Schools Linking Network

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WDWTWA and the
SCHOOLS LINKING NETWORK
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Aims of SLN

• To develop and deepen children and young peoples
  knowledge and understanding of
• identity/ies, diversity, equality and
  community
• To develop skills of enquiry, critical thinking,
  reflection and communication
• To develop trust, empathy, awareness and respect
• To provide opportunities for children and young
  people to meet, build new relationships,
• work together and contribute to the wider
  community
• To provide opportunities for adults, who work
  with children and young people, to share good
  practice, increase understanding of the issues of
  identity and community in their districts and to
  broaden perspectives

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SLN and WDWTWA

• SLN supports the development of all the WDWTWA
  themes throughout its annual cycles with all the
  schools and LAs it works with across England.
• Schools link in annual cycles, planning work in
  class and in linking events, following themes
  which connect with aspects of WDWTWA.
• SLN uses the framework questions Who am I? Who
  are we? Where do we live? And How do we all live
  together? as the basis for all its projects.
• Some links have one main curriculum focus, others
  are cross-curricular.
• In 07/08, the Bradford Schools Linking Project
  used WDWTWA week as a culmination of a years
  work with 100 schools across the district.

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OVERVIEW OF THE YEAR
Identity work/Begin Reflection
Meeting 1 at a neutral venue
Exchange information
Reflect on 1st meeting
CPD/ Planning
Reflect on information exchange
Autumn
Identity, Diversity, Equality Exchange
information/Reflect
Meeting 3 class visit/neutral venue
Meeting 2 class visit/neutral venue
Reflect on 2nd meeting
Reflect on 3rd meeting
CPD/ Planning
Spring
Identity,Diversity, Equality,Communtiy Exchange
information/Reflect
Meeting 4 class visit/neutral venue
Reflect on 4th meeting
WDWTWA week
CPD/ Planning
SMT plan next year
Summer
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WDWTWA 2007/08
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2008/09

• SLN now supports linking work in the following
  LAs
• Bristol Leicester City
• Barking and Dagenham Wigan
• Cheshire (now E. Cheshire) Gloucestershire
• Derby City and Derbyshire Birmingham
• Wakefield Northamptonshire
• Kirklees Gateshead
• Hull Cornwall
• Leeds North London Schools
• Tower Hamlets International Network
• Lancashire (across 5 boroughs)

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National Activity

• Each of the 24 LAs has up to 20 schools currently
  active which are participating in WDWTWA week
  this year,
• .....Plus at least100 schools in the Bradford
  district, via SLN and other work with Education
  Bradford Diversity and Cohesion team.
• .....Plus 300 schools across the country who are
  currently independently registered on the SLN
  National Gateway.

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How it works

• Linked schools plan their themes for their link
  at CPD sessions and combine delivery of the work
  themselves through the curriculum with working in
  partnership at certain points in the year, with
  other organisations, such as galleries, museums,
  sports providers etc .
• Galleries provide stimulus, e.g. Cartwright Hall
  in Bradfords permanent art collection is now
  hung thematically People, Place and Imagination.
• Wigans Drumcroon Centre has the work of 3
  artists exploring identity as the basis of all
  the school linking work.

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Bradford programme for 2008-09
More schools will be getting involved this term.
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Example of a Bradford project this year
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Example of a Bradford project this year

• Clayton CE and Clayton Village Primary
• Located within the same community
• Linked their school councils to explore the
  theme School and Community
• Began by exploring own identity and then worked
  outwards looking at
• diversity within school and then with each
  other exploring the community
• they share
• Led to discussions around equality a drama
  artist is developing their
• knowledge of childrens rights and democracy
• School councils are ambassadors for the rest of
  their schools
• Working towards a performance at the Theatre in
  the Mill during WDWTWA week for parents and
  members of the local community
• Also contributing to Global Schools Award

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School and CommunityRelationships belonging
Faith
Personal Journeys
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School and CommunityRelationships belonging
Faith

• Students work with collage, montage, textile and
  fine arts, creating mixed media maps. The project
  has direct links to KS3/4 Geography, History, the
  new SEAL agenda (especially self awareness,
  motivation, social skills and identity, and KS3/4
  DT (craft), RE and ICT.
• Maps incorporating appliqué and sewn techniques,
  collage, printmaking and drawn or painted
  elements
• Linking partners contribute to each others maps,
  and assemble them showing the connecting points,
  leading from one partners journey into another
• The final versions of the linked pairs maps
  displayed in an exhibition during the WDWTWA week

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School and CommunityRelationships, Belonging
FaithHistory Settlement

• Bovvered Bout Bradford
• Students conduct a full visit and comparison
  between Bradford City Centre and
  Chester-le-Street
• They develop their photography portfolios in full
  detail
• Edit and develop their video diaries/short films
• During WDWTWA week their video diaries/short
  films will be included in an installation with
  the other BBB panorama and portraiture work. A
  series of detailed photographic prints will also
  be included in the installation

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Who Do We Think We Are?
No identity is formed in an isolated situation,
but rather it is a moment in the process of
interaction.