Raising the attainment of minority ethnic pupils
School and LEA responses © Crown copyright 1999.
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Reference no. HMI 170 Contents
Page
Introduction 5
Main findings 7
Key issues for schools and LEAs 9
The attainment of minority ethnic pupils 10 Bangladeshi pupils 10 Black Caribbean pupils 11 Pakistani pupils 11 Gypsy Traveller pupils 11
School initiatives to raise the attainment of minority ethnic pupils i. School aims and equal opportunities policies 12 ii. The collection and use of attainment data 13 iii. Teaching Teaching strategies 16 Staff responsibilities and use of additional grant 19 Curriculum review 22 iv. Support for pupils Pastoral care 25 Mentoring 27 Promoting high rates of attendance 29 Promoting good standards of behaviour 31 Study support 32 Links with parents 33 Links with the wider community 36 v. Promoting good race relations 37
The response of LEAs i. Role and strategy 45 ii. Implementation of whole-school policies 46 iii. LEA guidance and support to schools 47 iv. Collection and use of data 47 v. Recruitment of staff 49 vi. Curriculum and teaching strategies and the use of INSET 50 vii. Community languages and supplementary schools 51 viii. Strategies to reduce exclusions 51 ix. Guidance on harassment and bullying 52 x. Guidance and support on school attendance 52
Conclusion 54 Raising the attainment of minority ethnic pupils
In general, this report adopts the ethnic categories used in the DfEE’s annual School’s Census (Form 7) which are similar to those in the 1991 National Census. Using geographically based terms (Bangladeshi, Pakistani etc) to describe ethnic group membership for settled British communities is problematic and fails to recognise the diversity within the various groups. Notwithstanding these complexities, in the interest of textual simplicity these terms will be used throughout this report. Similarly, references to, for example, ‘Bangladeshi schools’ should be understood to mean ‘schools selected on account of their Bangladeshi origin pupils’.
4 Traveller) to illustrate how schools nationally Introduction are responding to issues related to the achievement of minority ethnic pupils. For 1 In 1996 OFSTED published a review of each group, 12 schools were selected – six 1 research on the achievement of minority primary and six secondary. In each case the ethnic pupils. As part of its response to the focus group was the main minority ethnic report the DfEE asked OFSTED to follow up group in the school. Discussions were held some of the key issues which the review had with officers in the 25 LEAs in which these highlighted. In particular, OFSTED was schools were located. asked to inspect and report on the
effectiveness of initiatives to raise the 4 In addition, visits were made to a further attainment of minority ethnic pupils, 34 schools which had been identified as especially from Bangladeshi, Black demonstrating elements of good practice in Caribbean, Pakistani and Gypsy Traveller relation to the education of minority ethnic backgrounds. In addition, the Inter- pupils. Evidence from these visits is used 2 Departmental Racial Attacks Group invited throughout the report to illustrate the OFSTED to seek evidence on what can be positive action that some schools have taken done to tackle problems of racial tension and in relation to the first three key issues listed harassment in schools. in paragraph 2.
2 The inspection focused on the following 5 The selected schools with Bangladeshi, questions: Pakistani or Black Caribbean populations
• What evidence do schools have on the were all located in urban areas including relative performance of pupils from metropolitan boroughs and three medium different ethnic groups? sized shire towns. With one exception all the schools served communities which were • What strategies have schools characterised by significant degrees of socio- implemented to raise the attainment economic disadvantage, with high of minority ethnic groups? unemployment, overcrowded housing, environmental deprivation (including • What policies have schools developed limited safe play areas for children), high for tackling stereotyping, ensuring high levels of racial tension and rapidly changing expectations and promoting good race populations. Eligibility for free school meals relations? was nearly always high, usually twice the national average but sometimes much • How do LEAs assist and work in higher. The majority of schools had partnership with schools to achieve significant numbers of pupils learning successful outcomes in these three main English as an additional language. In many areas? of the schools there was significant pupil 3 A sample of 48 schools was selected on mobility, with pupil turnover anything up account of the percentage of pupils from to 30 per cent in one year. Bangladeshi and, each of the four focus groups (Bangladeshi, to a lesser extent, Pakistani children often Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Gypsy had little experience of pre-school provision,
1 D Gillborn and C Gipps, Recent Research on the Achievements of Ethnic Minority Pupils, OFSTED 1996. 2 Taking Steps, The Third Report of the Racial Attacks Group, Home Office 1996.
5 sometimes because of cultural traditions and of the LEAs, pupils of minority ethnic origin sometimes because of restricted nursery and mostly come from economically and socially playgroup opportunities. disadvantaged backgrounds and a large proportion are eligible for free school meals. 6 The schools with Gypsy Traveller populations were mostly located in rural areas and mainly served village communities. A minority were in urban or metropolitan areas. In the rural areas the Gypsy Traveller pupils were likely to be the main (and often only) minority ethnic group in the school. In the urban secondary schools they were one group of several. These schools also experience high pupil mobility and fluctuating numbers due in large part to the migratory patterns of some Gypsy Traveller families. All the schools had within their catchment areas Gypsy Traveller sites which were either council or privately owned. In terms of socio-economic circumstance, the schools varied considerably. In the urban schools the free school meal eligibility was uniformly high (twice the national average) but in the rural areas the range was from 6 to 60 per cent. None of the primary schools had nursery provision and few of the Gypsy Traveller pupils had received any pre-school education.
7 The 25 LEAs in the survey demonstrate a great variety in size and diversity of minority ethnic population. Of these LEAs, five of the six inner London boroughs have the highest proportion of minority ethnic pupils in their schools. In one outer London borough, the largest minority groups are well-established, often second if not third generation Punjabi or Gujarati speakers whose children perform well in terms of attainment. In several LEAs there are also sizeable groups of refugees and asylum seekers. Numbers of pupils of minority ethnic origin are relatively small in the predominantly rural shire counties and in some cases Gypsy Travellers form the most numerous minority group. In the majority
6 procedures for monitoring their Main findings implementation and their impact on practice is limited. The attainment of the minority ethnic groups 11 In the schools which have been most successful in raising the attainment of 8 While the attainment of minority ethnic minority ethnic pupils, senior managers groups as a whole is improving, some make clear that the under-performance groups continue to underachieve: of any group is not acceptable, gather evidence systematically and challenge • The performance of Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils in the early years of individual teachers and departments to schooling remains depressed. Once they spell out what they intend to do to become proficient in English, however, improve the situation. their attainment often matches or even 12 Although schools record the numbers of surpasses that of English first language pupils by ethnic group, the use of ethnic pupils in similar circumstances. monitoring as part of a school’s strategy Nevertheless, their generally lower for raising attainment has barely begun attainment in higher grades at GCSE at primary level; too many schools are remains a concern. content to live with general ‘impressions’
• Black Caribbean pupils make a sound or ‘hunches’ about the performance of start in primary schools but their different groups of pupils and these performance shows a marked decline can serve to reinforce commonly at secondary level. held stereotypes.
• Gypsy Traveller pupils are the group 13 Secondary schools are much more likely most at risk in the education system. to have attainment data analysed by ethnic Although some make a reasonably group but few use this information as a key promising start in the primary school, management tool for raising standards. by the time they reach secondary level 14 Very few schools review their curricular their generally low attainment is a and pastoral strategies to ensure that they matter of serious concern. are sensitive to the ethnic groups in the • In general, girls from minority ethnic student population and the wider groups attain more highly than boys. community. In those instances where schools have done this as a result of concerns about a particular minority ethnic group, positive outcomes School initiatives have resulted. 9 The majority of schools are engaged in 15 a wide variety of initiatives to improve The work of Section 11 and Section 488 provision and raise the attainment of all funded staff is of crucial importance in pupils. However, few schools monitor raising the attainment of minority ethnic these activities systematically and rarely pupils. But the impact of these staff on do they have a specific ethnic focus. policy and provision across schools is variable and to a large extent dependent 10 Although most schools have equal on the degree of commitment to the issues opportunities policies, few have clear by the senior management of the schools.
7 As a result Section 11 staff are not always isolated pupils in schools with few effectively deployed. minority ethnic pupils.
16 Section 11 funding is rarely used to address 22 In many LEAs there is uncertainty which the needs of Black Caribbean pupils. verges on helplessness about what are effective strategies to improve attainment 17 The schools in which minority ethnic for some groups. There is, for instance, a pupils flourish understand the hostility worrying ignorance, generally, about these pupils often face (especially Gypsy how to raise the attainment of Black Travellers). These schools have developed Caribbean boys. successful strategies for countering stereotyping which have not only had a 23 Most authorities are conscious of their tangible impact on the pupils’ confidence responsibility for promoting good race and self-esteem, but have also influenced relations and combating racial harassment. the attitudes of the majority. Most have written policies and some produce further guidance for schools. 18 An important feature of successful race However, few monitor the implementation relations work is a school ethos which is of these policies or the extent of racial open and vigilant, in which pupils can talk harassment. Those that do, and have in about their concerns and share in the addition provided good quality support development of strategies for their and training for teachers and other school resolution. This is true of both primary staff, have had a measurable impact on and secondary age pupils. race relations in the schools involved.
LEA initiatives
19 Fewer than a quarter of the 25 LEAs visited have a clear strategy for raising the attainment of minority ethnic groups.
20 Only a third of the LEAs monitor minority ethnic attainment comprehensively and can therefore target action effectively. These are mostly inner and outer London LEAs, as well as large metropolitan areas. Most shire counties have yet to collect ethnic performance data systematically.
21 Additional support to raise the attainment of minority ethnic pupils relies almost exclusively on the funding provided by external grants such as Section 11 and Section 488. Generally support services are well structured and posts sensibly deployed. Not all children requiring support have access to it, especially
8 25 In addition, LEAs have a duty to ensure Key issues for that: schools and LEAs • Educational Development Plans (EDPs) address the needs of minority ethnic 24 To make sure that equal opportunities pupils; policies take effect, LEAs and schools must: • the role of the school link inspector with respect to equal opportunities is made • monitor pupil achievement and clear; behaviour, including attendance and exclusions, by ethnic group; • training and advice to schools on the use of performance data to raise • use such data to: standards are available; – set targets for raising the attainment and for improving the attendance • the implementation of policies is and behaviour of underachieving monitored; groups; • overall trends and patterns of – manage and deploy grant-aided performance are analysed by ethnicity; support more effectively; • good practice in raising attainment is
• monitor specific initiatives, such as the disseminated. Literacy Strategy, to judge how well they are raising the achievement of all ethnic groups;
• keep curricular and pastoral strategies under review to ensure they benefit all ethnic groups in the pupil population;
• within the curriculum, give a clear priority to ensuring that pupils from all ethnic groups make good progress and achieve high standards of literacy, numeracy and information technology;
• counter harassment and stereotyping by: – stating clearly in policy documents that these are unacceptable attitudes and behaviours that will not be tolerated;
– creating an ethos in which these issues can be discussed openly by the whole school community including pupils and parents;
– giving practical guidance on how to deal with racist behaviour.
9 origin. In some cases this is part of a more The attainment of general anxiety about the underachievement minority ethnic of refugee pupils. pupils Bangladeshi pupils 26 There was considerable variation in the 29 Bangladeshi pupils in the primary schools, form and extent of the data held by the boys and girls, are underachieving as a schools on the attainment of pupils from group. This is more marked at the end of different ethnic groups. Some had no data Key Stage 1 where they are well below available, in others the ethnic categories national averages, than at the end of Key were crude (eg ‘Asian’), while others Stage 2, where they are still below but failed to analyse the performance of boys much closer to national averages. and girls separately. Despite the Typically there is marked improvement in deficiencies in the data, it is possible achievement between the two key stages. to establish some patterns in pupils’ attainment across the different groups. 30 At transfer to secondary school, National These findings are similar to those Curriculum levels remain below national reported by many LEAs and in the averages. Bangladeshi pupils on average OFSTED research review, and confirm the achieve only Level 3 in the core subjects. incidence of widespread underachievement This rises to Level 4 by the end of Key by pupils from some minority Stage 3, with scores in mathematics and ethnic groups. science slightly higher for boys. There is a strong correlation between proficiency in 27 Data from the LEA survey indicates that English and overall attainment. By the although the attainment of minority ethnic time they reach GCSE a greater proportion pupils remains a matter of serious concern, of Bangladeshi pupils have become there are some encouraging signs of proficient in English and in four of the improvement. In most LEAs this reflects schools achieve above the school average. improvements in the attainment of pupils nationally. In all minority ethnic groups, 31 The overall pattern that emerges for girls attain more highly than boys. Not Bangladeshi pupils is of a group making surprisingly, the attainment of bilingual slow but steady progress from Key Stage 1 pupils is measurably improved when they and achieving average points scores at have attained fluency in the English GCSE that compare favourably with those language. It follows that teaching pupils to attained by other pupils in socio- become literate in English should be given economically disadvantaged schools. 3 the highest priority in all schools. Performance, however, remains below national averages and especially in 28 Although not the specific focus of this relation to higher grades at GCSE. inspection exercise, it is clear that some schools and LEAs have concerns about the attainment of other minority ethnic groups such as pupils of Turkish and Somali
3 The Government’s National Literacy Strategy (NLS) has much potential for helping these pupils and early indications of improvement in their progress through the NLS are promising. (The National Literacy Project: An HMI Evaluation, OFSTED, November 1998.)
