Meeting documents

Children's Services Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday, 11 July 2006

CH110706-06

Return to Agenda

ITEM CH6

CHILDREN’S SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – 11 JULY 2006

‘FAITH SCHOOLS’: Scrutiny Review~ Evaluation 12 months on

The Executive made decisions in respect of the recommendations from this Scrutiny Review on 24 July 2004 and 19 July 2005; it is now your chance to hold the Cabinet to account for what it has done since last year. In view of this it was felt that you may wish for some support- the attached paper is an attempt to provide this.

Reminder: the main points of the review were:-

Its objectives: To

  • Gather a wide range of information/responses from many sources and the implications of these for existing schools and the community as a whole.

  • Consider the local and national context in relation to the education of Muslim pupils and provision of faith-based secondary education.

  • Provide a briefing paper to guide the County Council’s medium-to long-term response to these and related issues and;

  • Make recommendations.

Among the key themes that arose were:

    • Secondary Education for Muslim pupils had been identified by members as a key issue in some local communities, especially in Oxford City.

    • The focus of the Review was Religious Faith. However the Review Group found it difficult to separate questions of religion from those of culture.

    • Religious Faith has a low profile in many Secondary Schools. Among the reasons for this were:

    1. Many pupils belief that religion is unimportant.

    2. Concern about possible indoctrination.

    3. Numerous other priorities and agendas.

    4. Teachers’ wishes to avoid highlighting difference.

    • There are wider social implications, beyond the education of Muslim pupils and faith-based secondary schools, raising important questions for children and young people of all faiths or none and for all schools, in relation to understanding religious faith and faiths.

    • The Children’s Services Committee acknowledged the strength of the ‘equity’ argument put to it during the review, if one faith can have its own schools, then so should others e.g. Roman Catholic and Church of England.

    • 1/3 of Secondary Schools are voluntary in status and denominational in character, most of them Christian in foundation, this reflects historical rather than current patterns of religious attendance and arguably belief.

  • The main arguments for the provision of Muslim Schools, set out by the local Islamic Community were:

    1. A concern at the lack of academic attainment.

    2. The maintenance of cultural identity.

    3. The nurturing of faith and Islamic values.

    4. The lack of parental choice, especially for single sex provision, especially for girls and specifically in Oxford following the closure of Milham Ford Upper School. This relates to the wish for boys and girls to be educated separately.

    5. The equity argument that Muslims should be entitled to such provision if this is available to other faiths.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Each recommendation listed below is followed by the relevant Cabinet decision where this is appropriate. Where no comment was made in relation to a specific recommendation by the Cabinet, the comment is taken from a report by Keith Bartley (Director of Children, Young People & Families) (Agenda item CA15 to the Cabinet on 19 July 2005) who was asked by the Cabinet to review the Scrutiny Review group’s recommendations.

R1 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to adopt the following statement:

Oxfordshire County Council is aware of the history of concern from the Muslim community and other faith communities within Oxfordshire about the role of education in supporting children and young people's religious faith. While recognising the current position in relation to the provision of Voluntary Schools, the County Council does not believe that support for the setting up of a state funded Muslim secondary school in Oxfordshire is currently appropriate.

However, the County Council affirms its belief that:

  • all schools have a major role in promoting social cohesion and combating prejudice and intolerance;
  • social cohesion involves welcoming diversity, including diversity of religious affiliation;
  • schools must strive to be as inclusive and as sensitive as possible to the needs, related religious belief and practice, of children and young people from any particular faith tradition, or from none;
  • social cohesion, inclusivity and sensitivity in terms of religious belief requires a commitment from those who lead, manage and work in schools, those in the County Council who support them and faith communities, working in partnership, to:
  • ensure that schools avoid indoctrination and proselytising, while taking active steps to support the faith and values of children and young people of all faiths;
  • be aware of the needs of children and young people of different faiths and take active steps to meet these, both in pastoral and curricular provision;
  • Strive for greater sensitivity and improved practice through professional development, training and discussion;
  • Recognise that such measures are necessary to contribute to the well-being and sense of identity of many children and young people whose needs are not currently being fully met and have the potential to complement the search for higher standards of achievement;

and to incorporate the relevant sections of such a statement in the next revision of the LEA's Curriculum Vision Statement.

The Executive Accepted this recommendation on 20 July 2004: Subject to deleting ‘currently appropriate’ in line 7 and inserting the words ‘viable at present.

The Executive again Accepted this recommendation on 19 July 2005: Circulate the "Principles" as agreed by the Executive on 20 July 2004, this as an aid for head teachers, governing bodies, and local communities to make any decision regarding Faith in their school and additionally that copies of ‘A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire’ be made available on request to schools.

