Above: Schools Linking Network logo

School linking is a vehicle for exploring issues of identity, equality, diversity and community and supports schools in fulfilling the new duty to contribute to community cohesion.

Schools may choose to link with other schools in a range of contexts and for a variety of reasons:

• To develop relationships with and understanding of people from different cultures, religions or nationalities
• To learn about a different part of the country
• To learn more about the part of the country they are in
• To develop overseas links and learn about a different country
• To contextualize humanities work
• To develop the global dimension in the curriculum.

There are several ways that school linking can work:

• A school-to-school link involving whole schools, with a range of ongoing activity and contact, both real and virtual
• A school-to-school link involving one class or year group working closely throughout a year with a parallel class in another school (primary)
• A cluster of schools in an area that work together on a specific project relating to their area, e.g. developing a history trail of the area together
• Joint school councils
• Secondary school links through a subject specialism or a particular focus
• Within one school which has a very diverse or rapidly changing population
• Cross-phase links
• Inter-faith links.

All school linking is rooted in the curriculum and provides opportunities for children and young people to explore real issues in their lives. Done well, a school link provides opportunities for genuine discovery and exploration of similarity and difference and supports the development of confidence in young people to express their thoughts and feelings about who they are and their understanding of themselves in relation to others, both in their immediate experience and beyond. The learning involved in a linking project builds social capital because it contributes to a young generation that will be better equipped to deal with the issues they face when they leave school, both socially and in the workplace.

The Schools Linking Network offers support and CPD to schools and local authorities that want to establish linking programmes

Website: www.schoolslinkingnetwork.org.uk
Telephone: 01274 385470