10 Black Caribbean pupils encouraging than it first seems as five of the six schools had average points scores 32 The data on achievement from the Black that were well below the national average. Caribbean schools were particularly Also, as with Bangladeshi pupils, fragmentary. The primary school data, attainment in terms of higher grades at though limited, indicate Black Caribbean GCSE is a cause for concern. pupils starting out reasonably well and, overall, achieving in line with national averages. This generally positive picture is Gypsy Traveller pupils confirmed by more extensive data from a number of LEAs. Black Caribbean pupils, 36 None of the Gypsy Traveller primary despite notable exceptions, were, however, schools was carrying out systematic generally under-represented in the higher monitoring of attainment by ethnicity. levels at the end of both Key Stage 1 and However, it is clear that Gypsy Traveller Key Stage 2. Overall, Black Caribbean pupils achieve less well on average than girls are achieving higher standards than other pupils in these schools. In two boys, but in some schools boys do better schools there was evidence of serious in mathematics and science. underachievement. In one of these, Gypsy Traveller children formed 18 per cent of 33 At secondary level, the data indicate that the school roll but represented 50 per cent Black Caribbean pupils underachieve. In of the statemented pupils in the school – some cases they are the lowest performing over half of the Gypsy Traveller pupils group at GCSE level. It is therefore urgent were on the SEN register. In the second that secondary schools establish what is school, 74 per cent of the Gypsy Traveller happening to Black Caribbean pupils to pupils were on the SEN register. cause a good start in primary schools to turn into such a marked decline and take 37 At the point of transfer to secondary action to reverse it. schools, Gypsy Traveller attainment is well below school and national averages. This results in the majority being placed Pakistani pupils on school SEN registers. In all the schools where the information was available, over 34 Pakistani pupils are the group for whom it 50 per cent of the Gypsy Traveller was hardest to establish a clear pattern of population were on the SEN register, and achievement. As with the Bangladeshi in one school it was 80 per cent. In half the group, attainment appears depressed at schools no Gypsy Traveller child has yet primary level and well below national sat for GCSE. averages. Only one secondary school had 38 attainment data at transfer for Pakistani Of the four focus groups in this survey, pupils and here they were the lowest Gypsy Traveller children are the most at performing group in the school. risk in the education system. Although some make a reasonably promising start 35 At GCSE level the picture is rather more in primary school, by the time they reach positive, with Pakistani pupils having secondary school their levels of generally caught up or even overtaken attainment are almost always a matter for other major ethnic groups in these schools concern. Many, especially boys, opt out of (White UK, Bangladeshi and Black education by Year 9 and very few go on to Caribbean). This result, however, is less achieve success at GCSE or beyond.
11 being far more explicit about the issues than School initiatives to others. This is particularly the case in the Pakistani and Gypsy Traveller schools raise the attainment which, despite equal opportunities policies and a generally caring ethos, have no of minority ethnic systems to underpin these aims. In one such school, for example, the book stock contains pupils much stereotypical and inappropriate material. Although many of the schools i. School aims and equal opportunities recognise and celebrate ethnic diversity, policies there is considerable hesitancy with regard 39 Most of the schools have policies to to Gypsy Traveller backgrounds. promote high achievement for all pupils, including broad equal opportunities or 42 In the best practice, equal opportunities anti-racist policies and more specific and behaviour policy documents set down policies directed at identified aspects of a clear code of practice for all staff, pupils school performance. Policy making is not, and parents. Indeed in such schools all of itself, a panacea but where staff are documents refer appropriately to the seriously involved in the development importance of equal opportunities. and implementation of policies they In one school with rapidly improving clearly benefit from the process, for standards, documentation on a wide range example, their own awareness of racial of issues is of a very high standard issues is often raised along with (prospectus, school development plan, action commitment to dealing with them. planning, equal opportunities, bullying, 40 A majority of the primary schools have behaviour, Section 11 work, literacy). All policies on equal opportunities and, documents make the school’s stand on equal especially the inner city schools, on opportunities very clear. It figures education for diversity. There is too much prominently in the ‘School Aims’ and in its variation, however, in the way they are ‘Values Statement’. The school also implemented and influence the life and recognises that racism and sexism exist and work of the school. All too often sound that it has an important role in combating intentions are not translated into effective them. The importance of staff having high day-to-day practice. So, for example, a expectations of all pupils is spelt out. school may state that prejudice and “Children’s abilities must not be discrimination are unacceptable in the life underestimated because they may not speak and work of the school but have no clearly English fluently or clearly, because they agreed procedures for dealing with the belong to a particular gender group...” The racist behaviour suffered routinely by senior management team lead strongly on some of its pupils in and out of school. these issues and will challenge stereotypical remarks, by asking, for example, “Did you 41 Most of the primary schools, particularly really mean what you just said?” A racist those with Bangladeshi and Black incidents book is kept. Caribbean pupils, have recognised the importance of countering racial and 43 Nearly all of the secondary schools have gender stereotyping, although the level of equal opportunities policies or mission conscious action varies, with some schools statements that refer to equalities issues,
12 and several have separate policies for One headteacher commented: “Our main multicultural education, anti-racism, anti- effort in this area has been in providing sexism etc. In a few schools the policies opportunities for all pupils to achieve as make clear that expectations are directed highly as possible and on developing a at both staff and pupils, but it is rare to culture which values everybody.” This find clear procedures for monitoring their school monitors the progress of all pupils implementation. In the school which has carefully – both individually and also by been most effective in bringing about gender and ethnicity. If the stereotype of greater equality for all its students, the Bangladeshis is that they underachieve, this senior management team have is certainly not the case here. Indeed, in this concentrated on developing an ethos school currently the major concern is for which values learning and all pupils white UK girls who are underachieving equally. This has been achieved by a relative to their attainment at entry. In tightly focused system of monitoring to brief, stereotyping is countered largely raise attendance and achievement levels, through the drive to raise achievement giving additional support where needed across the board – whilst being aware of any and the careful preparation of pupils for groups which consistently perform below examinations. In short, a raft of school averages. interlocking initiatives which addresses 46 Thus in the most successful schools, the all aspects of school life. senior management team make clear that 44 Some secondary schools have involved the underperformance of any group is not pupils in the implementation of anti- acceptable, gather evidence systematically, bullying and equal opportunities policies. and challenge individuals and For example, in one school where racism departments to spell out what they intend occurred a student anti-racist group was to do to improve the situation. set up which promoted several initiatives including a ‘thought for the week’ and a ‘problem box’ where students could post ii. The collection and use of attainment issues for debate and resolution. data Additionally, progress was made because 47 In order to identify underachievement, pupils overcame their reluctance to report diagnose need and take action, schools incidents of racism to staff. need accurate information about aspects 45 Two of the more successful schools felt of pupil performance. Very few primary that, although essential, equal schools, however, currently make effective opportunities policies rarely address the use of the increasing amounts of data ‘nitty gritty of school improvement and available to raise the attainment of effectiveness’. Rather the best way of minority ethnic pupils. A school serving tackling stereotyping is through tight one of the most disadvantaged wards in monitoring systems which in addition to the country illustrates what can be looking at attainment and progress include achieved with careful monitoring: reviewing the impact of policies such as Because the school places equal mixed ethnic and gender working and opportunities at the heart of its vision for ability setting. the school community, it believes that monitoring by ethnicity and gender is
13 essential for assuring whether its objectives moving forward on this was often related are being met. Very careful analyses are to difficulties in establishing appropriate made of National Curriculum assessments, ethnic group categories and often for fear with a commentary written by the of reducing the expectations held by headteacher. Recommendations for future teachers of particular ethnic groups. action are given and then built into school development planning along with specified 49 While most LEAs provide their primary targets. For example, the particular needs schools with an analysis of their National of Black African (refugee) boys who had Curriculum assessment results, the nature suffered considerable trauma, resulting of the analysis varies considerably, with in violent playground behaviour and low only a minority (mostly in urban and achievement, were met through changed metropolitan areas) including ethnic data. pastoral practices and the introduction of Even where schools do receive good a new humanities curriculum unit. The quality data analysed by ethnicity, few behaviour and attainment of this group of make constructive use of it. In some pupils have improved significantly. Given schools the data are studied by that 89 per cent of pupils in this school have headteachers and, more rarely, by core English as an additional language, a subject co-ordinators, but in most cases, significant number are refugees, there is the information remains unused. There considerable pupil transience, and over is a need for further training and guidance 60 per cent of pupils are entitled to free on how to analyse and respond to such school meals, levels of attainment are very information. One school was an exception creditable. The 1997 Key Stage 1 reading to this generally negative picture. results were above (mathematics results well Following the analysis of its own National above) LEA and national averages. At Key Curriculum assessment results, the school Stage 2 English results were just below took action on three fronts: a whole-school LEA and national averages but mathematics focus on bilingual support; a review of and science results were above. The careful the curriculum to ensure that it was monitoring this school carries out enables sensitive to the school’s multicultural it to identify problems and focus support population; and the development of appropriately. anti-racist strategies.
48 In general, however, the use of assessment 50 All the Gypsy Traveller primary schools data is too limited. Most of the primary supplied their LEA with National schools are in the process of adopting Curriculum attainment information some form of baseline assessment on for Gypsy Traveller children, this being entry, although some are at a very early required as a condition of Section 488 stage of development, and have given funding by the DfEE. However, there is little thought to its analytical potential. For no overall systematic procedure for the most schools, these assessments serve collection of these data or for the use of mainly to monitor individual pupils’ them at LEA level other than to secure progress, to target support for pupils with additional government funding. SEN and to measure ‘value added’. Plans to use baseline assessment data to monitor 51 A variety of other standardised tests is the attainment and progress of minority used by more than half of the primary ethnic groups have yet to be developed schools. Most relate to reading and other in the majority of the schools. Caution in language skills. In a few cases schools
14 receive detailed returns from LEAs which likely than schools with lower proportions include an analysis of results by ethnic to monitor by ethnicity. The following group (for example London Reading Test example is fairly typical of the minority scores). Despite this, none of the schools that make effective use of such data: routinely considers the ethnically analysed The school analyses GCSE results by data or uses them to plan future ethnicity and gender and produces subject development work. A majority of the results for each ethnic group. Departmental schools seem happy to live with ‘general heads are asked to compare results with impressions’ or ‘hunches’ about the previous years, overall performance, attainment of different groups of pupils. national averages and estimated grades When tested, however, such assumptions and to identify significant differences in were sometimes proved wrong and could performance by ability, gender, teaching lead to the establishment of unhelpful groups and ethnic groups. Departments are stereotypes. For example, the discovery asked to identify factors contributing to in one school that teacher assessments for these outcomes and to suggest both one group of pupils (in this case Pakistani department and whole school strategies origin) were consistently below national which might further raise achievement. test results, raised questions about teacher expectations. 53 Where schools analyse data by ethnicity, it is often a fairly recent development. There 52 In contrast to the primary schools, just seems to be a direct link between LEAs over half of the secondary schools have which provide schools with good quality some attainment data analysed by ethnic data and the willingness of the ethnicity (and in some cases gender as school to undertake further and more well). Schools vary considerably, however, sophisticated analysis of the information. in the range of information collected and However, in one LEA a specific focus on the way it is analysed. At best, the the underachievement of Bangladeshi information is used to underpin a drive to pupils (the largest minority ethnic group raise standards. The most effective practice in the LEA) had successfully galvanised was found in the Bangladeshi schools, schools into action with respect to this with the Black Caribbean and Gypsy group but not with respect to Black Traveller schools generally at the other Caribbean pupils who were end of the spectrum. Some schools analyse underachieving even more significantly. all attainment data such as National Curriculum assessments, GCSE results 54 Most secondary schools spend a and standardised tests (reading and considerable amount of time analysing cognitive abilities) by ethnicity, as well and assessing the attainment of pupils at as other data such as attendance and transfer. Many have rich databases, but exclusions. Others monitor only GCSE few use them to gain a coherent picture results in this way. Almost half the of the relative attainments by ethnicity schools, however, have no ethnic data. of pupils entering their schools in Year 7. Also, where the senior management team Several are in the process of collecting and of the school have not been involved in analysing such information but are often collating and interpreting the data, they hampered by logistical problems such as are rarely used as a tool for raising the late or non-transfer of National attainment. Schools with higher proportions Curriculum assessment records as well of minority ethnic pupils are no more as late admissions.
