1

Coventry Promoting Community

Cohesion• Broad definition

• Local Authority's leadership role

• The Role of Schools

• What we have done in Coventry.

2

Broad Definition

• We are all part of many communities• Cohesion benefits from seeing many

dimensions to identity & community• We:

– are family members– live in a place– have ethnic identity– have spiritual identity– have sexual identity– have common interests – have many ways to define ourselves

3

Local Authority's Leadership Role

• Local Authority’s lead role to:– shape where we live

– support many communities

– promote positive identities

– welcome new people

– welcome diversity of all kinds

– act positively to promote this pluralist view

– cohesion & diversity make for vibrant places

4

The Role of Schools

• Schools are community institutions• Shape children and young people’s

experiences of each other and of the adult world

• Modelling positive values of cohesion & inclusion

• Helping C & YP join and establish identities• Helping C & YP talk about cohesion and

difference• Help us know how children & YP are doing

5

Schools In Coventry

• Promoting positive relationships between all children and young people

• Tackling bullying of all kinds• Promoting the voice of C & YP – School

Councils, Youth Council, engagement of all kinds

• Valuing diversity of cultures• Engaging in international work e.g. Hiroshima

links, Belgrade links• Being a safe and welcoming place for new

arrivals – children, young people and parents

6

What have we done in Coventry?

• Making new arrivals welcome in our schools and the City

• Knowing who they are and where they are – good data

• Providing language and other support

• Resources allocated to schools

7

What have we done in Coventry?

• Supporting supplementary schools

• Supporting staff through CPD

• Home visits

• Linking with other agencies to provide support

• Friends project

8

Conclusions

• Local authority leadership

• Commitment from CYPSP

• Schools lead their communities but are also part of wider communities

• Broad view of what cohesion means

• A thread through all we do

• Always to be a focus of attention