Teachernet, Using indicators to monitor and evaluate cohesion

Using indicators to monitor and evaluate cohesion

Measuring cohesion
There are no definitive measures to monitor and evaluate cohesion, but bringing together the quantitative and qualitative data that is already available can help. Indicators that relate to the local communities, as well as the school, can be used to clarify how the school reflects and relates to its local context. As this work develops, some schools may wish to review the data that is available and look at whether any other indicators should be gathered to assess changing needs and progress towards meeting them.

What types of information are relevant to community cohesion work?
More detailed lists of specific indicators are available from this resource, but it is helpful to consider first the main categories of information. Availability of data will differ from school to school, but in general, all schools will have, as a starting point, information on three basic indicators:

the levels of equality in attainment, access and participation
incidents of bullying, harassment and bad behaviour
the perceptions of the students, parents and other stakeholders about whether the school is a safe and cohesive place where everyone gets on well.

Types of information that help form a clear picture
Schools may wish to consider assessing whether all groups within the school's community are able to benefit from the school's provision equally and to identify local needs more fully:

the profile or nature of the individuals that make up the school population
the profiles of school staffing, leadership and governance
the profile of people who live in the local communities
the average attainment levels and achievements of different groups
trends, migrations, changes in the local population and in the school roll
attendance and participation at school
incidents of bullying, harassment and bad behaviour
participation rates in enrichment and other optional activities (clubs, trips, teams, school productions, out of hours activities etc.)
community participation in school events (parents' consultation and other activities)
evidence of feelings, views, awareness, attitudes and experiences collected from people in stakeholder groups
interactions between people from different backgrounds in and around the school (observation of social, informal groupings and classroom seating etc.)
measures of the range and quality of relevant school provision and events (i.e. effectiveness of learning programmes, responses to cohesion initiatives)

Helpful information from local authorities
Local authorities undertake analysis of the local community, including indicators of multiple deprivation and economic status. In some cases these are available on a school catchment or post-code basis. Schools may want to use the data available from their local authorities, in their information gathering process and to help inform their cohesion plans and priorities.

Using 'hard' and 'soft' indicators
'Hard' indicators are categories of information that can be measured numerically, for example the home languages recorded in the school records.

'Soft' indicators are sources of information that are descriptive, for example views of students on levels of bullying in the school, comments from parents about the welcoming nature of the school.

Using a portfolio to keep track of cohesion work
It is up to each school to decide how to collate and select its evidence to show how it meets the new duty. Some schools will wish to establish a portfolio for information about the school's work on cohesion. This can then be used to gather a wide range of relevant information including:

audits conducted within school and across the community
key information collected to assess school and local community needs (e.g. evidence of trends and changes in the local population)
examples of consultation activities that have engaged stakeholders
monitoring records and other evidence from school initiatives that contribute to cohesion
action plans for cohesion work

A community cohesion portfolio can help organise information and allow senior leaders to keep track of progress, make judgements and plan priorities. However schools may have more appropriate methods to keep track of cohesion work within their existing monitoring procedures. The following resources may be useful in developing a portfolio and in determining which indicators to use.

Related pages and downloads

Last updated: 29 September 2008