15 55 Although many of the schools have establishment of a programme for close undertaken (or received from their LEA) monitoring of pupils as they started their some monitoring of GCSE results, there is GCSE courses to ensure that progress considerable variation in the quality of the was maintained. information, in the approach and 58 With regard to the survey schools overall, measures used and in the use of the the evidence suggests that it is in those information in the school. One school, schools with the best ethnic data that the for example, with a high proportion of performance of the minority ethnic pupils Pakistani pupils had a print-off of has improved most strongly. Although the individual GCSE performances and a collection and analysis of data are column to identify pupils by ethnicity, but becoming recognised as key management this information had not been aggregated. tools by an increasing number of schools, Others had aggregated the data but not unless the performance of different ethnic explored their implications. Analysis of groups in a wide range of school provision GNVQ and GCE A level results by is monitored, it is impossible to be sure ethnicity was rare. that appropriate and often scarce resources 56 In the best practice the information is used are being used to maximum effect. to track the progress of both individuals and groups at whole school and departmental level. For example, one of iii. Teaching the Black Caribbean schools has analysed Teaching strategies its GCSE results over a number of years by ethnicity and gender in terms of five plus 59 Not surprisingly at a time of considerable A*–C, five plus A*– G, one plus A*– G and educational change, and especially the no passes. The school has also analysed introduction of the National Literacy and individual subject results in relation to Numeracy Strategies, many of the primary ethnicity. As a result, this school has a good schools are reviewing or changing their overview of the attainment of its cohort teaching strategies with the aim of raising and of the initiatives needed to improve standards for all pupils irrespective of outcomes, for example, the identification their ethnicity. They include shared and early in Key Stage 4 of those pupils who guided reading, more whole class need additional support and guidance. teaching, strategies to improve boys’ motivation, the increased use of 57 In general, the schools are only just attainment grouping at Key Stage 1 and beginning to analyse National Curriculum setting at Key Stage 2, intensive remedial Key Stage 3 results by ethnicity. One Black work with individuals or small groups, a Caribbean school that had asked the LEA review of SEN teaching, the headteacher to carry out an ethnic analysis of its Key monitoring work from the different Stage 3 results noted significant classes, more rigorous planning and discrepancies in teacher assessments and setting of learning objectives. Most of the test scores. This led the school to review schools are not systematically evaluating its expectations of different ethnic groups. these initiatives to ensure that all ethnic Another school had noted improvement of groups benefit equally. Black Caribbean pupils’ higher level scores in science which led to an evaluation of 60 Many of the secondary schools are also results across other core subjects and the reviewing their teaching strategies. Here
16 too, much of the work is aimed at all of indicated, but some independence about how the pupils, though in several of the schools the task might be completed was allowed. there are specific aspects which focus on Unstructured discussion, however lively equal opportunities issues or minority and engaging for pupils proficient in ethnic pupils in particular. Whole school English, can be very difficult for EAL approaches include a focus on classroom learners to follow without support. organisation and teaching styles and the implementation of school and 62 The importance of teacher expectation departmental policies. This is frequently for raising levels of attainment is accompanied by senior management team acknowledged explicitly in some of the monitoring of class teaching, sometimes primary schools. However, policies and with a specific focus on aspects such as strategies specifically targeted at raising ethos, engagement, lesson objectives, teacher expectation of minority ethnic rewards, use of student planners and pupils are rarely in evidence in the schools marking. In other schools, especially those with high numbers of Pakistani and with Black Caribbean and Gypsy Traveller Gypsy Traveller pupils. This is the case populations, the initiatives include a even where underexpectation is higher profile for literacy support recognised as an issue. accompanied by an analysis of the relative 63 Teacher expectations of Gypsy Traveller strengths and weaknesses of in-class or pupils are generally unreasonably low. withdrawal approaches. This is true even where policies in some 61 In one school, a focus on the performance schools to raise expectations and of bilingual pupils at GCSE has led to a attainment for all children are generally review of teaching styles which involved effective. High achieving Gypsy Traveller the pupils. pupils help to raise teachers’ expectations of pupil potential, although the clear A small sample of bilingual pupils, all recognition of these individual pupils’ of Pakistani origin, and a control group achievements does not always go hand completed a questionnaire on their preferred in hand with raised expectations for the subjects and the reasons why they found group as a whole. some lessons more enjoyable and easier to follow. A key issue that emerged was that 64 In some of the primary schools there is an all pupils, but especially those for whom awareness that socio-economic deprivation English is an additional language, need to and minority ethnic status are strongly have a clear idea of the subject matter they associated with teacher underexpectation. were about to study and the teacher’s One headteacher, for example, expressed expectations and intentions for the lesson. concern about the consistent differential Observations of lessons were then undertaken between low teacher expectation of in two subjects which were generally Pakistani pupils (as expressed through perceived to be well taught. Where the Key Stage 2 teacher assessment scores) following features were present, bilingual and their National Curriculum test results pupils performed better: the structure and (which were noticeably higher). The same objectives of the lesson were made clear at dangers exist for pupils learning English the outset; attention was given to the main as an additional language. In a few schools vocabulary and language structures needed concerns about teacher underexpectation for the task or assignment; deadlines were are focused on white pupils from poor
17 home circumstances. Where schools have to leave ‘no escape for any weak links’ in high expectations of all pupils and the staff. A system of professional review classwork is well matched to the different accompanied by in-service training levels of attainment, good progress can be supports these approaches. made regardless of the school’s intake, as the following example shows. 66 A significant number of the secondary schools talked of the importance of In one primary school with many creating a ‘learning community’ – one Bangladeshi pupils, the headteacher had school had set up a ‘culture of learning’ been shocked when first taking up her working party. One of the by-products appointment by the endemic of this was the monitoring of movement underexpectation of a relatively long- between ability sets of the Asian students established staff. She set in train a range of (the school was aware of the over- policy initiatives including the introduction representation of Bangladeshis in bottom of a structured reading scheme, in-service sets). Changing ‘anti-boffin’ attitudes in training on assessment, recording and another of the Bangladeshi schools was reporting and a programme of staff meetings greatly assisted by the desire of the to agree a set of appropriate expectations in Bangladeshi pupils themselves to widen terms of targets for each year group. The their career options beyond the restaurant dysfunction of Section 11 staff being seen trade. As the image of the school changed as second-class citizens to class teachers was and standards rose it became much more tackled by insisting that there would be true popular, indeed oversubscribed. Many of partnership teaching in every class. the new pupils joining the school were Standards of attainment in the school have much less hostile to education. This made risen steadily following these initiatives. a big difference to the staff who now found a climate that was receptive. A Another headteacher, informed by her rapid rise in standards followed. own experience of educational underexpectation as a member of a 67 Strategies for raising expectations are for minority ethnic community, saw it as her the most part aimed at all pupils with little duty to challenge all staff who expected consideration of an ethnic dimension. too little of their pupils. Although the potential for exploring 65 All the secondary schools profess to being teacher expectations in relation to specific committed to “raising achievement groups of pupils clearly exists (for example through high expectations” (the title of through comparisons of predicted and one school development plan). It is clear actual GCSE grades), this is rarely done. that many senior management teams are concerned to raise the aspirations not only One school which has for some time of the pupils but the teachers as well. monitored a range of outcomes by gender Approaches to this in the most successful has also started to monitor by ethnicity. schools are two-pronged. Changing the This has resulted in a much greater anti-education ethos of many of the pupils awareness of how a variety of school is usually seen as the starting point. procedures can, unwittingly, reinforce Constructing monitoring and stereotypes – for example, the annual award accountability systems through the of prizes to pupils who have shown effort collection and analysis of data and the and commitment and made good progress. setting of clear targets is the structure used Subject teachers are asked to put forward 18 names for inclusion and if a pupil receives language, with a small number of three separate nominations he/she will achievement projects highlighting, for receive a prize. The deputy headteacher example, the needs of Black Caribbean noted that not one Black Caribbean boy in pupils. Section 488 funding supports work the whole school featured on the list. He with Gypsy Traveller and refugee pupils. therefore sent the list out to year heads 71 primary asking if there were any other names they The work of most Section 11 staff wished to add. This time among the in the schools is effective. These teachers additional names put forward quite a few and classroom assistants assess the learning Black Caribbean boys were suggested as needs of the bilingual pupils leading, in having met the criteria of hard work and general, to an appropriate deployment of improvement. This has helped to provide individual or small group support. Most positive role models for the Black Caribbean support is offered within the mainstream boys in the school – a group that had been class, and usually entails good joint identified as underachieving. planning with class teachers. In a growing number of schools, there is evidence of a 68 Raising the expectations of Gypsy strong partnership approach to teaching. Traveller pupils among secondary teachers In a Year 1 reading lesson pupils worked is probably the most urgent priority. Many in four groups on tasks related to the story arrive at secondary school with depressed ‘Rosie’s Walk’. A Section 11 teacher, who reading scores and the fact that such a had planned the lesson with the class high proportion feature on SEN Registers teacher, supported a group, which included tends to reinforce the view of them as low pupils new to English, in the retelling of the achievers. Although several headteachers story using cut-outs. She focused their were quite explicit about their general attention on prepositions, demonstrating concern to raise teacher expectations, and ‘on’, ‘under’, ‘round’ as appropriate. whole-school and departmental target Another group read the story with the class setting were important aspects of this, teacher looking carefully at punctuation in only one school had specific targets for the text. The two other groups were engaged the achievement of Gypsy Traveller pupils. in word lotto and picture/word matching 69 None of the schools routinely monitors its activities. The groups were subsequently SEN register to check whether any ethnic brought together for an intensive session of group occurs disproportionately on it. phonic work. The good partnership work in this school contributes much to the rapid progress in English made by the EAL pupils. Staff responsibilities and use of 72 additional grant Section 11 support staff frequently provide other teachers with sound advice and help 70 The majority of schools see central with teaching materials. They also make government additional grant funding as valuable contributions to forging links the major source for initiatives related to with parents, particularly when raising the attainment of minority ethnic community languages are part of their pupils. In the case of Section 11 funding,4 language skills. The uncertainties the focus of much of the work is on pupils surrounding Section 11 funding have had who are learning English as an additional a negative impact on the recruitment and
4 In April 1999 a new Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) administered by the DfEE will replace Section 11 funding.
