Justification: The demographics of a school community are important information not to be ignored.

This information can help identify the external and internal factors implicated in the reproduction of inequality within the classroom; enabling teacher to select appropriate courses of action to take in order to combat inequity. This document: Advises which demographic information you need to know and where to find this information. Outlines a number of issues that may be faced within the school setting and how these can be tackled using your newfound knowledge of the sociology of your school and community. ELEMENT 7 Teachers are actively engaged members of their profession and the wider community 7.1.6: demonstrate the capacity to liaise, communicate and interact effectively and appropriately with parents, caregivers, colleagues, industry and the local community.

A child is not born to the station of its parents, but with an indefinite claim to all prizes that can be won by thought and labour. It is in conformity with the theory of equality ... to give as near as possible to every youth equal state in life. (Lord Acton, 1987 cited in Kozol, 1992, p.83).

Each school and student has a unique profile and must be treated as individual cases. Therefore it is important to complete a situational analysis of each school and its community as a way of informing yourself and your teaching. As teachers we must remember there are a lot of external factors which impact upon our students and their learning on a day to day basis. Being informed of these and the internal forces within the school, which can also influence a students education, is therefore vital to ensuring each student is provided with equal opportunity to live and learn.

What you need to know Geographical location Community resources eg. sporting fields, swimming pool Community demographics People Age Education Religion Family Family composition Employment status Weekly income Dwellings History of school School values/mission/ethos School profile Student enrolment/attendance Staff profile Financial summary Student welfare Teaching and learning strategies Student achievement Parent, student and staff satisfaction School review and improvement strategies School facts Student background Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage Indigenous students Language background other than English School finances Standardised test scores (NAPLAN data) Current school/community events Extra-curricula activities

Where to find it School website (contact details) Google maps insert school address into Quick Stats Search on Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs /censushome.nsf/home/Census *Explore the drop down menus for more information

School website School website (Annual School Report)

MySchool website http://www.myschool.edu.au/

NAPLAN data MySchool website http://www.myschool.edu.au/ School website (Newsletter)

The Atlas of NSW is also a cool tool you can explore to find information. The interactive map allows you to navigate and explore specific areas of NSW according to a range of categories which may be useful in creating a picture of your schools community. URL: http://atlas.nsw.gov.au/public/nsw/home/index--2.html

PHPS Situational Analysis Geographical location:

How does this impact my class?

Community resources:

Community demographics: People Age Education Religion Family Family composition Employment status Weekly income Dwellings History of school:

School values/mission/ethos:

Annual School Report: School profile Student enrolment/attendance Staff profile Financial summary Student welfare Teaching and learning strategies Student achievement Parent, student and staff satisfaction School review and improvement strategies School Profile: School facts

Student background Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage Indigenous students Language background other than English School finances Standardised test scores: NAPLAN data Events/Activities: Current school/community events Extra-curricular activities

The following table outlines potential big picture classroom/school issues which may be ingrained in the schools culture. Dont despair, according to sociological theory these can be addressed by using the following actions and resources. For a comprehensive overview of these issues and how they have arisen, the actions to take and which resources within the school and community to utilise see Social Inequality in Australia: Discourses, Realities & Futures (Habibis & Walter, 2009). Issue Deficit discourse Negative habitus Stratification Exclusion (from the field) Reproduction Whiteness / indigenity Parents labour force status Intergenerational disadvantage Action Turn-around pedagogy Positive habitus Resource Funds of knowledge Utilising a variety of teaching strategies and activity groupings Social capital/Supportive ties Cultural capital Multicultural learning experiences Cultural capital

Inclusive pedagogy Transformation Inclusive pedagogy Transformation