The Accord Coalition has today launched its Inclusivity Award for 2010. The Award, which was first launched last year, seeks to recognise the achievements of schools that celebrate the diversity of religious and non-religious beliefs within the school and wider community that goes beyond school’s legal requirements on inclusion and equality.
The prestigious Award is open to all state funded schools and was won last year by Manorside Primary School in North London, with runners up being the Anglo-European School in Essex and Balshaw’s Church of England High School in Leyland, Lancashire.
The year’s Award will be judged by another respected and experienced panel of experts including;
• Simon Barrow, co-director of the Christian think-tank Ekklesia and a former assistant general secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
• Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
• Baroness Kishwer Falkner, expert on human rights and multiculturalism.
• Fiona Millar, journalist and education campaigner.
• Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE, minister of the Maidenhead Synagogue and Chair of the Accord Coalition.
The deadline for entries is 5pm on Wednesday 10th November and prizes will be awarded in the New Year. The judges will be looking for schools that have an ethos that celebrates inclusion and that pride themselves on building links within and between communities. The winning school will be announced in the local and national press.
For more details on how the Award will be judged and an application pack please visit the Inclusivity Award web page.
Launching the 2010 Award, Accord Coalition Chair Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain said:
‘Many people sit back complain about the state of our schools. However, The Accord Coalition does the reverse and is committed to seeking out and rewarding those schools that are inclusive, tolerant and transparent.
‘Many schools are remarkably successful at improving cohesion and it is time that those institutions that work hard to build bridges between the different ethnic and religion or belief communities are praised.’
We are really interested in applying for the award having just received the gold award for cultural diversity and on our way to submit for diamond. I cannot access the pack or download the application form. Can you help?
Veronique Gerber
Cranford Community College, Hounslow, West London
This is a wonderful opportunity for schools to showcase the work they are doing within their local communities, and to be recognised for their efforts by a wider audience.
This is something that Biddenham International School and Specialist Sports College will definitely apply for. This really is the kind of ‘competition’ where the taking part is what counts! It will be fantastic to share/borrow/steal/give/lend/have stolen the good practice that takes place in so many schools in the UK and to continue to improve what we are already doing.
Rob Tomalin
Biddenham International School and Specialist Sports College
Bedford