-term local residents, • new arrivals, • front-line workers (youth and children's workers, community workers, etc), • neighbourhood management, • older young people, including from local secondary
Building on Success • Starting long-term link with a Kenyan School • Bringing in local Kenyans (and visitors). • Working from pre-existing links (not the central ones to most pupils families). • Mobile phones (£25 for four phones for one hour) proved the key technology to reach this part of rural Africa - supported by email available in nearby city. • “How many cows do you have?” • Beginning to spread the programme
Two useful ideas A workable week: • My Self, My Family, My Community, My Country, My World Community is full of resources • Support their leadership • Ask for their help • Think creatively about who to bring in
Tackling Controversial Issues “Head On” “What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.” • Model these at least as much as talking about them: • cross community friendship, and valuing diversity • active citizenship, and hopefulness about social cohesion • thoughtful engagement with controversial issues • Crucial that the adult team can & do talk directly about the issues with each other, including across social divides. • Young people will have a wide range of responses to this kind of work. Provide a wide range of contexts – and get a wide range of human resource into the classroom.
foleshillfieldsvisionproject Heather Parker foleshillfields@gmail.com
John Gulson Primary School Sayeed Ahmed Deputy Head Teacher s.ahmed@johngulson.coventry.sch.uk www.covschools.co.uk/johngulson Please get in touch!