School linking is a powerful teaching tool that engages young people with their learning - it therefore makes teaching more enjoyable.

"It is difficult to learn from others when we are cloistered in our own classrooms or staff rooms. Reading about the practice of others is no substitute for direct and practical collaboration in professional development".

Charles Desforges, TES June 23 2006.

It doesn't have to be an ‘add on', link activities can be designed to enhance existing curriculum activities. School exchange visits (which do take time to organise) are not essential for a successful link.

It is a chance to share and develop teaching activities and methodologies with other teachers. It can therefore be particularly beneficial for primary teachers where they are the only year three teacher or the only person teaching music.

Comments from teachers:

"It enhances your teaching, allows you to be more creative, move outside the box. It gives you the opportunity to teach parts of the curriculum through out-of-class activities visiting other children".

"Teachers are able to see the benefits of tackling the issue of diversity, as it has definitely challenged students attitudes and perceptions and made them think rather than stereotype. Many of the activities were cross-curricular, and it has encouraged creativity in teachers planning and provided learning opportunities in areas that hadn't previously been developed. "

Comments related to Rhyddings/Ivy Bank case study using Philosophy for Children (P4C) for link activities:

"There were some really fantastic ideas for PSE in the stimuli used for the P4C sessions. And the style / structure of discussion that P4C creates is really good. It's a great teaching tool to properly involve the kids in discussion. The school does some work on racism, but I felt that I learnt a lot from the sessions, especially the one about challenging the stereotypical views people in the area have of asylum seekers".

"The community is a safe learning environment. Learning is encouraged and pupils all actively take part. The games, activities and topics for discussion suggested assisted me in my planning of diversity projects".

• Ivy Bank Case Study
• P4C