Hyde Park Infant School
Community Cohesion Policy
School Vision
‘Hyde Park Infant School is about being happy, thinking and working together, discovering
and achieving in a creative learning environment.’
Through our ethos and curriculum we will promote discussion of a common sense of
identity and support diversity, helping pupils to appreciate how different communities can
be united by shared values and common experiences.
Policy aims
To actively promote community cohesion in line with the Education and Inspections Act
2006.
To support our school in working towards a society where: there is a common vision and sense of belonging by all communities
 the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and valued
 similar life opportunities are available to all
 strong and positive relationships exist and continue to be developed in the
workplace, in schools and in the wider community
What is Community Cohesion?
Our community consists of: the school community – the pupils it serves, their families, the governing body and
the school staff
 the community within which the school is located – the school in its geographical
community, and the people who live and work in that area. Also to the local
authority and city within which our school is located.
 the UK community – all schools are by definition part of this community
 the global community – formed by EU and international links
How does our school contribute towards community cohesion?
Through Teaching, Learning and Curriculum
 by ensuring the highest standard of teaching, learning and curriculum provision that
supports high standards of attainment, promotes shared values and builds pupil’s
understanding of the diversity that surrounds them
 by teaching pupils to understand others, to promote common values and to value
diversity, to promote awareness of human rights and of the responsibility to uphold
and defend them, and to develop the skills of participation and responsible action
 by continuing to develop a programme of curriculum based activities whereby pupils’
understanding of community and diversity is enriched through fieldwork, visits and
visitors
Through Equity and Excellence
 by ensuring equal opportunities for all to succeed and achieve their full potential,
removing barriers to access and participation in learning and wider activities and
eliminating variations in outcomes for different groups
Through Extended Services and Engagement
 by providing a means for children and their families to interact with people from
different backgrounds and build positive relationships, including links with different
schools and communities locally, across the country and internationally
 by promoting well-being and contributing towards the outcomes of the Every Child
Matters Agenda
How does the school currently engage with its communities?
The school already engages in many activities to support community cohesion, some of
which are ongoing and others are single events. Listed below are an example of the
activities the school takes part in, but it is by no means an exhaustive list.
The School community
PTFA events
School Performances
Year Group workshops
Induction sessions
Parent evenings
Open days
Liaison books
Home visits
Parent helpers
Liaison with Hyde Park Junior School
Music Zone events
School clubs (French, trapeze, textiles, violin,
Liaison with nurseries
quiet club, music club, ukulele, keyboard,
PSA
gardening
Celebrating all religions (assemblies
SACRE affiliation
and curriculum)
Sweet Peas (EAL Club)
Parent survey
Visitors to school, eg musicians, theatre groups
Website
Newsletters
Parent governors
Engagement with outside agencies, eg
Arts week (visiting artists)
Educational Psychologists, EMAT, BST etc
Book week (visiting Authors)
Science week (visiting speakers)
The community within which the school is located
Museum
Plymouth University (students, expertise)
Marjons
Work with John Kitto Academic
Council eg choir, Mardi Gras, mini
Olympics, MFL, Maths Puzzle days
Visits (eg Pennywell Farm, Buckland
Abbey, Hyde Park Pharmacy)
Central Park Allotment Association
South West in Bloom
Healthy Schools Project
‘Diggin it’ project in Stoke sponsored
by Routeways
Governor’s involvement in other
Plymouth schools
Visiting speakers
PCSOs
School Nurse
Ambulance, Fire Service
Work experience students
Barefoot Arts Festival
Plymouth in Bloom entries
Partnership with Plymouth Music Service
Blooming Marvellous Flower Show (Plymouth C C)
Local shops – supporting school fairs, prospectus
School Choir singing at local venues, eg
‘Celebration of Europe’, St Germans Church etc
The UK Community
Britain in Bloom
Investors in People award
Eco-schools award
Children in Need
RIO / BECTA awards
Active school award
SSAT affiliation
School website
Healthy Schools award
Red Nose Day
Supporting Dartmoor Pony Trust
Arts Mark award
Bristol standards award
The Global Community
Curriculum reflects global issues (eg
stories from other cultures, music
from around the world, studies of
other countries
MFL work
International Schools award (foundation level)
International students
Supporting Tarun (Action Aid)
i-net
How does the school aim to develop community cohesion in the future?
