<br>Islington school wins first prize<br> <br><br>Islington's Montem Primary School have been awarded first prize in a competition run by National charity CotinYou's.<br><br>The school was chosen as winner for their work in bringing the local community together, after taking action to further involve the parents of their many pupils who come from ethnic communities. Parents of children from Albania, Somalia, Turkey, Portugal, Poland and other countries (including some from England) were previously under-represented in the school's governing body. Teachers at Montem set about changing this trend, approaching parents in the playground and encouraging them to attend some of the various parent groups which were set up. The sessions provided families with the opportunity to come and discuss their children's schooling. <br><br>Through the work the school has been carrying out, they have also established some strong relationships with community groups such as the Somali Education Centre, which delivers education sessions at the school. <br><br>Head teacher Sue Seifert said: "We're delighted to have received this award in recognition of the hard work we've all been doing in getting parents involved in making this a great community school. Montem recognises the importance of both the school and local community and the value it adds to the children's learning."<br><br>Councillor Ursula Woolley, Executive Member for Children and Young People, praised Montem, saying: "Congratulations to Montem parents, teachers and children for winning this award. When teachers get on well with parents and help them get involved it usually makes a big difference to how happy a school feels and how successful it is, and I know that the mixed communities in our good primary schools are one of the best things about Islington."<br><br>The prize money of £2,000 will be used to fund a series of trips to popular London attractions, such as the Science and Natural History Museums, Hampstead Heath, Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. The aim is to demonstrate to parents who may not have travelled much outside of the borough before, how they can use local public transport to access a number of interesting and entertaining venues without having to spend lots of money. <br><br>Notes to editors<br><br>ContinYou's Schools ETC Award goes to schools that demonstrate excellence in the provision of extended/community focused services. This year it has recognised schools that are shining example of good practice in promoting community cohesion.
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009