John Dunford, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said schools had not been given a clear indication of how Ofsted will inspect them on the requirement. "This is worrying, since Ofsted has little time during an inspection to make an in-depth evaluation of a school's community links," he said.
Schools are now expected to promote community cohesion through teaching the curriculum and by providing opportunities for children to mix with people from different backgrounds, such as through school partnership arrangements.
Frances Migniuolo, policy analyst at the Children's Services Network, said the role of councils in helping schools meet the duty has also been underplayed. "Local authorities are vital in helping schools identify partners to promote interaction between pupils, parents and local people from different backgrounds," she said.
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