All Saints’ Blackheath Church of England Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship Status.
Joy to Visit
Continuing to be a beacon of inclusive practice, the school is a joy to visit with its dedicated and hard-working staff, polite and welcoming children and a Governing Body who are very supportive and committed to the school community. Parents are incredibly appreciative of all the work that the school does with their children.
The highly experienced and stable staff team ensure that all pupils feel safe and secure in the school. As one parent said, “There is a family feel at All Saints’. The staff supports families, and all are included. It is a fantastic school.”
Staff know the pupils very well. One parent spoke about her son who has Autism, saying he found the transition to his new class straightforward due to the strong transition plan that was in place and the fact that he still has access to his former teacher. The systems are very clear which gives him a sense of security.
All children’s needs are met. It was a pleasure to see a volunteer leading a Musical Therapy Intervention group for 6 pupils who are at an early stage of language development. The session with its strong focus on turn-taking, basic speech and anticipation was beautifully pitched so that all the learners enjoyed and benefited greatly from the session. The Teaching Assistant supporting the group, has a wonderful, non-confrontational and open approach that allowed full inclusion in the session.
Excellent communication
Parents, who were interviewed, spoke about the excellent communication systems that are in place. Parents have access to the Friday flier which explains which events are coming up next. The school use an app, ‘ScholarPack’ which means that all parents know what is happening within the school. One parent spoke about the two fabulous PE teachers, who know all the children and bring out the best in everyone. The older children escort the younger ones to the Heath for play and lunchtime where they have lots of room to play and socialise.
One parent spoke about a particular situation where the SENCo had told her about something linked to her son’s wellbeing, which ultimately meant he was given a diagnosis. She appreciated this support around an issue of which the family were unaware.
Another parent spoke about particular issues that his son faces and how open, inclusive and solution-focussed the school are, leading to his son really enjoying school. The ‘Praise’ assembly at church each Friday is very popular with pupils and their parents, who are all invited.
Another parent said she would be eternally grateful for the care and support that her and her son had got from all the staff at the school.
A drop-in to lessons showed all pupils engaged in their learning, benefiting from a language-rich and interesting curriculum, delivered by skilled teachers. Teaching Assistants were supporting learners effectively. Year 6 were focusing on the Tales from the Arabian Nights, with the teacher explicitly identifying words and structures that pupils can re-use in their own work. A word and phrase bank means that they have a tool to help them retrieve their knowledge.
The Governing Body are highly effective and have a thorough understanding of the school. They are actively involved, knowing a great deal about the school and being strong advocates of the school in the local community.
They described the school, coming out of the Pandemic, as being even more inclusive than ever. They visit the school regularly, participate in whole school training and speak to staff and children on a regular basis. One Governor spoke about how much each person’s voice is valued, with all staff been asked their views on the challenges that face the school.
Office staff are very approachable and friendly with parents feeling that any concerns are treated seriously and dealt with efficiently. They spoke about a very smooth transition with the acting Headteacher who has made sure that the strong inclusive ethos of the school has continued. Parents say he communicates very well and is very easy to talk to.
Involve Local Community
The school are keen to involve the local community and after a recent publicity drive, have recruited several volunteers to the school who add value to the school’s offer with their induvial skills and enthusiasm. A volunteer/Governor and a Ukrainian speaking mum led the music therapy session and helps in school to ensure that the new Ukrainian pupils understand their lessons and she also checks in with them regarding their mental health.
A significant change since last year’s visit was the arrival of several Ukrainian pupils. They have all settled in well academically and are making good progress in their acquisition of English. Another parent acts as a translator/ interpreter for other newly arrived Ukrainian families. The school are very aware of the emotional needs of this group as well as others in the school and are proactively starting the journey to be a trauma-informed school. The school and church have spear-headed a campaign to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine which has been incredibly successful.
Pupils spoke about how they love coming to school and the teachers make learning fun. They appreciate the responsibility they are given as Play Leaders and enjoy supervising and playing with the little children.
They feel safe and explained about the worry monsters and demonstrated how you put a piece of paper with your worry on it inside the body and then the teachers help you with the issue.
They spoke with pride about their parents attending the Christmas shows and going to the weekly, ‘Praise’ church service to see children receive achievement awards for their endeavours. They love all the music opportunities they have and the chance to learn a musical instrument and being taught by an opera singer! The school has a varied range of daily assemblies built around their Christian ethos.
Diversity Celebrated
Diversity was celebrated through a whole school topic of Carnival! Which culminated in a celebratory day in June. Children loved the opportunity to learn about the Afro-Caribbean culture through craft-making, dance, poetry, and story- telling. The programme was put together by a parent of a Year 4 child.
Black History month is being expanded so its themes and values are considered and acted upon all year round- significant figures of past and present are studied with pupils being asked, “who might you become”?
The Thrive Team is now well-established and have strong systems in place to make sure that all pupils have their social and emotional needs met so that they are ready to learn in the classroom. One particular example was a firework model that had been made to give a physical representation of how you might feel when you are angry and ready to blow your top! This had really helped the child to understand the abstract concept.
As schools are now able to have visitors more regularly, the school hope to further develop their links with Lewisham Family Thrive and Lewisham Parent champions. An Autistic Champion for Lewisham came to talk about her experiences when she was at school to a group of parents.
Find out more about the IQM Inclusive School Award
If your school is interested in obtaining the IQM Inclusive School Award or you wish to talk to a member of the IQM team please telephone:
028 7127 7857 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm)
or email: [email protected] for further details.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack.