Planning Principles

During the school year there are a range of occasions when the school community or individual classes note particular events in the life of the school or those of individuals in the school community.

When a celebration can incorporate contributions from different local faith communities, as a public witness to their shared values, this can be a practical source of community pride and cohesion.

In order that these may be as inclusive as possible it is important to consider the following points:

• Have you involved staff, parents and students in the planning process making sure they appreciate your concern to be inclusive and avoid offence?
• Are all relevant dietary needs catered for in planning or providing shared food?
• Are dress expectations for the event taking into consideration religious and cultural needs?
• Do these include restricting dress that some members of the school community would find offensive?
• Are entertainments and / or music culturally / religiously acceptable?

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Here are some principles which should be considered when selecting festivals to include in each school’s planning calendar:

• Be aware of the cultures and faiths represented within your school.
• Plan festival focuses at the appropriate time of year to help students to make sense of their experiences.
• Ensure children are clear about the faith to which each festival belongs.
• Introduce any story attached to the festival at an appropriate level for the students.
• Enable students to appreciate that a festival is a celebration whilst ensuring that you do not give them or their carers the impression that they are being asked to participate at the level of a member of a faith community.
• If you intend inviting students to share foods related to festivals take the opportunity to talk about those food restrictions and laws which relate to the faith concerned and ensure that you are aware of the food laws adhered to by members of the group so that you do not offend or confuse.
• The ways in which people celebrate the festival should be clearly referenced to their faith and/or cultural tradition - e.g. the making of Diwali cards provides an opportunity to investigate and use Indian or Hindu art and symbol.
• Be alert to the need to avoid racial, cultural and gender stereotyping.
• Wherever possible involve members of the relevant community so that students realise the festival is really celebrated by real people.

Practitioners and faith community representatives should be careful that they are clear about the level at which they should approach these areas with young students.

They should appreciate that their involvement is not an opportunity to convert or engage students in activities more appropriate to members of their faith community.

It is also important to not use language that implies that everyone celebrates the festival in the same way or that implies that the school is a ‘faith’ school.

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Further Information

Community Participation Officer
Children and Young People’s Service
Tel 020 8489 3884
Email faith@haringey.gov.uk