869568779

ZESZYTY NAUKOWE

Uczelni Warszawskiej im. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie

Nr 4 (46) / 2014

Marcin Łączek

Warsaw Uniyersity

Promoting community cohesion in English education settings on the example of Barnfield South Academy in Luton¹

Introduction

The main focus of attention of the current paper will be the coexistence of di-verse ethnic groups and languages within one unit - education unit of Barnfield South Academy (henceforth BSA) in Luton (former South Luton High School -until August 31^st 2007), England. It is both a multilingual and multicultural (i.e. of distinct racial, cultural and ethnic identities) secondary school, a member of the Barnfield Federation, sponsored by the local college - Barnfield College (rated in the topl0% of FE colleges in Britain), with students’ age rangę yarying from 11 to 16 (i.e. key stage 3 and key stage 4).

Teaching and learning in English schools

Before I dwell on the index phenomenon, a short remark on the organisational aspect of both teaching and learning in English schools (the same system operates in Wales and Northern Ireland). Thus, after the pre-school period (up to the age of 5), pupils attend infant, primary and secondary school, respectively (the latter at the age of 11). Any students wishing to continue their education, and depending on the

This paper was read at the International conference Languages and cultum in contact - then and nom at Polonia University in Częstochowa on March 27^,h 2009.