• Monitor and evaluate the impact of provision
• Analysis of achievement in order to target resources effectively and support the development of actions to tackle underachievement
• Support and challenge to ensure continuous improvement of service, intervening where appropriate
• Advocacy for children and young people
• Consultation and engagement with communities on LEA policy and practice
• Support for community led and based provision
• Advise and support LEA staff involved in School Improvement activities on national strategies and developments to support Minority Ethnic achievement
• Dissemination of effective practice and research to Clusters Training and development for specialist staff
• In addition the Service provides targeted action to improve access to education and raise achievement of Traveller and Refugee children and young people.

By working with Clusters the Strategic Service seeks to ensure that the devolved Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant and the totality of resources at school level are targeted effectively. The Service leads on the implementation of the national strategy 'Aiming High' to raise achievement of Minority Ethnic and Bilingual children and young people. Further information is available from: emcas@kent.gov.uk

News

School Self Evaluation Tool

Under the Race Relations Amendment Act (2002), all public authorities have a general duty laid upon them to promote race equality by:

• Eliminating unlawful racial discrimination
• Promoting equality of opportunity
• Promoting good race relations

Each school has a number of specific duties under the Act. These are to:

• Prepare and maintain a Race Equality Policy and Action Plan;
• Consider the impact of all school policies on pupils, staff and parents of different racial groups including, in particular, the impact on attainment levels of such pupils; and
• Monitor the impact of policies as above

It is important that each school regularly reviews its provision and from this creates an action plan which feeds into the school improvement plan.

To support the process, MCAS has developed a new Self Evaluation tool. The tool is aligned to the Ofsted SEF form and the Ofsted inspection framework (Sept 2005) and thus supports schools in the process of self evaluation before an Ofsted inspection. The Leadership and Management judgement of the school will be significantly supported by this process.

The tool contains:

• Introduction and guidance
• Prompt Questions for initial self-evaluation
• Key Prompts and Sources of Evidence
• Self-evaluation Summary/Action Plan

Link to School Self Evaluation Tool (575kb)

If you have any enquiries, please contact Mark Paine

Kent Steps Revised Edition 2006
This document replaces the previous document 'Kent Steps: A Framework for the Assessment of Pupils with English as an Additional Language'. Although the framework itself is not changed, the guidance has been revised in line with the latest national documentation.

Guidance to access services from Refugee and Traveller Achievement Team: Added 29 December 2005 The Minority Communities Achievement Service will continue with the existing practice of working with any Kent school or cluster to support them in their development of inclusive practice and raise achievement of Refugee and Traveller children and young people. To ensure that resources are targetted effectively, the service has developed a process to ensure that available resources address the following priorities: The Refugee / Traveller child or young person is:

• Out of school
• At risk of not accessing/sustaining education
• At risk of not transferring to Key stage
• At risk of exclusion
• At risk of not accessing other statutary services
• Subject to child protection

• Guidance for Referrers for services from the Refugee and Traveller Achievement Team
• Referral Form to Access Service for Refugee/Traveller Children and Young People

• West Kent: Carol Mellors, Advisor for Refugee and Traveller Achievement:
  Tel: 01732 525012: E-mail: carol.mellors@kent.gov.uk
• Mid Kent: Louise Simpson, Advisor for Refugee and Traveller Achievement:
  Tel: 01233 898527: E-mail: louise.simpson@kent.gov.uk
• East Kent: Sarah Goosani, Advisor for Refugee and Traveller Achievement:
  Tel: 01227 284464: E-mail: sarah.goosani@kent.gov.uk

• New Arrangements for the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant: Martin Vye Letter (3 May 2005)
• Guidance to Clusters on the Effective Use of EMAG 2005/06 (incl. Appendix 1 & 2)
• Guidance to Clusters on the Effective Use of EMAG 2005/06: Appendix 3a: Specialist Teacher - Bi-Lingual and Ethnic Minority Achievement (Job Description and Person Specification)
• Guidance to Clusters on the Effective Use of EMAG 2005/06: Appendix 3b: Specialist Teacher 2 - Bi-Lingual and Ethnic Minority Achievement (Job Description and Person Specification)
• Guidance to Clusters on the Effective Use of EMAG 2005/06: Appendix 3c: Co-Ordinator/Specialist Teacher - Bi-Lingual and Ethnic Minority Achievement (Job Description and Person Specification)
• Guidance to Clusters on the Effective Use of EMAG 2005/06: Appendix 3d: Bi-Lingual Support Assistant (Job Description and Person Specification)
• Guidance to Clusters on the Effective Use of EMAG 2005/06: Appendix 4: Guidance to Local Education Officers and Cluster Boards

• Jenny Robson, Head of MCAS, on 01622 694059, or e-mail: Jenny Robson

• Traveller Achievements

• Refugee Achievements

• Bilingual Children and Young People

• Raising Achievement of Minority Ethnic Children and Young People