19 retention of good quality staff, and schools way which leads to very effective and well where posts have been cut or remained co-ordinated provision. In contrast, where unfilled report a decline in attainment of the children are viewed negatively, there is their EAL pupils. Section 11 support a hesitancy on the part of the school to assistants and bilingual instructors fully utilise the support on offer and this who speak community languages are obviously reduces its effectiveness. generally deployed effectively. They are 76 In some primary schools there is a lack of particularly effective in supporting pupils’ clarity with regard to the understanding of learning in the early stages of English the role and function of the Traveller language acquisition. Education Service. This has led to tensions 73 On occasion, Section 11 staff are not which are counter-productive in terms of deployed effectively. Inadequate joint clear staff responsibilities and co-operative planning and agreement about shared and effective practice. There is a tendency roles can result in support staff being in some schools to see the Traveller underused and spending far too much Education Service as responsible for the time passively watching the class teacher Gypsy Traveller pupils and as the go- perform. This is a serious waste of an between with the parents, rather than the expensive resource in some schools. school itself. The reluctance to accept full responsibility for the children militates 74 In the primary schools in this survey, the against the development of co-ordinated work of Section 11 staff takes little direct action to improve attendance and raise account of the needs of Black Caribbean levels of attainment. pupils, even where this is part of their job description. Black Caribbean children 77 The work of the Language Support and tend only to benefit indirectly from Traveller Education Service personnel also additional funding. constitute a major part of the secondary schools’ response to the needs of minority 75 All of the Gypsy Traveller primary schools ethnic pupils. However, as in the primary benefit from additional teaching and schools, only rarely are Black Caribbean ancillary support provided by Traveller pupils a focus for Section 11 staff even Education Services. In some of these where the project might refer to the needs schools the support is excellent. It is of such pupils. structured and used effectively, for example, to raise attendance and levels of 78 The major component of Section 11 work attainment. In one school the additional for Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils is teaching support is used to reduce class language support for those learning size with only indirect benefit for the English as an additional language. The Gypsy Traveller pupils. The attitude of the focus of much of this work is on pupils school staff towards the Gypsy Traveller whose English is still at an early stage of pupils has a direct influence on the development, recent arrivals or returnees relationship with the Traveller Education from extended periods abroad. Work with Service and the effectiveness of its work. more advanced learners, though needed, is Where the Gypsy Traveller pupils are often curtailed due to limitations in the valued in the same way as other pupils, level of staffing. Staff spend most of their the support of the Traveller Education time in teaching support (in or outside the Service is welcomed and embraced in a classroom) but other duties are the
20 collection of assessment data, the collation 80 In other cases, however, language support of information about the languages spoken teaching is of poor quality. A range of and proficiency in English (and sometimes factors influence the effectiveness of the mainstream performance data as well), work of Section 11 staff: the attitude of the curriculum development in partnership headteacher and other senior staff; the with other teachers or whole departments, procedures for monitoring and influencing and home school liaison. the quality of Section 11 teaching; the interest of heads of department in the 79 The most effective Section 11 work is language development needs of bilingual curriculum-focused and is based on a pupils; the quality of the teachers involved strong partnership between the EAL (Section 11 and mainstream); and class teachers and mainstream teachers. Where teachers’ willingness to work the EAL teacher has the experience, collaboratively with support teachers training and confidence to work in their classrooms. in an advisory role, outcomes are often impressive. 81 What seems clear is that the reduction of Section 11 grant has weakened schools’ The work of the Section 11 team (seven full- capacity to provide the amount and time equivalent staff) is very effective in this quality of support needed. The short-term school and the team is strongly led. The nature of the funding and the resultant focus of the work is curriculum lack of a career structure has exacerbated development. Support is focused in the the difficulty of recruiting and retaining core subjects of English, mathematics and well-qualified teachers. In general, the science together with other language-rich quality of Section 11 teaching is too subjects such as humanities and RE. variable, the extent to which Section 11 Departments have to bid in for support support impacts on the whole school making clear their commitment to the work is generally limited, the commitment of and the nature of development required. The mainstream teachers to these issues maths department, for example, has noted is inconsistent and the amount of that EAL pupils find the language of specialist training for this work investigative writing difficult, so the has all but evaporated. Section 11 team and maths department have written a new scheme together. The head of 82 By contrast, the home/school liaison EAL believes that in general most subject aspect of Section 11 work is, almost teachers need more training for working without exception, considered of great with developing bilingual pupils – although value by schools, especially where most do not recognise this. She comments undertaken by someone with knowledge “an interested head of department is the key of or, even better, from the community. for productive development”. 83 All the Gypsy Traveller secondary schools In another school, clear benefits followed receive some additional funding to help from work undertaken by the head of EAL support the needs of their Gypsy Traveller on oracy, raising the awareness of all pupils. At most this amounts to two days’ teachers of the importance of creating the part-time work by a teacher from the local right conditions for planned talk as a Traveller Education Service, shared access learning tool. to a Home School Liaison Officer or Education Welfare Officer and in some
21 cases a few Learning Support Assistant For example: hours. The quality of the work of many Fully differentiated curriculum including: Traveller support teachers in the schools is good; many are known and trusted by the • Written work: local Traveller communities. However, – cloze with key words provided; their contribution to the school’s overall – sentence beginnings (endings provided); provision is often limited by the relatively – paired work. short amount of time spent in the school. Unless the school as a whole addresses the • Display of important key words. needs of Gypsy Traveller pupils, the work of such teachers remains marginalised. • Allowed to work with a more able pupil.
84 The job description of Traveller Education • To have opportunities to dictate work, thus Service support teachers is often very giving a context to display creativity and broad, encompassing: partnership content beyond a limited written and teaching with mainstream staff or support spelling vocabulary. for individual pupils or groups; record This brief IEP gave clear and practical keeping (assessment results, attendance advice about how to support Katie’s work rates); general advice to pupils, staff or in the classroom. The quality of support governors; close liaison with parents and work seen across the schools was not, home school liaison officers. Often they however, always this effective. are based within the SEN department with the SENCO having special responsibility for Traveller children. This can be very Curriculum review effective but runs the risk of stereotyping all Travellers as low attainers. 86 There is a hesitancy in many of the primary schools to select areas of work 85 In the best practice Traveller support from the Programmes of Study which teachers work closely with form, subject reflect the pupils’ cultural backgrounds – and SEN teachers, especially in the for example, music, famous artists, famous construction of individual education plans people in history. Indeed, half the primary (IEPs). Detailed knowledge of the children’s schools take the view that responding in home circumstances is sometimes this way to the ethnic and cultural sensitively used to help track progress: diversity of their pupil populations is “Katie’s attendance in Year 10 was a cause unhelpful and patronising to the groups for congratulations in itself as none of her concerned. Yet National Curriculum family have been through secondary Programmes of Study in several subject education beyond Year 10.” Clear long-term areas require such a response and a few objectives were set such as continued schools have seized these opportunities attendance at school through to the end of to good effect. Year 11, to be entered for some GCSE 87 Nevertheless few of the primary schools subjects, to improve Reading Age and have monitored their curriculum from the Spelling Age by six months, to complete a standpoint of raising the levels of Record of Achievement. Recommendations attainment of minority ethnic pupils. for provision across the curriculum were This is a common weakness that calls for spelt out for the subject teachers. urgent attention. However, many of the
22 Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean primary 89 Similarly in another primary school schools attempt to foster self-respect subject matter, for example, in history and among their minority ethnic pupils by science, acknowledged the contribution of using appropriate subject content to black people. Where previously a promote an understanding of cultural, significant number of Black Caribbean religious and linguistic diversity. children had been underachieving, Linguistic diversity, for example, is learning, for example, about black regularly celebrated with stories told scientists such as Lewis Latimer and in more than one language in class and Garett Morgan as part of work on the assembly, and dual language books are National Curriculum topic on ‘Electricity’ available for pupils and parents to share. had helped them engage with the work as never before. Recent National Curriculum 88 In one of the Black Caribbean schools the assessment results show no significant curriculum was enriched by a focus on differences between the various ethnic Black History which coincided with a groups in this school and two-thirds of the biennial book week. Black African and Black Caribbean pupils in Year 6 achieved Caribbean poets and story tellers were Level 5 in science. The headteacher invited to work with the pupils. The commented that where previously the response of pupils and their parents was majority of the black parents were very positive. When parents’ cultures are disenchanted with education through recognised by the school, their interest and their own negative experiences and involvement in the curriculum often had little contact with the school, they increase dramatically. Most curriculum were now actively involved in their policies in these schools advocate an children’s learning. intercultural approach. In a curriculum policy on humanities, for example, staff 90 While many of the secondary schools have are encouraged to “look at Black peoples’ policy statements about the need for the history through positive images and curriculum to be sensitive to the ethnic powerful figures rather than as victims”. groups in the pupil population, only one of the schools (selected for its Gypsy Following an analysis by ethnicity of Traveller population) systematically audits National Curriculum results in one primary its curriculum offering from this school, concern about black underachievement perspective, although some individual and low self-esteem led to a focus on the departments have done so. The head of culture of Black African pupils, even though English in one school, for example, had they were few in number in this carefully selected the literature to be predominantly British Asian school. African studied so that the issue of racial influenced art and craft work was developed stereotyping was addressed. Personal and as part of a curriculum initiative in history Social Education (PSE) programmes often where Benin was chosen as a unit of study. include units on stereotyping and racism Work of outstanding quality, supported by and assemblies celebrating, for example, stimulating and carefully chosen artefacts, Eid or the Chinese New Year can be a was much in evidence in the school. The helpful dimension of a school’s overall response of all the pupils was enthusiastic. response to the needs of pupils in an The progress and behaviour of the black ethnically diverse society. However, on pupils have improved. their own, they are not a sufficient response and ignore the contribution
23 that curriculum development can make to Some schools have provided additional raising attainment and ensuring that the language support and altered their teaching cultural experiences of all pupils are and learning styles to take account of this recognised and respected within the (for example, by increasing the amount of mainstream curriculum. oral work in class and introducing collaborative activities that require pupils 91 Those schools which have significant to work more actively with texts). With numbers of bilingual pupils have often respect to subjects such as art, drama and introduced community languages. Half PE, more information to parents about the Pakistani and nearly all the course demands and sensitivity to cultural Bangladeshi schools offer either Urdu or differences have enabled pupils to pursue Bengali, some in both key stages, others subjects they are keen to take (for example, only at Key Stage 4. Where numbers are PE at GCSE level for one Bangladeshi girl low this is an expensive option to who was a talented basketball player). maintain and constantly under threat. In one school a Bangladeshi science teacher 93 It is not unusual for schools to have some offers Bengali voluntarily in twilight form of extra English option (called, for sessions. Generally take-up and outcomes example, in one school ‘English and for community languages are good even Communication’) for bilingual pupils where substantial numbers of pupils start who need extra language support. Several as late as Year 10 with limited literacy schools make sure that if bilingual pupils skills in the language. Several schools are unlikely to gain a graded result in report more able pupils studying GCSE English, they are able to take a more community languages outside school so basic literacy test so that they at least leave that they can take an additional GCSE. with some language qualification. Many schools are debating whether to 94 One school has benefited from a Section 11 start teaching these languages in Key project which funded mainstream staff Stage 3 and the implications of not doing secondments and helped them undertake so for choice of languages in Key Stage 4. action research on particular aspects of the 92 Only two of the schools systematically curriculum. This resulted in a detailed monitor option choices by ethnic group at consideration of where bilingual pupils Key Stage 4. While certain subjects in these were either underachieving or doing schools appear particularly attractive to extremely well. The observations staff some ethnic groups, for example textiles undertook of Pakistani pupils in for Bangladeshi girls and food for ‘other classrooms showed that most difficulties Asian’ groups, of more concern are the arose with everyday language particularly very low numbers of Bangladeshi pupils if it was idiomatic. This led to a language opting for history, art or drama. None of policy that emphasised some key the Asian girls opts for PE. Option choices strategies in supporting bilingual pupils. for the other ethnic groups in the schools There is a common assumption that are more evenly scattered. In other schools bilingual pupils need particular support where a similar pattern of choices has been with specialist subject vocabulary. The noted, various initiatives have brought research, however, showed that staff take about change. For example, the language of great care when introducing specialist history is often found difficult by pupils still vocabulary because it is of crucial mastering English as an additional language. importance for their subject and for
24 all pupils. It was the ‘bits between’ that If you would like to meet me or some other caused the trouble for EAL learners Travellers, please come and visit us at especially when the language used was (name) School. informal. Such language is unlikely to be Yours sincerely experienced and used routinely by Mary speakers of languages other than English who do not mix freely with native In this school pupils are proud to identify speakers of English outside school. themselves as Travellers.
