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ITEM LC16

LEARNING & CULTURE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE –
2 DECEMBER 2003

SUMMARY REPORT FOR FAITH SCHOOLS SCRUTINY REVIEW

 

Aims of the Review:

  • to develop a briefing document for County Councillors on faith secondary schools in general and in particular on the background, context and implications of the request from the Muslim community to set up a voluntary aided school

  • to assess what further work might be required, in the light of the briefing document produced.

What we have done:

Stage One:

This consisted of a review of existing research, work done in other authorities, and production of a background paper, to highlight relevant issues.

Stage Two:

This involved:

  • interviews with ten sets of expert witnesses and stakeholders; and

  • a visit to a Muslim Voluntary Aided school in Birmingham

as a result of which a range of possibilities have been identified for further exploration and discussion.

Where we have got to so far:

We have gathered a wide range of information (statistics, examples of practice in other situations, and background) to give intellectual rigour to discussions. It appears that there are very many reasons why it will be necessary to consider changes to current policy and practice. We now need to gather further information, and have the opportunity to test out the feasibility, implications and desirability of our embryonic ideas.

Where we go from here:

Stage Three was originally intended to involve primary research, with an Urdu speaking researcher going to speak to individual members and small groups within the Muslim community and/or using other means to establish the level of possible demand.

It appears from information that we have gathered so far that this would probably produce results no more likely to be reliable than to project the results based on statistical information available from similar research which has been conducted elsewhere.

We now propose that the third stage will consist of a further stage of interviews with expert witnesses and stakeholders, including these working in and with a close knowledge of local schools, to gather further information and to start to test out responses to, and feasibility of, the ideas developed so far.

November 2003

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