Re-conceptualising School Research

Within this research the school, the location and the people involved in the interviews will remain confidential.

The content includes analysis of the Ofsted Inspection Report, which will help to measure the success of the teaching techniques that connect religious studies to citizenship.

There are indicative points that assist in identifying social cohesion in tandem with Bellah’s ideas on social religion.

The Ofsted Inspection Report also mentions that the staff and the governors understand the social circumstances of the community where there are different learning needs from the pupils (Appendix III, p.2). The school provides for this situation.

It states that at the starting point it is below average, but averages out towards Year 6. This represents good achievement and the bi-lingual children have caught up with their peers.

The report states the main reason for this success is the good standards seen in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception).

The report suggests that the school is moving forward and that standards are improved and in line with the national trend, it states “a good attitude towards moral social and cultural development” (Appendix III, p.13).

At Merry Meadows Primary School, pupils have a growing understanding of democracy.

Their views and interests are taken into account for example, family holidays and religious festivals.

The school offers an increasingly broad curriculum and include activities with the aim to forge strong links with members of the wider community (Appendix III, pp4-6).

There is an emphasis on visiting places of educational interests, i.e. trips out, attending clubs.

In this way citizenship is being developed because of their knowledge and attitude towards other people.

The curriculum is effective because it meets the needs and interests of the learners. Leadership sets clear directional guidelines and promote high quality of care and education.

We can evaluate this by noticing the reduction in bullying and it also states there are challenges to any discrimination, “personal development and well being” as reported on page 9 Annex A.

The school does not require special measures, nor does it require a notice to improve (Appendix III, p.10). However, children need to know how well they are doing by checking against their own targets.

The school also needs to measure how quickly children across the whole school are learning and the pupil needs to ask the teachers if they are learning quickly enough.

Apart from these criticisms the Ofsted Inspection Report is favourable and overall the school has been assessed and graded through the use of two words.

The grading is presently under review. In future grading will be more appropriate for the reader, therefore in depth and with the inclusion of a more expansive vocabulary. The grade reported from Ofsted at Merry Meadows was “good school."

The favourable report could support the argument that good citizenship is being implemented at the school and therefore there is the potential to build a pluralist society. It could also be argued that there is a type of civil religion in operation.

For instance, Merry Meadows Primary School has no central theme concerning religious education with the exceptions laid down by the SACRE. Also noted is that during the school morning assembly there is no worship of God. Though, the main focal religious festivals are Easter, Christmas and Eid. Apart from this, religious education is taught by a teacher who has no direct experience of Islam or Judaism. There is no Nativity play at Christmas for the Christians, and the school closes for the Muslim celebration of Eid, due to the most likely event that there would be a state of non-attendance from the Muslim pupils.

It is difficult to see whether the school represents a microcosm of society in a pluralistic form, if we take into consideration Bellah’s comments concerning civil religion in America. He considers the separation of church and state, the political realm and a religious dimension (Bellah, 1991).

Historically, in Britain the Head of the Church is also the Head of the State which includes the statement ‘defender of the faith’.

Symbolism alone without religious scriptures could render holy buildings irrelevant. It is not difficult to see similar parallels with Merry Meadows Primary School where artefacts are explained as part of a person’s religion, while simultaneously ignoring religious worship.

Another parallel is the example of enrichment teaching and learning where visits are made to church buildings, synagogues and Mosques.

These buildings are visited by pupils at Merry Meadows Primary School, for educational reasons, but not for worship.

Understanding other people’s points of view may create citizenship and social cohesion – but it may diminish religious beliefs. Worship, scriptures and church buildings are all anchors to religious faiths.

This can be seen particularly in crisis such as war, where the past standard bearers have stated that ‘God is on our side’.

This statement appears to be applicable to almost all faith.

A discussion concerning theoretical social cohesion

Social cohesion is also illustrated in the burial rites as researched by Bowlby “in some society the funeral is the most important of all social ceremonies” (Bowlby, 1986, p.126). Firth (1961) postulates that mourning is an interchange of goods and services between groups, family and friends.

This also illustrates social cohesion. However, all societies vary in their funeral rites. In Great Britain a person does not have to be a regular worshiper of any religion to attend a burial. Yet their attendance means they are part of the burial rites.

The influence of media

Modern mass media and social media can promote negative or positive images of other people’s views, cultures, religion and practices. Understanding forced and arranged marriages at a curriculum level prevents misunderstanding later on.

Children may learn more about global issues from biased points of view promoted by the correspondence of self interest and sensationalism. The ignorance of other people’s way of life can be exploited through the various media. Archer suggests the modern media blurs the distinction for some people, (Archer, 1999, p.225). The message is portrayed in a negative form which prevents social cohesion.

Geopolitical analysis

Merry Meadows Primary School evidently has a high percentage of Asian pupils. Previously noted above there is also an absence of any deity. Further, there is an emphasis on religious festivals as separate celebrations rather than one unifying celebration.

The explanation of artefacts without even a common theme or scriptures provokes the idea of a civil citizenship. In addition moral principles of citizenship are promoted through the SACRE.

However, the school does not explain the rationale behind the concept of citizenship other than in terms of spiritually and psychological good health.

Establishments have the choice to suggest that Christ was a person of moral principle with citizenship because the society we live in includes political correctness as a check against intolerance.

The children at Merry Meadows Primary School may need to see God as a unifying force for good.

However, is there resistance against other people’s religions? I note that the SACRE has no mention of a unifying force for good. Interestingly it appears that it does it take into account that Asian families have a shared interest through historical ties of the British Commonwealth.

Geographically the population of East India was predominantly Muslim and had experienced British rule through a shared history.

However, a shared history is not reflected in the Towns local religious studies.

If explained, my opinion is the children might potentially understand the reasons why the different cultures share the same school and possible the same God but worship a different prophet Bellah’s idea of civil religion includes a reason for social cohesion, “to make us friendly to one another” (Bellah, 1991) However, it may deplete religious and political beliefs.

We may be friendly to one another by putting aside our political and religious beliefs. Although, sometimes it is the tension between us that helps us grow and stay together, for example, the tension within the class system.

It could be argued that without the need for scriptures, rituals and worship, that what we are left with is what all societies have in common.

We may share a common, language; fire, rules regulating sexual behaviour and rules concerning the disposal of the dead, together with the appropriate behaviour of mourners (Bowlby 1986, p.126).

It could be further argued that if citizenship is the main aim of the curriculum rather than the teachings and worship of Christianity at Merry Meadows Primary School then the school has achieved citizenship at the expense of religious education.

To gain an insight into the teacher’s opinions on the success of the National Framework and their teaching techniques, I carried out two interviews with members of the teaching staff at Merry Meadows Primary School.

I have detailed below the questions and answers for each interview. The interviews within my articles concerning The Local Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, offers support for this research.

In summary, the research here includes an analysis of the Ofsted Inspection Report, a discussion concerning theoretical social cohesion, the influence of Media and a geopolitical analysis of Merry Meadows Primary School together with Bellah’s idea of civil religion.

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