95 One Gypsy Traveller school reviewed all 96 In another school, although there had been departmental schemes of work and found no curriculum review, a specially a wide range of responses across the organised ‘craft week’ for Year 8 pupils curriculum. For example, the ‘forgotten constituted curricular enhancement which Holocaust’ with reference to Gypsy had a very positive effect on the Gypsy Travellers is discussed in history and RE, Traveller pupils. Adults from the local the art department uses examples of community were invited into the school. Travellers’ homes when doing work on Traveller parents showed the pupils how living spaces, work in English allows to make bender tents (semi-circular frame Travellers to talk and write about their tents), how to cook various Traveller own experiences and respond to criticism, recipes and how the ornate artwork on as in the following example: caravans is created. The parents were initially very anxious about coming into Dear Miranda the school, fearing a hostile reception. In I read your school magazine and found your the event, the sessions went well and staff poem about Gypsies. None of what you have commented on how proud children had written is true. I know this because I am a been to see their parents talking Traveller (Gypsies prefer to be called confidently to the other pupils and what Travellers). a “boost it had been for their ego”. Photographs of the work were First of all some Gypsies might have black subsequently made into a display panel hair but some might have blond, brown or for the school’s entrance hall. any other colour hair. You talk about rotten teeth; I go to the dentist every six months and Travellers’ teeth are good. Some older people might have bad teeth, but so might some iv. Support for pupils non-Travellers. Pastoral care You describe Gypsies as they would have lived hundreds of years ago; I do not walk 97 Strong pastoral care systems are sensitive among the daisies any more than you do! to the changing needs of individuals and
I was insulted at your suggestion that of groups, including ethnic groups. Such Gypsies do not wash. I have a bath every systems are especially vigilant and day and the hygiene rules of Gypsies are responsive to pupils made vulnerable, much stricter than non-Gypsy rules. emotionally and physically, for example, by taunting and racial abuse. Effective Your whole poem is not true, it is a pastoral care is also characterised by the stereotype of a Gypsy. reinforcement of positive behaviour and the highlighting of respect for others. In
25 these circumstances minority ethnic pupils pupils enter them. It hardly needs to be said benefit in the same way as all other pupils that good pastoral systems can make an from a school’s pastoral arrangements. enormous difference to pupils from minority ethnic groups but only if the system is 98 A number of the primary schools have sensitive to their needs and concerns. well-established elected School Councils with a rotational membership, widely 101 The use of teachers from the minority agreed agendas and minutes of meetings. communities for home school liaison Issues relating to school policies, and work and their positive impact in terms sometimes outside community matters, of improved punctuality and attendance are frequently discussed by the pupils. In were frequently noted. In one school two cases the Council is used to negotiate voluntary counsellors (of whom one is school rules. The Councils are a strong Asian) offer guidance to pupils on racism, feature of positive behaviour management bullying and work problems. The nature strategies and help to reinforce the of the complaints are not known as the school’s values (including, crucially, equal service is confidential but it was felt by the opportunities) and give pupils a genuine school to have been very successful and voice in school affairs. In a similar way, the governing body has now agreed to Circle Time is sometimes used as a forum fund a further five hours a week (in for the discussion of issues such as race addition to the 10 offered voluntarily). relations, bullying and gender. 102 Staff concerns about pupils of Asian origin 99 A few of the schools have developed include the sudden removal of girls for strategies aimed at specific ethnic groups arranged marriages (a declining – for example, Gypsy Traveller pupils with occurrence but still one causing great their parents being taken for medical or distress to the pupils and staff concerned). speech therapist appointments, or staff For young Asian teenage boys, the death making special visits to see parents in order of a father can bring intense pressures as to gain permission for the pupils concerned they are thrust into the role of ‘head of the to go on educational school visits. Often family’. It is difficult for schools to know Traveller Education Service staff act as how best to handle such culturally informal mentors and this can work well. influenced incidents but staff who come 100 Concern for pupils’ well-being both in from the same community often play a terms of their academic progress and critical role in mediating between home personal development is a vital aspect of and school and providing a safety net for the secondary schools’ pastoral provision. the pupils. This often puts them under a In most of the schools, tutors and year lot of pressure and entails personal heads have an academic monitoring sacrifices in the amount of time spent responsibility as part of their pastoral role. supporting pupils. The crucially important condition of all good pastoral systems is that pupils 103 Specific provision for the pastoral needs should know that there is someone they of Black Caribbean youngsters is rarely can turn to in times of trouble and feel initiated by the schools. It is mostly confident that they can do so. Such provided through mentoring schemes confidence is borne of trust and is carefully staffed by adults from outside the school nurtured in the best schools from the time such as youth workers or local business
26 people. This is discussed in the section on pupils and parents to maintain attendance mentoring (below). as fully and for as long as possible.
104 By contrast the particular pastoral needs 106 Another strategy used by this school of Gypsy Traveller pupils are generally at critical points is the negotiation of recognised by secondary schools and, temporary part-time timetables in conjunction with Traveller Education (accompanied by the issuing of guidelines Services, some good practice is developing. to staff) if this is considered the best way Such specific pastoral strategies involve: of keeping a pupil in contact with formal recognising the hostility, stereotyping and education. Intensive negotiation and racism often directed at Travellers and co-operation between all the interested taking steps to counter this; acknowledging parties (the school, Traveller Education their needs as a minority group and being Service, parents, pupils and Education sensitive to educational needs; taking a Welfare Service) take place until a flexible approach to school rules and satisfactory solution is found. The school procedures (without compromising school and Traveller Education Service review policies). For example, staff in these these strategies regularly and the evidence schools are sensitive to the fact that shows them to be successful. Travellers’ lives are not always ruled by the clock, earrings can be symbols of Mentoring ethnic origin, and parents may not be able to provide notes to explain absence if no 107 The informal mentoring role of Section 11 one at home can write. Occasionally and Section 488 funded staff with respect schools send folders of work out with to minority ethnic pupils has been pupils during the travelling season. mentioned above. While some primary schools see mentoring as the routine 105 In one school the SEN department has responsibility of the class teacher and, produced a brief but helpful paper on quite rightly, as an aspect of pastoral care, Traveller pupils, which outlines ways to others have developed specific schemes. deal with the hostility suffered by this Two schools, for example, have developed group. School transfer procedures from paired reading schemes, one using adults primary to secondary also pay particular from local businesses as part of a business attention to the needs of Gypsy Traveller partnership project, the other using pupils children at a critical point in their school from local secondary schools. The latter career. Extra preliminary visits are was particularly successful because it organised for Year 6 Gypsy Traveller brought white British teenagers into pupils to help them feel confident about contact with Pakistani pupils in an area transferring. Also the secondary Traveller where racial tensions are sometimes high. teacher works with Year 6 pupils in their Clearly the quality of mentoring is primary schools in the summer term prior important. In both cases the mentors were to transfer, especially if problems are trained and there were measurable gains anticipated. A similar concern for pupils in progress in the pupils’ reading skills. moving into Key Stage 4, a point at which many Gypsy Traveller children drop out 108 A majority of the secondary schools in from school, results in much visiting of inner-city or metropolitan areas use a sites and individual encouragement to range of mentoring schemes to raise
27 attainment. Most commonly initiatives taken such as redrafting of worksheets involve all pupils within a particular year to introduce smaller learning steps. group (such as focused support to Year 11 Additionally a bilingual project worker pupils in the run-up to GCSE visited families to enlist their support. This examinations), but sometimes they apply strategy produced clear gains including to pupils who have a particular academic upward movement of pupils through sets. need (such as literacy) or belong to a 111 The challenges facing such initiatives are particular ethnic group, especially Black considerable, particularly how to sustain Caribbean pupils. Paired reading schemes the momentum for pupils and staff involving adults from outside the school involved, so that the experiences become or older pupils helping younger pupils are part of a mainstream offering and are relatively common. funded accordingly. A major difficulty 109 Successful mentoring schemes in facing school and LEA run schemes is that secondary schools include those run by places are limited. Where the number of education business partnerships and the pupils who can be supported is less than mentoring of younger pupils by their the number in need, selection criteria are older peers. In one school sixth formers often problematic and some inevitably are support pupils recently arrived from disappointed. For example, in one school overseas needing help with English. This running a scheme for Black Caribbean is particularly effective where pupils share pupils several applicants were the same first language. In one disappointed and in any case the scheme Bangladeshi school the mentoring of Year was restricted to Year 10, so could not be 11 pupils was particularly successful. This followed up in Year 11. school, where there had been considerable This project, supported by the LEA and a underachievement, made clear to groups charitable foundation, had been devised after of pupils the high but realistic research into work with young offenders, expectations held for them, backed and talking to advisers who had worked in by a programme of interviews with educational, probation, recreation and care a member of the senior management settings. The tutor selected had considerable team or form tutor. experience of working with young people 110 As a result of the success of such schemes, and adults in different settings and had many schools have sought to incorporate particular experience of working with Black the principles of mentoring in their Caribbean young people. She was assisted school day. by two other staff members. The school selected 10 pupils who were manifesting the A three year Section 11 funded Curriculum kind of behaviour that gave them an 80–90 Access and Achievement project focused on per cent risk of permanent exclusion. All of a small number of New Commonwealth the pupils were Black Caribbean: one girl pupils, mostly of Asian origin, who were and nine boys. A meeting with parents and identified as in need of additional support. pupils to explain the programme was well This involved rigorous screening to identify attended and the programme was welcomed. target pupils, daily checking of aspects of The course enabled specific support to be performance, for example that homework given to 10 Year 10 pupils over eight weeks was completed and key points understood. in 16 group sessions. The programme Where problems were identified, action was involved communication skills, conflict
28 resolution, study skills and optional sessions All the schools with Gypsy Traveller on black awareness run by a black worker. pupils maintain attendance data in In addition, the group participated in a relation to these pupils as this is required residential course. Some students who had by their LEAs for the annual reports participated were full of praise for the linked to Section 488 funding. Half the opportunity of this support. Close schools with Bangladeshi pupils monitor co-operation was enhanced between parents the attendance patterns of different ethnic and pastoral staff. The school was so groups and are assisted by their LEA in impressed with the outcomes of the project this. However, in only one of the Black for the pupils concerned that it managed to Caribbean and none of the Pakistani get some additional funding with the schools are such data collected. support of the LEA to finance the worker 114 one day a week to undertake individual There is considerable concern about counselling with the pupils in the following ‘extended holidays’ taken by Bangladeshi, academic year. Nine of the pupils completed Pakistani and, to a much lesser extent, their GCSE courses. Continuation of the Black Caribbean families. Such holidays initiative is, however, threatened by affect the level of authorised absences in shortage of funds. a school and, more importantly, have a negative impact on the academic progress Another school linked with local business of the pupils. Apart from one school, and community groups to form a ‘Young which mistakenly feels that the practice Pakistani Professional Group’ and a should go unchallenged on the grounds ‘Young Bangladeshi Professional Group’. of not interfering in what is essentially Successful young Bangladeshi and a cultural issue, all the other primary Pakistani business men and women schools do not condone such absence. served as role models to help raise Parents are written to, visited by bilingual pupils’ aspirations. support workers or educational social workers and generally alerted to the adverse 112 While internal school mentoring schemes educational consequences, together with have had considerable success in raising the possible loss of a school place on standards, those involving outside groups return. The significant efforts targeted on have rarely been evaluated. Clearly some this issue are having positive results with pupils have benefited from them by more families ensuring that visits coincide avoiding exclusion and by experiencing with school holidays. None of the schools greater motivation for involvement in provides any distance learning packs for school activities. But whether they are the children to take with them. cost effective given the time and staffing devoted to them is difficult to discern. 115 One primary school which experienced difficulties over punctuality has successfully introduced ‘Early Bird’ certificates for pupils who arrive on time Promoting high rates of attendance to school for a full term. Several of the 113 Nearly all of the primary schools strongly schools are concerned about the lateness encourage good attendance and of Bangladeshi pupils, sometimes seen as punctuality by all pupils but the ethnic linked to religious festivals or the late shift monitoring of attendance varies widely. work of family restaurant businesses.
