Why do you need a policy on the global dimension?
A school policy is a statement of the school's perspective on the global dimension. It involves all members of the school community: pupils, teachers, support staff, parents or guardians, governors and visitors. A whole-school policy addresses management strategies, teaching strategies, curriculum content and resources, and you will therefore need to consider all of these issues when you draw up your policy.
This unit will help you focus on the issues by using a number of auditing tools. The outcomes of your audits have two purposes:
- to use as a baseline when measuring progress in Unit B5;
- to create action points which you can use when formulating your whole-school policy.
Focus on all aspects of school life
A useful starting point in developing a whole-school policy on the global dimension is to review all aspects of school life to identify current practice, gaps and opportunities for advancing the school as a global organisation. An auditing tool for this purpose is offered in the activity on the right. The main aim of this tool is to generate discussion on some of the issues to be considered when developing a whole-school policy on the global dimension. It would be best to complete this activity with a group of colleagues, perhaps both from your own department and from different departments within the school.
Activity Resources:
- Images
- Interactive
- Sound
- Text
- Video
Activity
This interactive quiz is suitable for small groups to use during INSET.
- Go to the 'Issues' section of the Global Footprints website: Global Footprints From the list on the left-hand side, click on 'Schools quiz'. Complete this online quiz, making sure that you check your school's footprint at the end and keep a record of the score. You will need this as a baseline to measure progress when you complete Unit B5.
- Discuss the outcomes, considering:
- what issues the quiz raises for your school about a global dimension to the whole-school ethos and the delivery of the curriculum;
- what other issues could be added to this auditing tool;
- the similarities and differences in perceptions of the global dimension in the school among colleagues, and what these are based on;
- the usefulness and value of such tools in helping to evaluate the school.
- Action points: consider how you could advance the school as a global organisation through addressing issues of school policy and practice and adapting or developing schemes of work.