R2 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to prepare and circulate guidelines within the framework set out in Annex F for head teachers and governors to consider, in the following areas:

  1. adaptation of curricular provision or adoption of modules to provide specific support for the child's faith, culture and language, including:
    • Sex Education within single-sex or single-faith groupings;
    • Collective Worship and Religious Education sensitive to pupils of different faith communities and of none, involving, as appropriate, faith leaders or members from a range of different faiths and, where necessary, enhancing the provision of RE in schools;
    • provision for Modern Foreign Languages, such as Arabic, Urdu or Hebrew, and for an Islamic Studies course or similar courses to support members of specific faith communities, and potentially other pupils;
    • the possibility of single-sex provision for one or more classes in mixed-sex schools, maybe in particular subjects.
  1. improvements to pastoral care structures, including:
    • reviewing policies on bullying /abuse especially where this relates to race, culture or religion in line with Oxfordshire County Council's Comprehensive Equality Policy;
    • Sensitivity in such matters as changing and washing facilities and social events such as raffles and discos.
  1. the possibility of specific provision for pupils from particular faith communities, including:
    • special dietary requirements and flexibility of uniform, where appropriate, for religious reasons;
    • enabling authorised absence on religious holidays and avoiding exams on such days;
    • appropriate room(s) set aside for prayer where possible, to enable prayer at specific times, or at a time of the pupils' choosing;
    • availability of faith leaders to offer appropriate support for pupils; and
    • additional instruction to support their specific faith outside the school day but on school premises;
  1. the implications, to enable these to happen, for:
    • staff development for all staff, both teaching and support staff, to increase levels of sensitivity and knowledge;
    • recruitment of staff, governors and mentors from a range of faith communities represented at the school;
    • links with other schools, both private and maintained, to share resources and expertise such as for training and teaching of subjects which cannot be taught within existing staffing/ timetabling.

The Executive Accepted this recommendation on 19 July 2005; all schools to be circulated, in checklist format, with the framework guidelines.

R3 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to urge each secondary school to consider the formation of a group, or adaptation of the remit of an existing one, such as an Equal Opportunities group, for regular discussion of how such guidelines can best be implemented, monitor the implementation and consider other appropriate possibilities within the school's context.

Keith Bartley recommended in his report to the Cabinet on 19 July 2005: A decision on the recommendation that each school be urged to establish a group to implement and monitor the guidelines therefore needs to await the decision on the production of such guidelines.

R4 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to ask the Learning & Culture Directorate (in consultation, where appropriate, with other Directorates and agencies) to consider the implications of this report in relation to the following areas and to make appropriate recommendations to the Executive:

  1. linking provision for religious faith with relevant aspects of:
    • the implementation plans for meeting Public Service Agreements targets, such as those on the achievement of ethnic minority groups;
    • the Education Development Plan; and
    • the Monitoring Quality Review process.
  1. promoting greater involvement of members of faith communities within the mentoring scheme;
  2. using the Youth Service, Adult & Community Learning, the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) team and other relevant parts of Cultural Services, including the Museum Service, in supporting children and young people's religious and cultural identity, as a core element of their wider development as citizens;
  3. providing resources to support teachers in areas related to religious faith; and
  4. enhancing the awareness of heads, teachers, officers, advisers and governors through professional development and training.

Keith Bartley recommended that: This recommendation is a conglomeration of five actions which need to be responded to separately:

(1) PSA targets for attainment cease in summer 2005. They are determined by central government through the DfES and make no reference to faith. Negotiations are being opened with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for a Local Area Agreement for Oxfordshire to commence in April 2006 but the guidance on the CYPP element is that it should focus on the partnership priorities with the CYPP, which does not make faith in schools a priority.

The Education Development Plan is about to cease and will be replaced by the CYPP. The Monitoring Quality Review process is firmly based upon the Ofsted School Evaluation Form (SEF), which makes no direct reference to faith. From September 2005, all schools are required by Ofsted and DfES to have a completed SEF in place in readiness for inspection at short notice. From September 2006, nationally accredited School Improvement Partners (SIPs) will undertake monitoring and evaluation of schools, based in part upon the SEFs. At present there is no indication that there will be a specific focus on faith issues.

(2), (3) Services including the Youth Service, Adult and Community Learning, Ethnic Minority Achievement Service and the Museum Service are mindful of Oxfordshire County Council’s Comprehensive Equality Policy and the need to address the needs of all groups, including minority ethnic groups. Notions of ethnicity are largely socially constructed and are based on shared cultural values and norms that distinguish one group from another. This sense of distinction can be highlighted by a number of factors including language, history, ancestry, religion and styles of dress. Ethnicity and faith are not necessarily interchangeable terms. Further training for staff in these services would be required to enhance their knowledge of faith communities.

