Barnet
HEC attended the meeting in Barnet on 21 September, chaired by Jeanette Reading, Inspector for Inclusion and Equality. The meeting, of invited practitioners, borough representatives and some interested independents in the education sector in Barnet, explored ideas around ‘Perceptions’, particularly perceptions of Africa. Participants agreed that this was an area schools would be likely to respond to favourably and which teachers and schools sometimes find difficult to practically address in the classroom. An outcome of this meeting was the resonance felt by the participants that although the notion of ‘perceptions’ of developing countries was not a very ‘mainstream’ educational idea they all felt it was highly relevant and that a specific focus on it could inform and improve teaching and learning on global issues.
The following summary of aspects of the model that participants had agreed were important, summarized by HEC at the end of the meeting, was accepted by the group as the guiding criteria for the development of a perceptions tool and was circulated by email to the participants after the meeting.
“To develop a values
and perceptions tool:
-
that
supports community cohesion and culturally inclusive curriculum
-
involves
parents and the wider community in its process
-
promotes
student voice responds to what the children want to study
-
that can
be framed around different ‘case studies’, such as particular countries
-
acknowledges
perceptions of our own contexts
-
includes
how children feel they are perceived
-
that can
be evaluated in terms of impact on the children (possibly by measuring some
kind of ‘baseline’)”
Originally 6 October had been set for the launch of some form of ‘draft tool’ for use by practitioners. At the end of the meeting it was decided this October meeting should be aimed instead at enabling practitioners/teachers to become involved in the process on a more active level.
October 6th
meeting
Each participant shared his or her experience of looking at perceptions at a school level. Further development of ideas led to an agreement to send around some of the items (documents, links) that had been referenced in the meeting. These will be viewed by the group to see if they may be incorporated into the set of tools that arise from this work.
At this meeting a theme emerged of assessing the impact of a tool that is looking at perceptions, and around what exactly the aims would be in terms of challenging perceptions and attitudes. The RISC ‘How do we know it’s working’ manual was referenced by one of the teachers as a good way into looking at assessment.
The next steps meeting scheduled for 7th Dec had
to be delayed until early 2010 due to injury of Jeanette Reading. In the
meantime HEC has circulated across the team some ideas around perceptions
(including RISC activities) as an intended stimulus for the other participants
to follow.
The meeting for 7th December has been rescheduled for 20th Jan and Janie Robertson from Barnet LA has taken over from Jeanette due to illness and leave in the crucial month of January. HEC have agreed to give the support and input needed through this important coming months before a sharing event on 11th February.
December 2009
Local and Global -
February to July 2009
The first meeting of the Barnet steering
group ‘Local and Global' took place held at NLBP on 16th July.
It was recognised that positive attitudes
towards
Schools seeking international links and the
issues that arise from this North-South relationship were discussed at some
length. Margaret Burr's experience is that underlying post-colonial themes are
often the unacknowledged ‘elephant in the room'. However, exploring these
themes could provide a very rich seam of activity in terms of exploring
attitudes.
The involvement of schools on the ‘steering
group' was proposed by Jeanette and discussed. The group agreed that inviting
representatives from schools where there was interest and a degree of existing
practice on which to build was desirable. Unfortunately, two invitees from
schools (Pavilion Study Centre and St. James) sent apologies for the meeting
but have signalled their interest in the initiative.
Exploring links with parents and families is
another option to be included and explored.
The focus for Barnet was proposed and agreed
as ‘Developing Positive Attitudes: Local and Global'. A Global Dimension
‘learning walk' would be the starter activity, with the tool to be developed
and trialled by the members of the group. Edgware Infants' and Nursery have
done a lot of work on the culturally inclusive curriculum. Materials focusing
on identity could be a developed.
Activity for the group:
· Toolkit for evaluating the learning
environment
· Practical guidance on monitoring and
assessing impact
· Establishment of a ‘think tank' for promoting
the work that ensues from further group discussions, classroom and school-based
activity and consultancy work with schools
Next meeting of the steering group: 21st
September 2009 9.30 -11.30am
Launch of audit tool event: 6th October 2009
Jeanette Redding, Inspector for Inclusion and Equalities
August
2009
Background
The Humanities Education Centre is based in
Tower Hamlets and works closely with a number of teams in the Children's,
Schools and Families Directorate. The Humanities Education Centre
made a presentation on the global dimension in the curriculum to a senior
manager in the authority.
Agreed actions are:
- Appointment of a link adviser
- Local4Global presentation at the Barnet Key Managers meeting at the
beginning of February.
- Identification of a Local Authority ‘L4G team' for liaison with
other NLSIN boroughs
- Participation in a joint Local4Global inter-borough meeting in the
summer term
- Individual borough activities and joint activities - sharing with
other local authorities within and outside of the NLSIN network
Barnet hosts the North London Schools
International Network team.
February 2009
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