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Count us in: Promoting Understanding and Combating Sectarianism: Practical Examples from Primary, Secondaary and Special Schools

Appendix 1 Summary of key features of successful practice in combating sectarianism

Each of the key features of successful practice identified below is linked to a specific dimension of excellence. They provide examples of the kinds of actions you could consider when planning for improvements in relation to anti-sectarianism.

For each dimension, we have also noted the relevant quality indicators from How good is our school?. You can use these quality indicators to evaluate the quality of your current practice in combating sectarianism.

Dimension 1 Engages young people in the highest quality learning activities

• Engage young people in cross-curricular events or special days or themed weeks and extend the range of learning experiences.
• Collaborate in curricular work with other schools, particularly those from other faith communities, and enhance learning through visits, drama and active learning.
• Use motivating contexts with relevance, challenge and enjoyment for pupils.

Evaluate your current practice using QI 5.2 Teaching for effective learning.

Dimension 4 Fosters high quality leadership at all levels

• Work with the education authority to promote teachers’ confidence in promoting diversity and combating racism and sectarianism and seek their support to plan, develop and deliver a strategy to promote diversity.
• Attend appropriate continuing professional development opportunities.
• Draw upon external speakers from relevant agencies.
• Audit practice in combating racism and sectarianism.
• Include promoting diversity and combating racism and sectarianism as a priority in the school improvement plan.
• Develop an anti-racism and anti-sectarism policy, ensure that it is delivered in practice and evaluate its impact.

Evaluate your current practice using QI 9.2 Leadership and direction and QI 9.4 Leadership of improvement and change.

Dimension 5 Works in partnership with other agencies and its community

• Extend and enhance the environment for learning through working with organisations and agencies such as football clubs, St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art and Nil By Mouth.
• Ensure more effective collaboration and cooperation by developing and extending twinning arrangements between neighbouring denominational and non-denominational schools.
• In shared campuses, work together to extend effective forms of twinning to promote forms of joint working and help to combat sectarianism, and consider sharing targets in the improvement plan.

Evaluate your current practice using QI 8.1: Partnerships with the community, educational establishments, agencies and employers.

Dimension 9 Promotes well-being and respect

• Promote inclusion, diversity and equality across the school, not only in classroom experiences but also through linked projects or campaigns against racism.
• Ensure pupils develop a very good understanding of the harmful effects of sectarianism, racism and bullying and actively work to place value on the right and responsibilities of individuals.
• Develop programmes that include the effective promotion of pupils’ well-being and respect and in their personal development cover issues of tolerance, respect and social and emotional well-being.
• Have high expectations for mutual respect and tolerance among staff and pupils and ensure all work to develop very good relationships.
• Develop pupils confidence and self-esteem and encourage pupils to be considerate towards others.
• Within an effective set of programmes and approaches to promote pupils’ personal development give appropriate emphasis to combating racism and sectarianism.

Evaluate your current practice using QI 5.6 Equality and fairness.

Appendix 2 Education authorities, schools and other organisations visited

HM Inspectors of Education would like to thank the following education authorities, schools and organisations for their cooperation.

Schools

• Anderston Primary School and St Patrick’s Primary School, Glasgow
• Forrester High School, City of Edinburgh
• Fox Covert RC Primary School and Fox Covert Primary School, City of Edinburgh
• Glassford Primary School, South Lanarkshire
• Gourock High School and St Columba’s High School, Inverclyde
• James Gillespie’s High School, City of Edinburgh
• Larkhall Academy, South Lanarkshire
• Loch Primary School, South Lanarkshire
• Pirniehall Primary School, City of Edinburgh
• St Andrew’s Primary School and Cumbernauld Primary School, North Lanarkshire
• St Andrews Secondary School and Lochend Secondary School, Glasgow
• St Augustine’s High School, City of Edinburgh
• St Joseph’s College, Dumfries and Galloway
• St Joseph’s Primary School and Broomhouse Primary School, City of Edinburgh
• St Michael’s Primary School, Dumfries and Galloway
• St Mirin’s Primary School and Croftfoot Primary School, Glasgow
• Smithycroft Secondary School, Glasgow
• Stewarton Academy, East Ayrshire

Education authorities

• Glasgow City Council
• North Lanarkshire Council
• South Lanarkshire Council
• City of Edinburgh Council
• Dumfries and Galloway Council
• Inverclyde Council

Agencies and other organisations

• Nil By Mouth
• Polmont Young Offenders Institution
• Celtic Football Club
• Rangers Football Club
• The Centre for Education in Race Equality in Scotland
• St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art
• Sense Over Sectarianism
• The Mark Scott Foundation

A good range of resources to support anti-sectarianism can be found on the don’t give it, don’t take it website at www.ltscotland.org/antiseactarian

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