Integration Policy
Rationale
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‘Every teacher, every school manager, board member and trustee, and every educational administrator within the system has a responsibility for helping children to learn to understand and respect each other and their differing customs and traditions and preparing them to live together in harmony in adult life.’
DENI Circular 1982-21
Introduction
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North Coast Integrated College encourages and works towards young people becoming empowered, confident and caring citizens pursuing excellence through integration.
North Coast Integrated College was formed in 1996 by a cross-community group of parents working with support from Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE). The NICIE Statement of Principles has informed the ethos of the college, which has maintained a balanced enrolment of pupils, staff and Governors. North Coast Integrated College mission statement reinforces the belief that integration allows pupils to be confident and caring citizens.
At North Coast Integrated College we believe that integration “….is about cultivating every individual’s self-respect and therefore their respect for other people and other cultures. Integrated Education means bringing children up to live as adults in a pluralist society, teaching them to recognize what they hold in common with each and to accept and enjoy any differences.” (NICIE)
Our Aims
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To provide opportunities for children from different religious, cultural and social backgrounds to develop knowledge, respect, understanding and appreciation of their common culture whilst celebrating diversity in identity and cultural traditions.
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To create a positive moral environment based on tolerance, openness and fairness to enable students to develop a high standard of moral reasoning.
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To encourage partnership within the College community between parents and the College staff recognising the importance of the parents' role while ensuring that staff are supported in their roles as professional educators.
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To ensure that all pupils are equally cherished, nurtured and respected without discrimination based on creed, culture, race, class, ability or gender.
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To adopt a child-centred approach to education, treating children as individuals and developing their self-esteem. This includes developing in students the ability to work proactively through established effective channels.
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To offer a broad and innovative curriculum to all so that all may experience success, with a balance between academic, creative and emotional development.
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To offer a broad and balanced approach to sport focusing on involvement and commitment.
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To operate a proactive discipline policy based on clear rules and procedures and effective communication.
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To foster good inter-personal relationships within the College and to involve the College in the local community, and community in the College.
Objectives of Integration Policy
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To encourage pupils to celebrate their own identity.
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To allow pupils to recognise and respect the range of cultural diversity that others can bring.
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To increase knowledge and understanding of the cultural traditions in the society that we live in.
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Encouraging the exploration of Identities.
Our identity is formed by our cultural and racial background, our political and personal views, and the language, literature, music and sport that we enjoy. At North Coast Integrated College pupils will have the opportunities to learn about and experience the cultures that make up our school community. It is a place where people feel comfortable to express their identity whilst being aware of the sensitivities of others.
Curriculum
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Resources and teaching strategies shall be organised to accommodate the all-ability nature of the school. In particular the school shall provide special help:
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for children with particular learning difficulties; and
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for children at the top of the ability range.
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The school curriculum shall reflect not only the external demands of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, the inspectorate and the economy but also the all-ability-character and integrative purpose of the school itself. In particular the school shall make provision for a history syllabus which reflects the historical roots of the two major communities within Northern Ireland so as to illuminate both their separate and shared history. The school shall also make provision for language, music and sport which reflects the culture of both major traditions. In selecting texts for English language, literature and drama, care shall be taken to illustrate the contributions both of writers born in Britain and those born in Ireland, North and South.
The school curriculum and the manner in which it is delivered shall encourage the development of autonomous individuals with the capacity to think, question and research.