Please see current action plan developed through the School Improvement Plan 2009 –
2010
Community Cohesion Action Plan 2009 - 2010
Teaching, Learning and Curriculum
What
When
Who
After its completion, to develop the use
of the Outdoor Theatre, to strengthen
self expression and interaction.
To further develop the Smile Time
programme to encompass controversial
issues and questions covering the wider
community.
To further develop participation in Arts
Festivals through JKAC and local Arts
groups
To organise regular speakers
representing different faith
To develop lunchtime activities to include
children in the running of activities to
increase advocacy skills
To produce a transition model by the
children for their peers eg a film to help
children to move into new year groups
To create a ‘Buddy Area’ near the
friendship benches
Summer 2010 Art Co-ordinator
onwards
and teaching
staff within
planning
Spring Term
Deputy Head
2010
and PSHE Coordinator
Autumn 2009
onwards
Art Coordinator, Music
Co-ordinator
Autumn 2009 RE Coonwards
ordinator
Summer 2010 MTAs
Autumn 2010
ICT Coordinator
Summer 2010 Community
Cohesion Coordinator
Spring 2010
Literacy Coordinator
Create opportunities for the year 2
children to create learning opportunities
for year 1 or early years children eg
reading partners
CPD. Investigate opportunities for staff
Autumn 2010
to develop their expertise through
working alongside ASTs and advisory
teachers to enhance professional
development
STUDENT VOICE. To investigate the
Autumn 2010
possibility of allocating a link governor for
pupil representatives to report specific
Smile Time issues to.
CPD Coordinaotor
Governors
Community Engagement and extended Services
What
When
Who
To appoint a new curriculum co-ordinator
for EAL
To fulfil the requirements of the QISS
award
To investigate the criteria for the QISS
award
To use the children’s ideas to redesign
the mural on the side of the toilet block
To revamp and relaunch the school
website with parent pages, electronic
newsletters, access to school policies etc
To introduce the use of new style identity
badges for staff and visitors
Through the Central Park Cluster
localities meetings, investigate the
possibility of free play places for free
school meal children and other
disadvantaged groups
Autumn 2009
Headteacher
Spring 2010
onwards
Autumn 2009
Summer 2010 Art Co-ordinator
Autumn 2009
SMT / ICT
Coordinator
Autumn 2009
Headteacher
Autumn /
Spring 2009 10
Headteacher
Equity and Excellence
What
When
Who
To develop the role of the PSA and to
encourage full use of the services she
offers
To encourage minority groups (ethnic,
SEN, EAL, G & T etc) to participate in
extra curricular activities
To record class views on school trips,
special events etc
To implement measures to further
improve punctuality and attendance
To develop a programme with the PSA
for induction of children and parents who
join the school after Early Years
To investigate the twinning of HPIS
with schools from other parts of the UK
Autumn 2009
Headteacher/
SMT
ongoing
All curriculum
co-ordinators
Spring 2010
Teaching staff
Autumn 2009 SMT / whole
onwards
staff
Summer 2010 SMT
Autumn 2009
ongoing
All teaching
staff/ Govs and
and other countries making links with the
curriculum
To ensure written guidance is in place for Autumn 2009
procedures dealing with physical / verbal
abuse against staff
To begin to cross reference incident
Autumn 2009
reporting forms to look for general
patterns of discrimination as well as
patterns linked to individuals
parental
assisstance
Headteacher /
Deputy Head
Headteacher
The Community Cohesion Action Plan will be monitored through the 2009 – 2010 SIP in the
first instance and then subsequently at the annual review of the Community Cohesion
Policy by the Governing Body.
Linked documents
Race Equality Policy
Gender Equality Policy
Inclusion Policy
RE Policy
Equal Opportunities Policy
Guidance on the duty to promote community cohesion (DCSF 2007)