Step Five discusses how the school can develop relationships with the school community and why it needs to.
Who is our school community?
Your school is part of a larger community – the community in which the school is situated. It is important that governing bodies recognise this, and make every effort to get the community involved in schools. That way, there will be give and take. If the community sees that the school is trying to provide the best education possible for its children, then it will want to do a lot to help the school, especially in the areas of raising funds that may not otherwise be available.
Think about all the people who might constitute your school community and write them down. Draw up a list of those in your school community who already help your school and how. Who else in the local community could help the school, and how?
People in the school community who help the school. How do they help?
People in the school community who could help the school. How could they help?
Your school community may consist of:
the teachers
the learners
parents
non-teaching staff
local business people
local police, health and welfare services.
How do we get our school community involved?
It will be useful to get the school community involved in the work of the governing body. This will lighten the workload. This means that the governing body should try to learn about the needs of the community and the activities carried out by the community.You should also ensure that the school community knows what you are doing and why. This means that members of the community need to be able to get information easily about the school and governing body.Where and when can a person get information about the school? Is this information easily available? How do people know if it’s available?One way of providing this information is through a school prospectus (or brochure) which gives:
the school’s aims, address and telephone numbers
the names of the office bearers of the governing body
the major decisions of the governing body
the school’s policy
information about security
the school’s code of conduct
the school’s vision and mission.
How do we strengthen ties between the school and the community?
Learners can create and strengthen community links in a number of ways. They come from the community, are young and have energy, and can give a lot to the community.
Which of the following links do learners have with the community as part of their life at school?
Do they help with community organisations?
Do they visit places in the community (such as the police station, hospitals, etc.) as part of their learning?
Do some of them work part-time in the community?
Are they involved in fundraising projects?
Can you think of other ways?
Parents can also give support. Many parents may not want to be on the governing body, but are happy to help the school in other ways. For example, parents may be able to organise events, raise funds, write brochures or design them, do some typing, help with painting, etc.
Think about how involved the parents in your school community are:
Do they know about the work of the school and its needs?
Do they attend meetings?
What can be done to encourage them to attend meetings and events?
The wider community can participate in events such as sports days, school fetes or by allowing them to use your facilities for their activities.Adult education programmes can also draw the community into the life of the school.
The education department can also be a resource and local education officials may form part of your school’s community. They are often responsible for helping schools in their area by providing support and guidance to the principal and the governing body.
Do you know who the local official responsible for your school is?
How often do you meet with him or her?
What kind of written or other communication do you share?
Teachers who are not on the governing body may also be happy to help. They can also provide information and expertise about the work of governing bodies.
How often do you meet with teachers?
Do you give regular feedback about the governing body’s activities?
Do you include them in your activities?
Governing bodies are accountable to the community. The members of the governing body represent different parts of the school community. In addition, the school community usually contributes time and money to the school and is interested in what happens. The governing body needs to take responsibility for communicating with stakeholders regularly.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, October 2001.
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