29 116 In the primary schools with Gypsy Black Caribbean 88 per cent, Bangladeshi Traveller populations, overall attendance 89 per cent, White UK 78 per cent, Other levels are generally in line with national 88 per cent. This monitoring was a useful averages. In one school serving a very counter to the view that ‘poor attendance is settled site, the attendance rates of Gypsy mainly an issue of Bangladeshis and Traveller pupils match the average for the extended visits abroad’. school. In the other five schools, there is a 118 One Black Caribbean school which high rate of authorised absence which is monitors attendance by ethnicity has used explained in terms of Gypsy Traveller the data to obtain additional funding in migration patterns. The schools generally conjunction with a national charity. The accept this as normal for Gypsy Traveller money is used to employ a home school families. Most of the schools, however, put support worker who keeps a detailed considerable effort into encouraging good breakdown of attendance patterns as well attendance and punctuality and are well as undertaking an extensive rota of visits. supported in this by Education Welfare Evidence presented by the school indicates Officers who provide helpful links the positive impact of the initiative for with parents. particular Black Caribbean pupils and 117 Only a handful of the secondary schools their families. In one of the Pakistani monitor attendance rates by ethnicity. As schools, an analysis of the attendance rates in the primary schools, extended holidays of EAL pupils for the purposes of Section 11 are seen as an ‘intractable’ problem, funding showed Urdu and Bengali especially in relation to Bangladeshi speakers to be consistently poorer pupils. One LEA has calculated that time attenders than others. In many of the out of school should be doubled in terms schools, however, senior staff could only of the curriculum learning lost, so a six offer impressionistic comments on trends, week trip is the equivalent of missing a as no hard data had been assembled. term’s education. Bilingual pupils are also 119 Traveller Education Service staff regularly not infrequently used as translators (eg for monitor attendance and follow up absent hospital visits) in homes where little children. Attendance is a key issue for English is spoken. The value of monitoring Gypsy Traveller pupils as everyone attendance by ethnicity is demonstrated recognises that if the children are not at by one Bangladeshi school: school academic progress will be seriously In this school, attendance had been very affected. In five of the six secondary poor. It is now monitored very tightly and schools attendance is said to be has improved from a low of 74.6 per cent in problematic, sometimes but not always 1992 to 91.9 per cent in 1996. Unauthorised a result of family travelling patterns. Two absence has also improved from 9.1 per cent common concerns are the retention of in 1992 to 1.9 per cent in 1996. The school pupils, especially boys, beyond Year 9 and has created an Attendance Unit with very the absence of pupils at critical points such strict rules. There are telephone calls home as the sitting of National Curriculum tests (with an interpreter if necessary) each week. at the end of Year 9 or when reading or Checks are made in every lesson and a other school tests are given. The sixth programme of sanctions and rewards is in school demonstrates that it is not place. The figures for Year 9 in the autumn inevitable that Traveller pupils will term 1996, for example, were as follows: be poor attenders:
30 All the Gypsy Traveller pupils came of other pupils but this was not based on regularly with any absences followed up any sound evidence. immediately by a designated Education 122 Welfare Officer. The parents’ positive Very few of the primary schools formally attitude to the school and schooling in monitor exclusions in relation to ethnic general was an important factor in this background. However, all the schools have as was the work of the Traveller Education detailed knowledge of excluded pupils, Service. Relationships between the particularly where LEAs require ethnic headteacher, a member of the pastoral staff information to be included in the routine with special responsibility for Gypsy returns made by schools or, in the case of Traveller liaison and the community were Gypsy Traveller pupils, reported to the also good. The key word was flexibility. For Traveller Education Service. Permanent example, threats by an alleged paedophile to exclusions were rare in these schools and “get a gypsy child” which were circulating no Gypsy Traveller or Pakistani pupils locally had caused some loss of punctuality were involved in exclusions in the due to the need for the children to come in academic year 1996/97 and only one a group for their own security. The school Bangladeshi pupil. In only one case was responded sensitively to this. racially abusive language associated with an incident of severely disruptive behaviour. Black Caribbean pupils,
Promoting good standards of behaviour however, were disproportionately involved in incidents of exclusion in half 120 Nearly all the primary and the secondary of the Black Caribbean primary schools. schools have devoted considerable time and effort to reviewing and developing 123 As with the primary schools, few of the effective behaviour policies. The main secondaries analyse exclusion data ingredients are clear expectations of good routinely by ethnicity or consider trends behaviour, positive reinforcement and in the causes of exclusion. Indeed when clearly established procedures for dealing preparing data for this survey two schools with incidents of unacceptable behaviour were surprised to see the disproportionate (including racist behaviour). In the best number of minority ethnic pupils being practice, formulation of these policies has excluded – usually black pupils. In a involved pupils, parents and governors. significant number of schools, Black Caribbean and Pakistani pupils are being 121 While most schools monitor behaviour excluded disproportionately to their systematically, this rarely takes account of percentages in the schools. The value ethnic background, although some LEAs of analysing exclusion data is illustrated require this with respect to incidents by the following school: involving racially abusive language or resulting in physical injury. The lack of Exclusions were monitored by year group, ethnic monitoring leaves schools open to ethnicity and gender. Internal exclusions the danger of stereotypical ‘impressions’ were also monitored. Reasons for the and gives no sound basis for initiatives to exclusion were given and the categories address any real difficulties. Two schools, included racism. In only a few cases was for example, believed that the behaviour race deemed to be the primary cause. The of Black Caribbean pupils was more major category was violence. The data had boisterous and/or aggressive than that enabled the school to review its behaviour
31 policy. Everyone understood the school rules majority of schools have home school and the sanctions that would be applied. reading programmes where pupils take Permanent exclusions were reserved for books home for regular reading practice carrying weapons and arson. While the rate with their parents and carers. One school of exclusion was still felt to be too high, it expressed hesitancy about this policy for had dropped considerably – especially fear that books might not be returned. The permanent exclusions. Generally speaking setting of other homework tends to be at the proportions of excludees reflected the the discretion of individual teachers proportions of the different ethnic groups although in many schools it is more in the school. formalised for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils in preparation for their transfer to secondary 124 The reasons why pupils are excluded vary school. Overall the status given to from school to school: smoking, insolence, homework as part of the strategy to raise fighting, violence, bullying, disobedience pupil attainment is not high in most of and challenge to teachers. Few schools these primary schools. Three schools have, identify a racial dimension in behaviour however, introduced Homework Clubs. that results in exclusion. One school that One, funded from local business monies, did reported the case of a Black African meets for an hour twice a week, focusing boy who repeatedly got into fights with in equal measure on literacy and sport. Bangladeshi groups both in and out of Another encourages pupils to do their school and who ended up being regular homework tasks in an After School permanently excluded. Discussion with Club, which is particularly beneficial for pupils and staff subsequently confirmed pupils whose parents themselves have that black boys (in a minority in the limited literacy. The third school provides school) had suffered racist abuse and additional support at lunchtime especially attacks from Bangladeshi pupils. In other to help Traveller children. schools there were tensions between Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils or 126 In the main, extra-curricular activities are reported attacks by older white boys on not seen by the primary schools as directly younger minority ethnic pupils. Several linked to policies aimed at raising levels of schools said that name calling or ‘cussing’ attainment, and few have a broad and between pupils is a recurrent source of balanced range of activities. Attendance of disputes which can lead to fights and minority ethnic communities is said to be eventual exclusion from schools. In two low, particularly when events are schools older Gypsy Traveller pupils had programmed after school and clash with been excluded partly as a result of taking community based educational provision – upon themselves the role of ‘protector’ mainly first language teaching or religious of younger Traveller children against instruction. For this reason lunchtime presumed slight, intimidation or other clubs are seen as potentially the most racist behaviour. successful. Gypsy Traveller pupils generally have negligible involvement in extra-curricular activities, and only one school fully appreciates the social and Study support educational importance of ensuring that 125 Across the primary schools there is these pupils are encouraged to participate considerable variation with regard to the as fully as possible. This school is aware of setting and support of homework. The the practical and racial factors militating
32 against inclusion in after school activities example, extra sessions are made available and both staff and Traveller Education to Year 11 pupils on the four Saturdays Service personnel provide transport home prior to GCSE examinations, plus three after events where appropriate. days in each holiday period (half terms and Easter), and all sessions 127 All the secondary schools offer study are well subscribed. support activities although the range of provision and uptake varies considerably. 130 As well as homework support, many Rural schools organise many of their clubs schools offer a wide range of other after- in the lunch hour so that pupils can catch school clubs: sports, IT, spelling, drama, the school bus home at the end of the day. art, steel band etc. IT clubs in particular Homework clubs or centres are less are well attended by some minority ethnic common, although provision of some kind students many of whom have no access to is available in all the Bangladeshi schools IT after school. Clubs aimed at a specific and half the Pakistani schools. Attendance ethnic group, however, such as a ‘Bangla at these activities is hardly ever monitored Club’ in one school, are not necessarily by ethnicity but in the two schools which popular. In one school the efforts of the do have data, pupils of Asian (and in one PE department in building up a national case specifically Bangladeshi) origin are reputation for the school in hockey significant users of the facilities. A few deserve comment. The head of department schools make special arrangements to noticed that many East End boys were too transport pupils home after clubs if this small and at risk of injury in rugby against presents a particular difficulty for certain other teams once they passed beyond the groups, such as Gypsy Travellers living on under 12 team level. He introduced isolated sites or Asian girls who would not hockey in spite of limited facilities and the otherwise be allowed to attend. school has achieved considerable success. Two pupils play at national level for 128 After-school homework support takes England. Most of the school teams are a variety of forms. In one school, for county finalists. The successful players, example, the library remains open daily mostly of Bangladeshi origin, are excellent between 3 and 4pm with the librarian on role models for the younger pupils. hand to help. In other schools there are fully fledged ‘study-centres’ – in one school opening every morning before Links with parents school and three times a week after school with several staff always present to help. 131 Links with parents are said by all the Students speak enthusiastically about primary schools to be important and a these opportunities. Financial support necessary part of improving the quality of comes from a range of sources including provision and raising standards. However, the Prince’s Trust in one case, a city bank the energy with which schools foster in another. supportive relationships with parents
129 In addition to study centres and differs: some schools employ a wide range homework clubs several schools, of strategies to encourage high levels of especially those with Bangladeshi parental participation in the life and work populations, also offer revision classes of the school. These include a designated and study weekends. In one school, for post of responsibility and provision of a parents’ room in school.