(4) The provision to schools of commercially produced resources (books, artefacts, etc) has a financial implication for the central budget. Such resources would need to be available in conjunction with future guidelines issued to schools.

(5) Trainers with the necessary background, knowledge and skills would be required to make training and professional development available.

R5

The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to discuss with the relevant Diocesan Authorities and governing bodies of existing VA schools the reservation of a percentage of places in VA schools for pupils from outside the sponsoring faith community; and to encourage this in discussions about any future VA secondary schools.

Keith Bartley recommended that: At present there are two Roman Catholic VA and no Church of England VA secondary schools in Oxfordshire. In June 2004, the co-opted member representing the Roman Catholic Church on Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee reported that, by the terms of their Deeds, Trustees were unable to reserve places for pupils who were not of the Catholic faith if this would result in pupils of that faith being unable to attend that school.

R6

The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to approach bodies such as SACRE and faith communities to consider how they can work in partnership with schools and the Directorates of the County Council to help in implementing these recommendations, especially through the identification and training of appropriate members of faith communities to work with schools.

Keith Bartley recommended: The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) is a statutory body under the 1996 Education Act which is required to advise the local education authority on matters connected with religious worship and religious education in schools. Its membership includes representatives drawn from Christian denominations and other religions and religious denominations of such religions as well as the local education authority. Some of these representatives serve in a voluntary capacity. A meeting of the relevant Cabinet Members with these representatives may be considered appropriate to explore how some or all of these recommendations might be taken forward, including the specific issues raised by R8.

R7 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to draw to the attention of the Teacher Training Agency the importance of all teachers in training being aware of, and sensitive to, the needs of children and young people from all faith communities and of none in relation to religious faith (as a core element of individuals' moral framework and development as citizens) and the possible curricular and pastoral implications.

Keith Bartley recommended: From 1 September 2005, the Teacher Training Agency will be renamed the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). The TDA will be responsible for overseeing the initial training of teachers. It is suggested that a letter should be sent to the TDA on behalf of the Cabinet to draw to their attention that such training should, in addition to what is currently provided, be mindful of needs of pupils both of faith communities and of none.

R8 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to set up a meeting with members of the Muslim community, members of other faith communities and County Councillors to discuss the implications of this review and ways in which these partners can contribute to the implementation of the recommendations.

See R6.

R9 The Committee RECOMMENDS the Executive to establish a working group to monitor progress on these recommendations, to meet with officers and the portfolio holder as appropriate, and report to the February 2005 meeting of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee.

Keith Bartley recommended: The Cabinet is invited to consider whether to set up a group to monitor progress in the light of its decisions on the substantive recommendations.

FAITH IN SCHOOLS: POSSIBLE GENERAL LINES OF ENQUIRY

SPECIFIC

  • What has been done in response to the decision on 19 July 2005 for all schools to be circulated highlighting, in checklist format, the framework guidelines, based on the findings of the Scrutiny Review? Were the principles agreed on 20 July 2004, as amended, circulated to all schools and/or other groups in Learning & Culture or other directorates?

  • What else has been done further to the decisions of 20 July 2004 and 19 July 2005?

  • How were schools made aware of ‘The Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire’? How many requests for this have been received

  • When were any relevant letters circulated?

Please supply copies to Committee members for reference purposes.

TRAINING

  • What specific training for staff and/or governors has been conducted in relation to the principles/framework guidelines on faith-related issues?

  • Have new training methods or approaches been introduced, or are there plans to improve the ‘faith- sensitive’ element in other training?

Please supply examples for either or both of these.

NATIONAL & COMMUNITY RELEVANCE OF THE REVIEW

  • What has been done by OCC in relation to the general thrust of the Review and the broad issues that it covered during the past 12 months?

  • In particular, given that the Review was prompted by the Muslim community’s request for support for a secondary school and a large meeting with them was convened in October 2003, what steps have been taken to liaise with, and build the confidence of, that community?

GENERAL

  • Given the coverage that the Faith Schools Review received in the national media, coupled with the relevance of the Review and community interest and engagement, do you think that the then Executive or the new Cabinet could have used the Recommendations in the report more effectively?

  • Was the Review worth doing? Why do you think that?

  • How could the Committee improve the conduct of future reviews in such a way as to make it likely that the recommendations are considered most promptly and sympathetically by the Cabinet?

Return to TOP