A SCHOOL is bringing community leaders together to bring about positive change.
Mangotsfield School launched its Community Breakfast programme earlier this year, inviting representatives from local government, healthcare, education and civic organisations to identify shared priorities and work on improvements for its students and the wider community.
Head teacher Hetty Blackmore said: “Our philosophy is simple – when we get the right people in a room, transformation can begin.”
Mrs Blackmore said the school has improving results and a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted, but its catchment area includes some of the most disadvantaged parts of South Gloucestershire.
To close the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students it has been working on initiatives, including setting up a community hub, a community graffiti project, and working on a project to provide food and cooking lessons for students receiving free school meals and their families.
There are also plans to develop a multi-sports centre that would be available for the local community.
The school is keen to work with more community leaders, including businesses, to support initiatives, which are discussed at the monthly breakfast meetings.
Mangotsfield School is also celebrating two recent awards.
It has received the Equality Mark certificate of achievement from South Gloucestershire Council, recognising a culture inclusive of all backgrounds and communities.
The school’s work on equality, diversity and inclusion was recognised, including Black History Month, Culture Week and Pride events, a “zero-tolerance policy” on discriminatory words and behaviour, and students’ “laid-back acceptance” of ideas around equality and diversity.
The council found the school was able to include learning about diversity within an overall theme of encouraging students to become better citizens and people, a “golden thread” woven through the curriculum.
It also said the school was one of the best in the area for outcomes for young black and mixed-race boys.
Mangotsfield School has also won the South West secondary schools’ ARC Timpson Award for Inclusion and Prevention.
The award recognises the school’s work with pupils who need a “fresh start”, particularly those who arrived from other schools following problems with attendance and suspension, and those who experienced “traumatic” lockdown periods during the pandemic.
The school was recognised for its work to increase a sense of belonging, decrease suspensions and permanent exclusions, increase attendance and academic progress.
Mrs Blackmore said: “What this award shows is an unwavering commitment to ensuring that each student feels like they belong at our school.”