33 A family literacy project has run for three Bangladeshi origin on their Governing years in this predominantly Pakistani Body, either by election or co-option. school. A tutor and creche worker are 133 provided from external funding, and the Ethnic monitoring of parental school events school makes premises available and absorbs participation rates in such day-to-day costs. About 12 mothers attend as Parents’ Evenings, assemblies, Parent regularly and some have now gone on to Teacher Association meetings and extra- college for further training. This year curricular activities, is not a routine children are involved and the focus is the feature of current practice in the primary language of school and supporting schools. Effective strategies to encourage children’s literacy. The mothers visit classes, participation include: making sure the see what is going on and then take activities welcome at nursery level is warm as an home to use with their children (eg snakes important first step to forging positive and ladders). The confidence of the mothers long-term relationships; developing good and children has risen enormously. contacts such as celebrating seasonal and religious festivals, and the sharing of The work is complemented by a science cultural traditions; offering flexibility in project for parents of Year 1 pupils. The the timing of meetings and interviews; class teacher developed science packs for translating all formal communications, the mothers to use, prior to the particular including newsletters, into community activity being introduced in class (eg languages; displaying material and floating and sinking). The parents are directional signs around the school in supplied with simple objects (such as community languages; and providing balloons and plastic bottles) needed to carry interpreting facilities (most important also out the investigations, and given clear, at SEN review meetings). Some schools illustrated instructions in English and also hold meetings for specific purposes, Urdu. Both parents and children have for example, to explain National greatly enjoyed the activities – this year the Curriculum tests to parents of Year 2 and work will be developed more systematically Year 6 pupils; distribute questionnaires to and monitored. This project, apart from sound out opinions on important issues; increasing parental involvement in the or provide handbooks for parents, with school, has considerable potential for translations, explaining school rules improved access to the curriculum for and procedures. these bilingual pupils. 134 The involvement of Gypsy Traveller 132 In other cases, however, schools pay only parents in the life and work of the primary limited attention to links with parents. schools presents particular challenges. In Many of the schools for all the four focus some schools specific policies have been groups speak of the difficulties they have implemented to encourage Gypsy encountered in attracting parents onto the Traveller parents to be fully involved in Governing Body, in encouraging them to the education of their children. Home take part in Parent Teacher Association visits are made to aid the development activities, in attending Parents’ Evenings of trusting relationships and the or in participating in voluntary classroom encouragement to attend events at the support. Those which persist have, school. The parents also know that help is however, experienced success. Half of the available at the school for the filling in of Bangladeshi schools now have parents of forms, the reading of letters and official
34 documents, and to assist with access to cases that parental confidence is boosted. benefit entitlements. In one school the Overall, however, relatively few of the Gypsy Traveller parents are provided with secondary schools have systematic and transport to facilitate attendance at such coherent strategies for improving the quality events as Parents’ Evenings and school of relationships between home and school. concerts. In these schools, Gypsy Traveller parents are fully involved in that they 136 The value of systematically monitoring generally attend most functions including attendance by ethnic group at Parents’ reviews in connection with statements of Evenings is demonstrated by a school SEN, and they sometimes contribute to which collected data over several years. school functions and initiatives. The level This showed that very few Bangladeshi of participation by Gypsy Traveller parents were attending Parents’ Evenings parents in Parent Teacher Associations in 1994/95. For example, only 11 per cent is, however, reported to be disappointing. of the parents of Year 7 Bangladeshi pupils attended. As a result of a number of 135 All the secondary schools see liaison with actions led by a Bangladeshi science parents as important. One of the Black teacher in the school, including telephone Caribbean schools has a specialist worker calls, letters of encouragement and offers with responsibility for developing links to accompany parents, the attendance of with all parents, and the work is the parents of these same pupils (then in promising. In the Bangladeshi and Year 9) rose to 74 per cent. Pakistani schools the role of bilingual Education Welfare Officers and home 137 Although some schools have seen a school liaison workers is of considerable breakthrough in parental attendance importance. All the schools report that (including women) at meetings and they have to work hard to encourage greater willingness to be involved with Bangladeshi and Pakistani parents to come the life of the school, others still find that, into school. Many have had only modest despite much effort, relatively few success, but in other schools the numbers Bangladeshi or Pakistani parents come attending Parents’ Evenings have to school. Initiatives such as providing dramatically improved and are now an interpreter, collecting them by car and similar to those for other groups. A range taking them home afterwards have not of strategies has been attempted. In one changed the turnout at open evenings school, for example, before open evenings, significantly. This appears to be a pupils are sent home early and asked to particular problem with relatively isolated bring their parents back with them. This communities whose knowledge of English works well. Several schools have used and the English education system is bilingual teachers, Education Welfare limited and where there is considerable Officers, and home school liaison teachers local hostility towards the Asian community. or officers to contact parents by letter or telephone. This direct contact has proved 138 One school had recently sent a very successful. One school has also questionnaire to parents to gauge their worked with the local liaison officer to run opinion on a number of issues including workshops in Bengali on such issues as their satisfaction with the quality of GCSE option choices, post-16 information received, their reception at the opportunities and National Curriculum school, homework, standards of discipline, assessments. There is clear evidence in such school aims and policies, incidents of
35 racism and bullying. Parents, pupils and as on the social margins of the wider the headteacher in this school sign up to community. Constructive work in this a home school agreement which spells out connection is probably best focused on the ‘obligations of each party’. In two their involvement at school level. other schools, staff have visited Black However, the close relationship between Caribbean parents at home to listen to one school and its Gypsy Traveller their views on the school and education community had facilitated successful more generally. This arose out of concern access to a local playgroup. for the underachievement of the Black 141 Those primary schools where the focus Caribbean boys in the school and their group is Black Caribbean pupils seem to disaffection. This has led to increased have been most active in this area, and confidence between parents and teachers each of the six schools in their different and greater willingness on the part of the ways has reached out to form mutually parents to come into school. supportive relationships with community 139 Several of the secondary schools with groups and institutions. Close and Gypsy Traveller parents have worked hard co-operative links are reported to exist to build up good relationships. The help of with local religious leaders, music and the Traveller Education Service team has drama groups, the media, local and usually been a crucial factor in gaining the national charities (who are frequently the confidence of the families. It had taken a beneficiaries of funds raised by the school long time to establish good links and and its community), and local police schools comment that these often remain liaison officers. Some of the schools have fragile – misunderstanding can easily arise been involved in competitions organised and quickly lead to setbacks. For this by the police. One school has also become reason individual contacts are essential. In a member of a community group known the schools where senior members of staff as the ‘Afro-Caribbean Parents, Teachers take the time to visit the sites, in addition and Governors Group’. Staff and to the specialist support teachers, governors attend meetings and events Travellers spoke warmly of the school regularly. In the interest of fostering and its support for them. community links and contributing to the school’s ethos of respect and recognition of minority ethnic communities, one Links with the wider community school takes part in the annual commemoration celebrations for Mary 140 At primary level links with the wider Seacole, the ‘black Florence Nightingale’. community tend to be specific to each school, but a common feature is for 142 Relationships with the wider community schools to have good contacts with local in respect of all four focus groups are not places of religious worship. One of the always straightforward. For example, Pakistani schools had successfully several secondary schools comment on established a community room where local tensions within the Bangladeshi adult education courses are run, including community between the younger, more EAL for adults of Asian origin. The issue progressive members and the older, more for schools with Gypsy Traveller pupils orthodox groups often linked to the local is more complex as the Gypsy Traveller mosque. This can make consultation with communities are frequently viewed the community difficult, especially if it
36 involves a high profile issue such as the helped purchase Book Boxes to help the retention of a single-sex school or its school’s literacy drive, and provided work conversion to a mixed intake. Conflicting shadowing opportunities and video approaches, an aspect of life for members conferencing sessions with American of any cultural group, can make it pupils. The school is convinced that these particularly difficult, however, for young enrichment activities have contributed people, especially Bangladeshi girls, to live significantly to raising standards in the within both the majority and minority school and improving pupil attitudes. culture with ease. In connection with the Gypsy Traveller community one school In the same school, links with neighbours commented that it had difficulty in in the immediate vicinity are not knowing how to deal with a community overlooked. The senior management team that had no obvious infrastructure, no attend tenants’ meetings in the local flats recognised centre (such as a mosque, around the school and the headteacher is every gurdwara, mandir etc) and no clear visible out and about in the streets community leaders. lunch time. He makes a point of speaking to local shop owners and invites residents 143 Links with the wider community, to talk to him about any concerns. He however, frequently have positive and maintains good contacts with all the local tangible results. In one secondary school, community groups, seeing this as a very for example, links with the local mosque important part of his work. have proved very valuable in resolving complaints about the intimidation of the public by young people in certain open v. Promoting good race relations areas. In another school a Bangladeshi Business Group which offers prizes to the 144 Countering stereotyping and ensuring most successful Year 11 local boy and girl good standards of pupils’ behaviour and each year, honoured one of their pupils learning are related aspects of promoting who had received outstanding GCSE good race relations. The production of an grades. And links with an American equal opportunities policy, however Merchant Bank in one East London school important, is only the first step. Promoting have brought about an array of benefits good race relations involves a review of all for the school. school policies and procedures to ensure that certain groups are not discriminated A partnership (launched in 1995) was based against. The development of a long-term on negotiation and a close working strategy is essential, and support at the relationship. The intention was to offer an highest level in the school is necessary if enrichment programme which would help success is to be assured. pupils change their anti-learning culture and create high aspirations. The bank has 145 One school has produced detailed and resourced a highly successful study centre, practical advice for staff on how to handle contributed to residential study weekends incidents of racial or sexual harassment. It and organised a week in New York which includes step-by-step guidance on who included visits to high schools and a should take responsibility for dealing with residential weekend with American pupils – the incident (the one who witnesses it), an outstanding success according to the when (immediately), how to arrange cover headteacher. More recently the bank has for other responsibilities if necessary, and
37 how to proceed. Staff find the guidance has found evidence that racial taunting is very helpful. They now feel much more widespread and a regular fact of life for confident about handling such incidents many minority ethnic pupils. It sometimes especially as there has been whole-staff starts among nursery age pupils and discussion during the development of the increases with age. Those minority ethnic procedures. The quality of relationships pupils who react angrily to racist insults in the school has improved, adults often find themselves at the sharp end of listen more to children and behaviour sanctions. Schools must make it explicit has improved. that racist behaviour is wrong and will not be tolerated. 146 The establishment of harmonious race relations in the most effective schools is 149 Good and stable behaviour can often be seen to require a wide range of purposeful seen in schools which make deliberate and constructive strategies. Included efforts to see that pupils work together in within these strategies are positive mixed ethnic and gender groups. In one behaviour management policies which secondary school, for example: allow sufficient time for issues to be fully Commitment to forming mixed ethnic and discussed or resolved between the parties gender teaching groups within classes is involved; regular and appropriate made clear to pupils and parents. Some in-service training; a multicultural and pupils said that at first they didn’t like it, anti-racist curriculum; close parental and but after two or three lessons they got used community links; pupil organisation to it. Now it is accepted as a normal which takes account of ethnic and gender occurrence. There has been a noticeable balance; the boosting of pupils’ self-esteem; impact on attitudes and cross-ethnic and books and materials which avoid gender friendships. Staff strongly encourage stereotypical and inaccurate images; such groupings on tasks within the school social events aimed at pulling classroom and more generally. together the different life experiences of groups within the community; and 150 All the primary schools are anxious to staffing establishments which reflect, as promote good race relations between far as possible, the ethnic make-up of the pupils. Most report good race relations school and the community. although many say that tension,
147 Some schools, concerned about divisive frequently stemming from racial problems outcomes, respond by playing down in the community, sometimes surfaces in differences of culture and ethnicity, the school. When this occurs it is often believing that good relations will be successfully handled immediately, through achieved by not highlighting or celebrating classroom discussion or during school the distinctive characteristics of minority assemblies. In some schools, however, cultures. The most successful schools, failure to deal openly and swiftly with however, take the opposite approach. racial tensions does little to help resolve them. Most of the primary schools have 148 Obviously, the vast majority of pupils take an incidents book for the recording of care not to use racially abusive language unacceptable behaviour including that in front of adults. This is why schools and which has a racial element. Serious cases inspections, in general, report relatively are usually required to be reported to the few racist incidents. Research, however, LEA and in some cases the LEA offers
38 additional support. Headteachers school, staff find they need to take more generally see themselves as responsible control over break times to reduce the for race relations, and particularly in amount of racial hostility and violence connection to adults and parents. It hardly which erupts. A co-operative games needs to be said that the most effective strategy has been introduced where schools in these respects were those where teachers organise games for their class headteachers insisted on establishing good during break which is staggered to reduce race relations as a priority. the number of pupils outside at any one time. While behaviour is still boisterous, 151 In one primary school a specific the policy has succeeded in greatly ‘playground investigation’ brought reducing the number of incidents of about considerable changes in the actual fighting and harassment and has environment and the children’s behaviour. improved relationships amongst pupils.
