Shared Education

Our Shared Blog

Hi guys! Welcome to our Shared Education blog. Hope you enjoy! Shared Education is when two schools, two clubs or two communities come together for shared learning. We share and learn new things about each other. For example: Our cultures, identities, nationalities, discrimination, ageism and stereotyping.

We also do Izak9 and arts & crafts. We come together to learn about what is right and wrong. The classes we take together are making us stronger and smarter so we can go and do just fine in life. And the only way to do it is to work together!

We have so many cool trips together, it is mind blowing!

We are not the only schools in the world who work together. But we would like more schools to do Shared Education. It is such a shame that so many schools and clubs don’t get the chance to do Shared Education. We absolutely love it!

THANKS FOR READING, BYE.

Hart Memorial

and

Presentation Primary Schools

Shared Education Mission Statement

The collaboration between both school communities, in a fun learning environment, will empower our young people with the skills and capabilities to make informed choices and contribute positively to an increasingly diverse and inclusive society.

(Created By The Shared School Council September 2015)

CRED is a statutory part of the NI Curriculum. Hart Memorial Primary School and Presentation Primary School will continue to work together to deliver this element of the curriculum in as real a context as possible. We are also embarking on a Shared Education project over the next 3 years and will be taking part in 9 shared lessons altogether: 6 with a PDMU focus and 3 with a numeracy focus.

The programme aims to:

• Equip young people with the skills and personal capabilities to deal with the challenges of living in an increasingly diverse and complex society
• Enhance the quality of the teaching of the Personal Development & Mutual Understanding (PDMU) area of learning, part of the statutory N Ireland curriculum, in a range of cross community settings through the sharing of teacher expertise
• Encourage school communities to share their delivery of the N Ireland curriculum with particular reference to PDMU, strand 2
• Facilitate the sharing of resources between schools including teacher knowledge and expertise

We wish all stakeholders to have an awareness of and, where possible, an active share in this positive collaboration.

Shared Education Coordinator: Mrs Lucy McEvoy

Shared Education Parents Focus Group:

Ms Donnelly

Ms Prentice

Ms Cardoso

Mrs Molloy

If you have any suggestions, ideas or queries please let any of the above people know; any feedback is valued.

During 2015/2016 each class will take part in 9 shared lessons together. (6 PDMU based, 3 Numeracy based)

Topics/Themes

P1: Making friends- focusing on Similarities and Differences

P2: Similarities and Differences; race, religion, disability, gender

P3: Identity, friendship and discrimination

P4: Identify; similarities, differences using media initiative DVD and puppets

P5: Flags

P5: Religion

P6; Sports

P7: Cultural Identity; celebrating our cultures, looking at stereotyping, discrimination and ageism

Feedback from Shared Education Parent Questionnaire

PRESENTATION P.S

93/200 Families: 48% return rate

Name (optional): _____________________________________

Year group of child: _______

Hart Memorial and Presentation Primary Schools’ staff and pupils have been working together with great success over the past ten years. Having secured additional funding for the Shared Education Signature Project, we are very keen to make improvements and therefore would appreciate hearing your views on how we can enhance our existing shared education programme.

Please tick who benefits from both schools working together.

Children □ 99.5%     Staff 36.5%

Parents □ 31%      Community □48%

Please feel free to comment on how.

• Learning about other children from different faiths and backgrounds

• They will share different ideas

• Children can communicate with chn form other schools, find friends, solve problems together

• It involves working together

• It’s a great project to bring the 2 communities together-excellent idea

• My daughter has met children outside of school in the pool and knows children now from Hart memorial, widening her circle of friends

Are you happy that your child(ren) are participating in shared classes with their partner school?

Yes 99%          No        Neither 1%           (Please Circle)

Please give reasons for your choice above.

• It is important to integrate chn and educate them so to encourage them to accept diversities within our community.

• Gives them a brighter further

• It’s a great opportunity to make new friendships and also teachers to respect differences

• My children are happy so I am happy

• As child most of my close friends were from other faiths Susan hasn’t experienced this yet so li feel it is beneficial

• Great for cross community within Portadown.Great for kids to respect each other.

• Good to see cross community staring at young age.

• Yes I believe that the children benefit greatly from the opportunity to develop friendships by working together at an early age.Helps to break down the fear factor associated with differences and allows the chn to see on the contrary how similar they are.Staff also benefit by pooling together expertise/resources and learning from each other.

Have you any concerns with your child participating in shared education?

Yes 2.1%                No 97.9%            (Please Circle)

List them below.

• No reasons given

   

Have you any ideas on how we could improve our existing shared education programme?

• I think that this programme is very good from both schools.A bit more visits

• Request more integrated education primary schools

• You could work with another schools to get all school community involve

• No I think yous are doing a good but maybe on the last week of school do something different like a sports competition or even create little groups of kid to do like a dance show or something with Hart Memorial

• No I think you are doing great

• Nothing because they are working together great

Would you be interested in attending in any of your child’s shared education lessons? If so please give your details below.

25.8% stated that they would be interested in attending shared lessons.

Thank you for completing the questionnaire, we will strive to use your ideas to enhance our/your programme!

Feedback from Shared Education Parent Questionnaire

HART MEMORIAL PS

134/340 Families: 39% return rate

Name (optional): _____________________________________

Year group of child: _______

Hart Memorial and Presentation Primary Schools’ staff and pupils have been working together with great success over the past ten years. Having secured additional funding for the Shared Education Signature Project, we are very keen to make improvements and therefore would appreciate hearing your views on how we can enhance our existing shared education programme.

Please tick who benefits from both schools working together.

Children 98.5%      Staff 62%     

Parents 39.5%     Community 51%     

Please feel free to comment on how.

• I believe it helps children accept other religions and cultures.

• Helps children see that we are all the same no matter what schools they go to.

• Everyone benefits from a society which is rich with different cultures so long as stereotypes are challenged and dispelled. I am a big fan as are my children.

• I believe everyone benefits when they work together and that makes children much happier.

• Sharing ideas leads to respect for each other.

• Everyone benefits as it will teach this generation and future generations to stand together instead of being divided.

Are you happy that your child(ren) are participating in shared classes with their partner school?

Yes 97.8%                No    1.5%          Neither 0.7%                    (Please Circle)

Please give reasons for your choice above.

• Teaches children that regardless of their religion or background, we are all equal.

• I feel that it is important for children to learn about each other’s nationality and background.

• Excellent part of my child’s development. I feel very fortunate that Hart Memorial have an interest in doing this.

• Cross community education is key in breaking down prejudice and stereotypes.

• Shows them that everyone is different but equal, preventing racism in the future, hopefully!

• I fully support this as it could bring a better future were people are more tolerant of each other.

Have you any concerns with your child participating in shared education?

Yes 2.3%       No 97.7%                      (Please Circle)

List them below.

• Crossing of children, which young children don’t understand.

• Safeguarding and child protection policies of other schools.

Have you any ideas on how we could improve our existing shared education programme?

• More activities for parents to integrate

• Possibly more meet ups like the one last year in Shamrock Park

• Talk to parents more about what is actually happening when the children meet.

• Teaching common phrases in different languages.

• Shared PE class, playing in teams allows children to be children in a less structured and organised setting.

• Opportunities to participate in after school activities together in a neutral venue. More shared trips.

• Think you are doing an excellent job as it is!

Would you be interested in attending in any of your child’s shared education lessons? If so please give your details below.

Name: ______________

Child’s Name and Class: _________________

29.8% stated that they would be interested in attending their child/children’s shared education sessions.

Thank you for completing the questionnaire, we will strive to use your ideas to enhance our/your programme!