Bengeworth Church of England Academy has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Pupils Enjoy School and are Proud of their Environment
Bengeworth Church of England Academy is a larger than average primary school, situated across two sites in a disadvantaged area near Evesham. There are currently 530 pupils on roll (not including nursery). Pupils are mostly from a White British or European heritage, with others from a wide cultural background. Around a third of pupils have English as an Additional Language (EAL), with Polish being the second most used language after English but the proportion of pupils at the early stages of language acquisition is low. The school’s use of Language Leaders across Year 4 and 5 supports any pupil with EAL.
The proportions of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are broadly average. The school has above average mobility and has seen many of their Eastern European pupils leave, being replaced by refugees from Afghanistan, Africa and Ukraine who are housed on a temporary basis in a local refugee hotel. Pupil attendance is above the current national average. Pupils told our Assessor they enjoy school and are proud of their environment. They relish the opportunities provided to take on leadership roles and are highly articulate when talking about their learning.
EAL pupils and families are well supported. The school uses The Bell Foundation as an assessment and tracking tool for EAL and training was provided for all staff in September. Resources have been provided in school and are easily available for all staff to access. The school employs a Polish support professional to collaborate with pupils and families with EAL. The support professional is fluent in Polish and several other languages. The use of Pupil Language Leaders from Year 4 and 5, who are fluent in a language in addition to English ensures pupils and families at an early stage of learning English are well supported and able to access all aspects of the school.
Enriching and Stimulating Provision
Bengeworth CE Academy opened a new, 60 place nursery in September 2023, providing part-time and full-time places for children from the term after they celebrate their third birthday. Children wishing to join in the term they turn three can pay for nursery time leading up to their eligibility for 15 or 30 hours free.
The building work is still being completed, but, despite this, the school is providing an enriching and stimulating provision, with the children in nursery on the day of the IQM visit highly engaged in the activities set out for them. The nursery has attracted several children with significant additional needs but these were being managed exceptionally well, enabling all pupils in the setting to engage with the activity observed.
Leadership remains strong across Bengeworth CE Academy. Strong distributed leadership with clear shared values and vision provides an energy and focus that continue to drive ongoing developments. The recent statutory inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) highlighted several strengths of the school and the school has been recommended to be included in their Repository of Knowledge Sharing set up by SIAMS in 2022. Strengths in the school’s Christian values and people leadership were recognised during the inspection, which has supported the school in identifying clear next steps for their ongoing work on pupil leadership. Senior leaders regularly and sharply review systems and protocols, drawing upon the opinions of all stakeholders to inform evolution and development.
Pupil Leadership is a Clear Strength
Pupil leadership at the school is a clear strength within Bengeworth CE Academy. Children are encouraged to develop leadership skills from the moment they join the school in Reception, with all year groups providing opportunities for children to take a leadership role, either within the classroom or by becoming a representative on one of the school’s pupil leadership groups which include: Digital Leaders, Language Leaders, Worship Leaders, House Leaders, Eco Warriors, Learning Leaders, and an Events Team. Some of the pupil leadership groups are restricted to Year 4 and 5 pupils with others having representation from Early Years to Year 5. Every fortnight, pupil leadership groups meet with their facilitating teacher to plan and conduct work towards their goals. Whilst the groups are meeting together, the children who remain in class participate in a pupil leadership session to explore the attributes of good leaders.
The Pupil Leadership curriculum, designed by a working party, encompasses positive behaviour and spirituality and is delivered in a weekly 45 minute session focussing on behaviour and leadership in alternate weeks. Children’s books produced during these sessions reflect some depth of thought and practical understanding of the nature of leadership at age-appropriate levels and of required behaviours, rooted in human and spiritual values. Each year group has an inspirational leader who helps the children to see the attributes that they are focusing on in real-life examples.
New Curriculum
Bengeworth CE Academy has recently introduced a new curriculum, written in line with their curriculum intent to, ‘Develop aspirational, confident learners and leaders of the future who have a deep understanding of the world around them and the impact they can have on it’.
The Bengeworth CE Academy curriculum is underpinned by education for global citizenship and each term pupils undertake a key topic in which diversity, community, and global learning are linked using one (or more if deemed appropriate) of the six Global Themes: Power and Governance; Peace and Conflict; Human Rights; Sustainable Development; Identity and Diversity; and Social Justice and Equity.
