MECSS Advisor for Community Participation

Shahnaz Mirza was appointed as the Advisor for Community Participation in April 2003. Contact tel: 01582 830342.

The primary objectives of the post are:

• to assist and support schools and CSF in involving minority ethnic communities, including parents, carers and pupils, in the planning, development and evaluation of their services;
• to ensure communities have full access to, and benefit from, these services;
• to build capacity in communities to engage with schools and CSF services and to develop their own educational provision.

The post is currently focused in the following areas:

1. Managing MECSS Family Learning Team.

2. Managing Complementary and Supplementary Schools provision in the County.

3. Promoting and developing community participation through education.

4. Promoting Forums (e.g. BME Education Forum) and developing black and ethnic minority Pupil's transition.

5. Supporting the recruitment of community partners and the empowerment of black and ethnic minority Governors.

6. Supporting community groups engaged in improving the quality of education for black and ethnic minority children.

7. Supporting schools in developing strategies for involving black and ethnic minority communities and hearing the voice of black and ethnic minority pupils.

8. Liaison with the Muslim Action Forum (MAF).