In more detail
‘The schools’ – is one of the most common answers if you ask people what attracts them about a neighbourhood. The contribution a good community makes to a school is perhaps not so well acknowledged, but having the support and involvement of the community – including parents and families – is an important ingredient in the success of a school. If you are planning a better neighbourhood, local schools are natural supporters and useful partners. The video below is tips for making school-community links from the US:
How Schools Add Social Value
Ways in which schools play a part in making better neighbourhoods include:
- social capital – schools act as the centres around which social networks form
- community cohesion – different communities are frequently brought together by a shared interest in a local school
- involving young people – schools are not the only way, but a very important way, of involving local young people in community planning and work to improve the neighbourhood
- community assets – school buildings and land are assets necessarily with restricted use but can still be used for community meetings and events .
Schools are also important to involve in neighbourhood plans in terms of transport issues. Many schools, for example, encourage safe routes to school and other initiatives aimed at cutting car use.
Types of School
The most common types of school are:
- Community schools – funded and owned by the local council and staff are employed by it. Community schools are run by a board of governors typically including representatives of the council, the staff and parents.
- Voluntary aided and foundation schools – are funded by the council but the land and buildings may be owned by a trust. These schools include many faith schools. The school is run by a board of governors which may include representatives of the faith community or the trust. Foundation schools must still follow the national curriculum but have more freedom to run things in their own way; they employ their own staff and may receive funds from other sources as well as the council.
- Academies – are run by a governing body, independent from the local council - they can follow a different curriculum; may own the land and buildings themselves and are funded directly from Whitehall, not the council. The governing body can include business sponsors, faith representatives and others. Academies can set their own selection criteria. They do not have to employ qualified teachers. The governing body is appointed by the academy trust which runs the school.
- ‘Free schools’ – are a type of academy set up by businesses, charities, universities, religious groups, educational groups, teachers or parents. They run independently of the state and do not have to follow the national curriculum. They can set the pay and conditions of staff and can make changes to the length of the school day etc. They cannot select on the basis of ability (unlike grammar schools, below). The governing body is a board appointed by the organisation which set them up.
- Grammar schools – can be run by the council, a foundation body or a trust. They select all or most of their pupils based on academic ability and there is often an exam to get in.
The video below is from Canada - Education Minister George Abbott describes how and why his state government in British Columbia wants to encourage links between schools and communities:
Engaging with Schools
Ways of engaging schools include through: contact via the governing body and/or headteacher; engaging with individual teachers including those with responsibility for citizenship education or community links; engaging through associations associated with the school; and engaging through national campaigns aimed at making links between schools and communities. These include, for example, Eco Schools; Sustrans’ Safe Routes to School; and Living Streets’ Walk to School Walk.
| Key Facts:
Schools and communities can have a mutually beneficial relationship. Schools add value to neighbourhoods in a number of ways including by creating social links and networks. Sometimes a school can subtract value too - with disputes about antisocial behaviour and parking and congestion during pick-up and drop-off times, for example. A good school adds to the finanical value of local housing. Understanding the school structure is important - not all schools are the same these days. You can find ways in to engaging with schools through governing bodies, the headteacher, the staff and through national campaigns like Walk to School Week. |
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BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY PLANNING TOOLKIT DEFINITION SHEET This sheet may be reproduced in paper or electromic or any other form but please mention it was made by Chamberlain Forum Limited for Birmingham City Council supported by Department for Communities and Local Government.
| created: 2016-05-22 10:19:28 | by: admin | status: f published |