It was clear to the staff that many children 153 All the secondary schools report did not enjoy playtime – there was much considerable racial tension in their areas name-calling and other kinds of harassment. and are aware of the impact this can have Children were asked first of all to indicate inside school. Pupils confirm that most which parts of the playground they schools take a very firm stand on racism liked/disliked using red and green flags. The (and sexism) and deal vigorously with any reasons for their views (bullying, teasing incidents that occur or are reported by etc) were discussed. They were then asked them. Pupils generally feel secure and in what areas and activities they would like to most schools relationships appear see in their playground. They identified 10 harmonious. In one school that has including a woodland walk, a garden, a developed an anti-bullying policy, quiet area, different kinds of climbing following a harassment survey conducted frames etc. Over the last three years and amongst pupils, a confidential box for with the parents’ help these have been built. information has been instituted and pupils The quality of play and behaviour has encouraged to report any incidents. Pupils improved. There is less bullying and have confidence in the system and feel the name-calling, scope for more games and school responds well to any issues raised. co-operative activities. Various staff and the school keeper take part regularly. Pupils are 154 It is clear in other schools, however, that also given the opportunity of indoor games not all pupils find it easy to raise their for the last 20 minutes of the lunch break. concerns, which only serves to underline In brief, staff have taken more responsibility how important it is for staff to be open for structuring playtime and this has and confident about the issues. In one resulted in more harmonious relationships. school, for example, opportunities for the small number of minority ethnic pupils to 152 In a school in an area of much greater raise concerns were inadequate. Pakistani racial tension (the headteacher recounts, pupils in Year 11 were happy about the for example, how a small group of Asian quality of academic support they were girls escorted by her for the first time into receiving in most subjects but they had school, ran the gauntlet of racist comments concerns about the level of petty insults and were even spat on by some white and remarks they received from a section parents) playtime is also a focus of of the school population, particularly in considerable conflict. As with the previous break and lunch times. Although such
39 incidents were reported to staff, after a and trained peer tutors among the pupils. while the sneering and insults started up The work has become incorporated into the again. They felt that this sort of behaviour PSHE programme in Year 8 and builds on was ignored too much and more probing the work done on bullying in Year 7. by staff was needed to explore how “We deliberately adopted this approach as extensive it was. opposed to an anti-racism one as the latter 155 Organised gangs pose a threat to some appeared often to blame the problem on minority ethnic pupils especially if they white pupils. Conflict resolution is much are travelling into predominantly white broader and more neutral. areas. One of the schools has been forced “PSHE, however, is only part of the to produce an anti-gang policy, which strategy. As early as April 1993, there was explains the relationships between pupils staff INSET on positive discipline to try to and outsiders and advises staff on how to move away from a confrontational approach. minimise the threat posed to the school by Sporting activities, which had once been such gangs. It asks staff to report any a source of racial conflict, were actively contacts between pupils and gangs in the encouraged as were residential experiences neighbourhood. An incident log is kept to where extreme care is always taken to monitor congregations of ‘outsiders’, ensure a balance of gender and ethnicity. A pupils attached to them and any demands deliberate effort has to be made to ensure the or threats made by such groups on participation of Bangladeshi girls. school pupils.
“On the day-to-day level, our approach to 156 The efforts of one school are worth discipline and behaviour problems promotes describing in some detail as staff have reconciliation, and although time worked with persistence and considerable consuming, attempts to prevent the success over several years to tackle the simmering resentments which often recur problem of racism. The headteacher made after an initial incident. It is now policy to the following statement: seat pupils according to a seating plan and it “Going back five years, levels of is common practice to see pupils of different achievement were very low across the ability ethnic groups co-operating at a high level. range and in addition the school was This was not the case four years ago.” experiencing a great deal of racial conflict. The school had largely been reactive in its Pupils confirmed that the conflict approach to racial problems and we decided resolution programme had been both to take up a more proactive stance. As a successful and enjoyable. Year 11 pupils result of a serious incident involving many remembered how poor the atmosphere older pupils we took a group of 30 pupils had been in the school when they first out of school for a day conference, trying arrived. There had been much violence some conflict resolution strategies. and name-calling. Everything was different now and the programme had “Experiencing some initial success with this been a key element in that change. It we took up an opportunity to work with an encouraged openness and helped build organisation which specialises in conflict up confidence. The school’s insistence resolution. This work has gone from strength on mixed ethnic and gender grouping to strength and involves a number of staff was also considered important.
40 157 The conflict resolution approach in this Their ability to talk frankly about racial school has been expensive in terms of time bullying and their determination to ensure and training. It has required considerable that “no one should have to put up with it” commitment from staff over a period of were refreshing and encouraging. One several years. However, outcomes are Bangladeshi girl spoke powerfully of how impressive and the optimism is shared she had suffered racist abuse in the school by all involved: staff, pupils, parents. when she was younger. She had said Although racial tension in the school had nothing to staff or family but it had, she reduced, staff were aware that incidents believed, altered her personality. Initially outside school could flare up at any she became quiet and introverted, then time and there was a need for angry, loud and aggressive. Her work had constant vigilance. suffered. She thought telling a teacher would only make her more of a target. 158 In another school two Year 9 classes were Eventually one of her friends spoke to a involved in a ‘Finding the Way Home’ teacher and it was quickly resolved. The project initiated by a local university and school had been very supportive. involving other local schools and schools in Germany. ‘Telling a friend’ is a strategy actively promoted by Childline who, in listening It was concerned with safety in the area and to children talking about abuse (including had prompted discussion of a wide range of racial abuse), have discovered that it is one issues, including racial conflict, and had of the most effective strategies for raising resulted in posters, talks by pupils and the and resolving the issue. Training young making of a video. One of the Bangladeshi people to be active on behalf of the boys involved in the project explained that injustice suffered by others has been found Bangladeshi pupils felt more secure in large to be a successful strategy. Indeed in all groups, but that this made other people less those schools where pupils were actively secure. One solution was greater mixing in involved in conflict resolution, anti-racist, groups (including visits to each other’s equal opportunities or anti-bullying homes) and this had been one by-product programmes, there was a greater of the project. Other practical outcomes had willingness to discuss the problem openly. been the shortening of the school day so that pupils could get home in daylight and a ban 160 None of these schools denies the existence on leaving the premises at lunchtime (also of racism – indeed most of them are all too shortened). By cutting down the potential well aware of its occurrence both inside for trouble and racially motivated and outside school. It is a live issue for confrontation, the image of the school and pupils – but the ethos makes it easier for relationships had improved. The project had them to discuss it and attempt to counter highlighted those areas of the locality which it. In others, pupils, especially boys, clearly were safe and unsafe. experience racism but are reluctant to talk about it. Often it is the groups which are 159 In this school a working party including small in number which suffer most. So in pupils was convened following a serious one predominantly Bangladeshi school, racist incident. They set in train a range of Black Caribbean boys experience initiatives which appeared to be having an harassment, in another the situation is impact on the school. reversed. Unless staff take a lead on race
41 relations pupils will not raise the issue foreigners on the staff?” (there were four themselves. The notion of ‘telling as minority ethnic staff). And many parents grassing’ is very strong and must be brought in because their children had used countered. Equally pupils often believe unacceptable language (“Paki”, “Blackie”) that telling will only serve to make things failed to accept that there was anything worse and in many cases, as the Childline wrong with such terms. Equally their evidence confirms, this is indeed the case. encouragement of the children to “hit Luckily for most of the pupils spoken to in back” makes the school’s approach to this survey, when they reported problems conflict resolution hard to carry out. the schools had dealt with them vigorously 163 and the situation had improved. Some schools sustain a difficult struggle against such racist attitudes, made more 161 Despite the wide ranging endeavours in difficult by continuing staff turnover, the many schools, there is realism among staff constant need for training and counselling that positive attitudes to other ethnic of staff and a recognition that the dialogue groups are sometimes difficult to achieve. with parents who display engrained racist There is a realisation that though schools attitudes is never-ending. It would be do their best, that may still not be enough wrong, however, to present too to move some pupils away from negative negative a picture, as the following stereotyping and anti-social behaviour. For example illustrates: example, in a school with a small proportion of Pakistani pupils as well as The headteacher of an infant school in a other minority ethnic pupils, an extensive shire county (9 per cent minority ethnic and well organised programme of visits to pupils) had noted the initial coolness which places of worship as part of its RE existed between the main community programme ran into difficulties. Some groups and how this impacted on the life of white parents refused to allow their the school and the children. She has worked children to visit the gurdwara. The hard to bring down the barriers. Bilingual majority of pupils eligible to go did so and classroom assistants were invaluable in enjoyed the visit but the negative attitudes bringing in the Asian parents and helping displayed by some of the pupils who did to organise a very successful South Asian not go created tensions in lessons which evening: food, music, dance, mende patterns the staff had to work hard to resolve. etc. Nevertheless the headteacher senses that the white community ‘polices’ the activities. 162 One of the hardest things for schools to Is she getting the balance right? If Eid is deal with is parental racial hostility. It is celebrated someone is likely to say the seen as important by some of the schools following week, “I hope something is being to be explicit with parents about issues of done to celebrate Easter”. But many parents race and the school’s general philosophy are now more positive about the and position on racism. Countering the multicultural community and “whilst it is attitudes of some parents, however, is not not perfect,” the headteacher feels, “it is easy. One school which has tackled this more comfortable, smoother, less issue reported that some white parents confrontational”. reacted uncomfortably. One parent commented to the headteacher of another In another school a Code of Conduct school, “How can you expect to teach the which takes a robust line on race issues children well if you have all these is signed by all parents.
42 164 All the Gypsy Traveller schools report through in-service training, and a wide considerable local prejudice with children range of enrichment activities enable usually following the example set by the Travellers to feel good about themselves parents. Indeed, the level of hostility faced and their cultural inheritance. These by Gypsy Traveller children is probably strategies are very effective in developing greater than for any other minority ethnic confidence and pride so that pupils do group. There is little doubt in the minds of not feel the need to hide their Traveller the headteachers that the hostility of the origins as is the case in some schools. outside community impacts on the life of The headteacher’s comments on the the school. As one headteacher Traveller community are worth quoting: commented, “Travellers are often suspect and frequently resented, and this has led “It is very evident that the school benefits to incidents in school particularly of name- from the presence of our Travellers. For calling and bullying.” When, for example, example, their morality and cleanliness have property disappeared in school it was caused many non-Travellers to question often assumed that the Traveller children their own prejudices; their family loyalty had stolen it. Such incidents require very and their respect for their parents and careful handling if the confidence of the extended family are an example to their Traveller community in the school and non-Traveller peers; they provide cultural its procedures is to be maintained. diversity in an otherwise homogeneous Consciousness of the racist prejudice community. Furthermore, the learning within the local community acts as a support and pastoral care of Travellers has hindrance in some of the schools to more helped our teachers to appreciate that all fully embracing the Gypsy Traveller pupils are individuals with needs. Our community into the life and work of Travellers have been integrated into the the school, including the necessary school without compromise to their identity; development of the curriculum for as a result the school has gained.” all pupils. 166 In a second school Traveller pupils were 165 Some Traveller support teachers have as encouraged by the Traveller Education part of their role “the promotion of a good Service teacher to produce booklets and self image for Gypsy Traveller pupils”, but other material which promote the positive to have any lasting effect this needs to be side of their culture. This led to an encouraged and supported at whole- excellent display on Traveller achievement school level. One of the six Gypsy in the school which helped other pupils to Traveller secondary schools illustrates develop an interest in Gypsy Traveller what can be achieved. In this school not culture. The outcome of a craft week only does the headteacher make public involving Gypsy Traveller parents in a how he perceives the school to benefit third school was equally positive. It was from the presence of Traveller students, reported in more than one school that non- but also many school activities reinforce Traveller children were frequently made this positive message. Pupils are welcome on sites, often visiting their encouraged to respond to stereotypical friends without the knowledge of their comments in the press about Travellers, parents (who, it was thought, would have efforts are made to ensure that staff are disapproved). This led to greater knowledgeable about Traveller culture understanding at peer group level.
43 167 Many of the schools see the composition is not easy as many people are not fully of the staff as very significant in the battle aware of their prejudices. to undermine stereotypical images of different ethnic groups. Staff from minority ethnic groups can and do play an important role in countering stereotypes. It is important that staffing at all levels reflects the multi-ethnic nature of the local community and society at large. However, schools generally find it difficult to recruit teachers from minority ethnic groups.
168 Evidence of teacher stereotyping of certain ethnic groups is difficult to establish and therefore counter. Only a minority of headteachers recognise the problem and seek to tackle it in a variety of ways. In one school, documentation warns staff to be aware of their own prejudices and stereotypical images. “Efforts should be made to counter stereotyping and communication of prejudice. Resources should contain accurate information on racial and cultural matters.”
169 One school is developing a series of policies to support its mission statement which includes the following commitment: “Opposition to racism and development of positive attitudes.” One of the accompanying papers alerts teachers to the dangers of: telling racist jokes or making stereotypical comments; articulating and holding low expectations of students’ performance and attainment; reinforcing existing stereotypes through displays, assemblies and curriculum resources that reflect only the decorative and colourful side of other cultures. These are just a few of a daunting list of inappropriate behaviours to be avoided. Whether this is the best way of tackling the problem is doubtful. The majority of teachers are not intentionally racist. A more positive presentation of appropriate behaviours might have been less threatening and more instructive. This
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