188 pages
250mm x 168mm, photos
ISBN-10: 1 85856 259 7
ISBN-13: 978 185856 259 9
August 2003

This book shows how a multi-ethnic urban primary school can meet rigourous Government targets when policy and practice are underpinned by social justice. Three school, all with recent Ofsted reports praising their inclusivity and their constantly rising academic achievement, have submitted themselves to further scrutiny for this book.
Tony cotton brings the schools to life as he 'walks' round them, and he intersperses his account with the words of the headteachers, teachers, pupils, parents and governors and with selected school documents to illustrate the egalitarian and collaborative way in which each is run. By showing how a collaborative ethos of the kinds he has found here has turned each into a successful school on all counts, he has provided a model for what community primary schools can be and a handbook for supporting development.

The book explores

evolving a vision for a school
school development planning
assemblies and religious activity
the school council
performance (such as multilingual productions of Macbeth and The Tempest)
staff management
behaviour policy
assessing achievement
attacking racism
the work of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team

This handbook will be invaluable on courses for aspiring and recently appointed headteachers and will also interest experienced headteachers and educational policy makers. Primary teachers will find much to enhance their practice.

Dr Tony Cotton works in the School of Education, University of Nottingham, and is Chair of Governors at Mellor Community Primary School, where Jasbir Mann was the Headteacher. Anna Hassan is Headteacher of Millfields and Stella Nickolay a senior teacher at Radford Primary School.

Cotton offers some amazing examples of what can be done to improve not only urban multicultural schools, but all primaries.
It will prove invaluable to student teachers and their lecturers. Those responsible for mentoring trainees and newly qualified colleagues will find it a useful guide to requirements and helpful in focusing support. - Times Educational Supplement

It is a book that will provide both inspiration and guidance for all who want a school community to thrive through a commitment to social justice. - Teaching Mathematics.