The curriculum uses Global Themes to bring relevance to the curriculum and encourage children to consider themselves as global citizens, consider the part they play in the wider world, and the impact they can have as they move through and leave the school into later life.
The school took great care to design a well-sequenced, well-specified and ambitious curriculum underpinned by the school’s values and their identified Global Themes, ensuring accessibility for all children. Globally themed questions are used as the driving forces for each half-term/term’s focus and clear links between subject disciplines are made to ensure there is an engaging and relevant context within which to learn. Questions seen during the visit included: ‘Why are the Himalayas sacred to Hindus?’ (Year 3), ‘Does our food need to travel so far? (Year 4)’, ‘Is it time World War 1 was forgotten?’ (Year 5) and ‘Should the National Health Service (NHS) be free for all?’ (Year 2). During the visit, our Assessor met with some Year 2 pupils who shared and discussed their learning. Whilst discussing health care provision across the world, the pupils were able to speak about the cost of having a baby in the United States and then went on to explain why paying taxes in Great Britain is essential to maintain the great free health care provision through the NHS. The pupils were confidently and articulately making links across their learning.
Stimulate Learning and Encourage Curiosity
Learning environments across the school stimulate learning and encourage curiosity. Curiosity Cubes are central to each classroom and help create a sense of awe and wonder. Staff place objects, linked to the curriculum topic within the cube and children respond using questions and thoughts written on post-it notes. These were being used consistently by staff and pupils across all classes. Key vocabulary, key questions and facts to support learning are clearly displayed on learning walls and displays across the school prompting children’s abilities to make links and connections as well as celebrating children’s achievements. Mental Health Ambassadors last year worked on the development of a calm corner within each classroom. These were consistently in evidence across the school, well stocked with resources for the pupils to access when required.
Oracy skills are further enhanced through opportunities for children to share their thinking, drawing on their prior knowledge and skills, their new learning, and by making links and connections between their subjects. Learning Ambassadors, elected for each class, are also supported by the oracy sentence starters to support them to talk about their learning.
Curriculum enrichment activities include a Year 5 overnight visit to the Houses of Parliament, a residential visit to France and a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Children benefit from a range of musical, artistic and sporting opportunities and pupils spoke enthusiastically about the breadth of extra-curricular provision available to them.
During the visit, our Assessor observed the music room being used to deliver one-to-one instrument teaching and was impressed by the provision of digital technology and outside facilities. Pupils clearly enjoy the Forest School provision on both sites, the sensory garden at the King’s Road site, (implemented by the Eco Warriors), and the range of facilities available for use during break and lunch times which include a trim trail, adventure area, climbing wall and access to a large field. Children also participate in sports at school representation and county level. After-school clubs include a range of sports (including archery, football, karate, dance, netball), baking, choir/young voices, and drama.
SEND within the school is led highly effectively by the Inclusion Lead alongside the SENCo. The school is identifying a growing complexity of needs across the school and now has 18 children with EHCPs, two more on enhanced funding, and one pupil pending an outcome. Both SEND leaders work closely with external agencies and have a particularly close involvement with the Educational Psychologist who has collaborated closely with staff on metacognition and levels of scaffolding to enable children to work more independently and become leaders of their own learning.
Energy and Commitment
Staff at Bengeworth CE Academy work extremely hard with energy and commitment. Senior leaders are conscious of promoting wellbeing and mental health and ambassadors have been appointed to support staff. Optional workshops delivered by professionals are on offer to all staff, alongside ‘drop-ins’ with the Psychologist. Pupil wellbeing is also well addressed through the Pupil Mental Health Ambassadors.
Bengeworth CE Academy prioritises students’ leadership and independence. Personal Development and Leadership has a defined curriculum. The school values all children as individuals, nurturing their creative talents, and working relentlessly to make sure that they have the highest aspirations, and are motivated to flourish and succeed in everything they do. The Inclusion Manager’s continued involvement in supporting the development of inclusive policies and practices in other schools, working for both Worcestershire and Billesley Authorities is a testament to the positive reputation that Bengeworth CE Academy has earned as a Flagship school. It is a truly inclusive school, fully committed to providing the best educational opportunities for all, irrespective of any barriers that might be encountered.
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:
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• Our inaugural National Inclusion Conference will take place on the 27th November, for further details click here.