London Primary Faith Linking
Shared Futures, part of The Three Faiths Forum, supported three faith schools to forge meaningful connections between their pupils using excellent curriculum practice.
This is an account of the early experiences of this three-way link, from the points of view of the children, teachers, head teachers and parents. It tells the story of the passion of the adults involved and it documents the shift in attitudes towards linking of some parents.
Background
The three faith schools involved in the linking programme, a Jewish Orthodox Primary, a Muslim Primary and Church of England Primary, are all situated in North London, within a mile of each other.
Until recently, the children had little reason to meet or interact. Then Three Faiths Forum (3FF) invited them to join a Shared Futures school linking programme, a model based on the methodology of SLN.
The emphasis of Shared Futures is ‘less about making friends and more about learning to be friendly’. Staff and parents recognised the importance of providing the children with the opportunity to meet people from different religious and cultural backgrounds in a structured, carefully planned year-long project.
The first step was taken when the head teachers from these schools met to discuss linking. They believed that such a strategy would add depth and breadth to each school’s curriculum, as well as helping the children make a positive contribution to wider society in the future.
A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
“After all the hard work convincing people, the moment when we physically went through the gates of the Muslim school felt ground breaking. We were treated with such incredible warmth and respect and there were such amazing questions from the children. When the children walked into our school, it was such an honour to welcome them. The best role modelling was when the Islamia and North West staff taught alongside each other. The Islamia director and I always hug now, not shake hands. It is about role modelling at an adult level. For me it has been the best, most worthwhile thing I have ever done.” Rabbi Daniel Kerbel, Head Teacher, Jewish Orthodox Primary
“I feel particularly positive about the project, as does the class teacher. It has helped us, as senior staff, to know one another locally. We can walk to one another’s building. It is part of the everyday things that we do now. This project helps children to make a positive contribution. There are many, many reasons to continue.” Senior Teacher, Church of England Primary.
“The experience has been truly life-changing. As both Jewish and Muslim children played a game of rounders in Queens Park, joggers, passersby and strolling mothers had to look twice at the unusual sight.” Senior Teacher, Muslim Primary.
“Children will remember these encounters for the rest of their lives and will never forget such experiences. Reflection helps children to develop transferable skills about relationships and it is significant that they are learning to have critical faculties as early as Year 5 and 6.” Educational Psychologist, Shared Futures Volunteer.
Perceived Challenges & New Potential
Linking between faith schools can be complex. Religious bodies hold views about the integrity of interpretation of faith within these schools. Parents and school governors may question linking and have concerns that it could cause confusion for pupils.
Challenges to inter-faith linking can arise once schools have agreed to work together. Partners have to consider how it would feel to experience an environment where objects and rituals, which seem normal to them, may seem strange, frightening or even offensive to those whose daily religious and cultural reference points are very different.
Equity must be created in the process so that all groups benefit in the particular ways that are important to them. 3FF provides teachers with training and support. The organisation combines sound principles of school linking from SLN, with their expertise in inter-faith work. Careful work is needed to build trust between schools and to demonstrate that this work can enhance a sense of identity.
The leaders of these schools recognised the importance of encouraging pupils to have meaningful interaction with people from other faiths whom they live alongside. The head teachers understood the responsibility they had to help pupils to develop critical thinking skills. They were keen to teach pupils to weigh first-hand experiences with what they see or hear from others, including the media, and to help pupils form their own considered opinions of themselves, others and the wider world.
Pupils were able to develop confidence in a secure, though unfamiliar setting. The children were able to explore how their faith might look from the outside and to reflect on what their own faith meant to them.
Activities
Teachers chose activities that were an important part of the curriculum and which enabled pupils to relate to one another. On early visits students from each school led sessions to teach visitors about their own faith and to encourage questions. These sessions help to develop speaking and listening skills, as well as engagement in citizenship, art and religious education.
Examples of Shared Activities
Circle games, the Jewish story of Purim, making clay Chanukah decorations, the story of Queen Esther, stories relating to Christmas, faith customs such as food and decorations, outdoor play, football, cricket, information exchange about each school, science lessons, story-based art and sharing songs.
Freedom Bird
A story from Thailand, which tells the tale of how all attempts to stop a bird from singing fail, was introduced as a shared activity. Children worked in mixed groups to make tissue-paper puppets of the freedom bird, to dramatise their re-telling of the story. An observer commented that the behaviour and engagement of pupils was excellent. Teachers demonstrated clarity and confidence about working collaboratively. This success exemplified a key aim of SLN, to support the professional development of teachers through training and provide opportunities for them to work alongside one another.
From Vision to Reality
- Head teachers met and a shared vision was initiated with approval from governors.
- Schools communicated aims and outline of work to parents
- Three Faiths Forum selected to organise the linking project Link Teachers trained to lead the project.
- Linking work commenced supported by the 3FF facilitator Parents invited to share learning with the children.
Voices of Children
Conversation Starters Used in Reflection Sessions & Children’s Responses
Before meeting the children from the other school you felt?
“Worried that they would say something negative about my religion.” “Rather anxious but interested.” “Excited, because I had so many things to share.”Something you found easy on the day was?
“Finding things we have in common with them.” “Playing games together.” “When we got here, it didn’t feel like we were in another school; it felt normal.”Your favourite activity was?
“The linking bingo activity because you got to find out what you had in common with them.” “Playing football in mixed teams.”Something you found difficult was?
“Walking into their school.” “Seeing them go when they had only been there for a really short time because they seemed very nice and kind.”Something new you have felt?
“How people can be different from how you thought.” “Why Muslim girls wear scarves around their hair.” “That showing our religion is not an embarrassment.”One question you wish you had asked?
“How did you feel before we came here?” “Do you want to be my friend?” “How do you remember all the prayers and movements?”Something that surprised you?
“They like the same games we like.” “When we demonstrated how we pray I thought the Rabbi would hate it but when I looked at him I saw him smiling.”Meeting the children from the other school made you think that?
“Nobody is exactly the same but nobody is very different.” “They are kinder than I thought.” “I can play with people from other religions.”Something you would do differently next time we meet?
“To be in fours rather than in pairs.” “Have more time to chat and play more games.” “I want it to be much, much longer!”Reflections & Controversial Issues
While the schools had an agreement that politics was not the focus of the link and that they would start to build relationships gently with open minds, it is impossible to separate the outside world from what is happening in schools. Indeed the very reason for linking is to break through common misconceptions.
The project supports teachers in dealing with controversial issues and encourages them to facilitate conversations that encourage critical thinking.
Children are given confidence to say what they think and feel during reflection sessions, as well as to be respectful when meeting the other schools.
Here are families that historically have experienced conflict but also have an understanding of how to bridge the divide through connecting with one another. Parents, teachers and children seemed to share the same views and perspectives but sensitivities can arise.
A Palestinian boy, whose father had told him all Jews were bad and had stolen their land, was angry and not keen to meet Jewish children. The boy’s teacher explained that he must never disrespect his father, but that he was entitled to form his own views. After meeting some Jewish children, the boy was more reflective, saying “Now he had met some Jewish children and liked them, he could see the situation was more complicated than he had thought.
Parents of boys from North West Jewish Day School and Christchurch Primary discussed family heritage… An Iraqi family had a Jewish grandmother and a Jewish family had a connection by marriage to a Muslim. They later reflected “When you watch the news you can have a sense of separation and then you recognise the humanity. Something like this, you know, being in the same classroom, helps to dissolve the differences. It’s quite a subtle way of doing it but it’s worth it.”
One Muslim parent said to their child “Show them that we are not all terrorists”.
A Palestinian boy, whose father had told him all Jews were bad and had stolen their land, was angry and not keen to meet Jewish children. The boy’s teacher explained that he must never disrespect his father, but that he was entitled to form his own views. After meeting some Jewish children, the boy was more reflective, saying “Now he had met some Jewish children and liked them, he could see the situation was more complicated than he had thought.”
