IQM - Centre of Excellence
We are delighted to have been accredited as a Centre of Excellence from Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) for the 2nd year in a row.
To see how they described our school after their visit in October 2016 you can read their report below
Once again it highlights all of the OUTSTANDING work EVERYONE in our school does and what a huge different it makes to providing the best start in life for all of our pupils.
Centre of Excellence Review Date: 13th October 2016
Summary:-
A lot of developmental work has taken place in the last year since the IQM COE review. This has included continuing to develop the SEND code of practice through rigorous monitoring and evaluation. The very thorough monitoring of classroom practice, book looks, data monitoring and pupil interviews ensures that quality first teaching continues to be outstanding and incorporates the strategies and support needed for children with SEND within the classroom. As a result of this monitoring and subsequent CPD the school has ensured that support for children with SEND is of a very high standard.
Parents have been thoroughly involved in the process of applying for EHCPs, ensuring a holistic approach with children at the centre. Teachers have ensured that the classroom environment is appropriate to their pupils’ needs and that all needs are catered for in their teaching strategies. The school is going through a very exciting time with a new building almost ready and a secondary phase opening next year. At the same time the school is growing to 4 forms of entry each year.
The school takes all this in its stride with excellent leadership from SLT and great enthusiasm from all staff so that innovations in inclusive strategies continue and its very high standards are maintained.
The school works very closely with its parents and involves them in its work in many ways. This year the school has continued to develop family learning opportunities through a number of workshops for parents on aspects of learning, which were very well attended and received very positive feedback from parents, who are helped to support their children at home. There were also drop ins for parents of children with SEND run by the SALT and EP. There is a thriving children’s centre, which is run by the school and offers many sessions for parents with crèche provision. Families have continued to be invited in on Friday mornings to read with their children in class throughout the school. This is also very popular and is well attended by parents. The work of two members of support staff in coordinating the work with parents is crucial in its success.
The school has a number of roles for pupils to take on to develop their leadership skills. These include school council, peer mediators, digital leaders and house captains. In addition, all year 6 pupils undertake monitor roles, ensuring they all develop their self-confidence in taking a lead and that they play a role in helping other people, both staff and children.
The school council meet regularly and have recently been elected through a poll in school with the local MP attending on polling day. This group is organised and led by the Head of School and two members of support staff, again highlighting the significant role support staff play in the school. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the events they have organised to raise funds for charities, including Children in Need, Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation.
Pupils spoken to were keen to describe their interactive learning, their curricular related trips and why they like their school and the rich opportunities it provides for them. They were enthusiastic, reflective and self-confident and gave very positive views of their school. They explained the ‘Growth Mindset’ approach, which has recently been introduced and they said that it is about “Being a good listener, risk taking, positive behaviour, sharing ideas, showing resilience, trying again and keeping going”. Comments from pupils about their school included, “The teachers are nice. Lots of people are kind to me and I am kind to them”, “It’s a free environment and everyone is free to express themselves”, “The teachers are really supportive and they get you through tough times”, “It’s a loving and caring school and it has made me the person I am today”, “Our teachers give us time to check through our work and they let us express ourselves. We have the latest technology and sources”.
Teaching and support staff are valued for their skills: quality first teaching demonstrates outstanding practice and teachers are continually reviewing and further developing their skills to meet the diverse needs of all children. Support staff playing a vital role in the school, leading whole areas of work; planning and implementing interventions, supporting in class and providing crucial support, for pupils and their parents. In this school support staff are proactive, flexible and motivated and their ideas and expertise are valued. In classes teachers and support staff work very well together, supporting the different needs of pupils’ in small groups or individually. This is a reflective community where very interesting developmental work takes place to ensure strategies meet the needs of pupils. In early years, the move to 4 forms of entry has progressed smoothly with home visits taking place in the summer term and all children having been screened for interventions to begin after half term. This work is led by an HLTA who ensures that those children who need it will be supported in nurture groups or with speech and language work. Another HLTA leads interventions in KS2 and also teaches French across KS2. Another HLTA leads speech and language work in KS2. These staff also run clubs, such as the gardening club, homework club and they support overnight trips, such as one to France with year 6 and a Bushcraft outdoor and survival skills trip to Kent with year 4. They are given opportunities to develop their skills through many training opportunities and the Assistant Head for Inclusion and SENDCO are very proactive in offering them internal training and relevant external courses to extend their expertise.
A HLTA and STA has run Lego therapy and precision teaching with very positive results. They are able to explain clearly the impact their interventions have made to the progress of individual pupils. The pastoral manager and HLTA for pastoral care provide very important support for children and their families who have behavioural, social and emotional needs. A ‘Creative Minds’ scheme has been very successful in supporting a number of children individually through creative individual work and the learning mentor supports teachers in understanding the school’s behaviour and rewards system, which he devised. The length and breadth of experience and the depth of knowledge and commitment of these staff is an exceptional feature of the work of the school. They are all part of the Inclusion Team, which is led by the Assistant Head for Inclusion and
SENDCO and meets regularly to ensure all children’s needs are carefully addressed and tracked.
On a wider level, the school works closely with the other schools in its cluster in the borough of Lambeth, on various aspects of CPD and sharing good practice.
The local cluster of schools is very active with SENDCOs meeting to share ideas: Maths and Science leaders also meet and cross school science projects have taken place; NQTs meet together; school councils work together and staff undertake peer observation and moderation. This cluster includes a number of schools that also have the IQM award, including those at Centre of Excellence level, ensuring the dissemination of outstanding inclusive practice amongst these schools.
Exceptional features of this school include the overall ethos of supporting and developing the self-confidence of all children with a relentless focus on meeting individual needs through outstanding teaching and learning; the excellent teamwork, expertise and commitment to children and families shown by support staff; the superb work of the Inclusion Team in ensuring that children’s individual needs are focused on and the excellent work with parents.
Assessor: Pauline Roberts
Findings confirmed by Inclusion Quality Mark (UK) Ltd:
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Joe McCann MBA NPQH
Director of Inclusion Quality Mark (UK) Ltd