Bygrove Primary School, Tower Hamlets in London, part of the LETTA Trust, has achieved Flagship School status for the second time.
School in Context
Bygrove Primary School is one of two primary schools in the LETTA Trust, a Multi Academy Trust and SCITT which runs a very successful initial teacher training programme. Currently training 52 new teachers together with 21 partner schools. They are also an accredited apprenticeship provider working in partnership with the East London Teaching School Hub and University College London to deliver Early Career Teacher Support. The LETTA Trust Education Development Plan outlines five key priorities with a focus on one priority for each academic year. This year the focus is on Pedagogy.
Trust and Collaboration
LETTA Trust schools are committed to working in partnership and learning from each other. They strive to give children the best chance of happiness and success at school and beyond; to growing active citizens with a strong moral compass who will make a positive difference in the world.
Networks of Robust Support
Bygrove have a long-standing relationship with Citi through the Tower Hamlets Education Partnership who provide pupil mentors for reading, maths, language, computing, and chess partners to children across both schools. The Mayors Fund supports free school lunches for every child in Tower Hamlets. Tower Hamlets is quite unique in its approach to working in partnership with and between business and statutory organisations and including third sector and community organisations. Such collaborations are responsible for lifting entire communities out of poverty and enhancing the life chances of young people.
Supporting the Community
Bygrove Primary School and LETTA Trust staff work closely with Poplar HARCA (Housing and Regeneration Community Association) initiating the ‘Connecting Communities Project.’ with a key focus on internet resources. This project has enabled families to gain access and skills for both educational and practical purposes such as on-line banking. This started pre Covid-19 so when the Pandemic struck Bygrove and Stebon Primary Schools were ahead of the curve in relation to securing devices needed to support learning from home. Devices were provided to all children and families who needed them, and Bygrove Primary School was used as a training centre. Everybody is aware that low-income families with primary aged children often experience digital exclusion.
Collaborative Success
Building and maintaining these strong and effective partnerships has been a priority across the Trust. Both schools are founder members of the Poplar Partnership group of schools, who together have worked on critical areas such as Assessment for Learning, Transition and Parental Engagement. This collaboration of schools has pioneered shared services employing two full time social workers and a school nurse across the partnership of schools. The foundation of how this works is firmly rooted in the Extended School model of education.
Positive Partnership
Bygrove Primary School is a happy and harmonious community, relationships within the school community and externally with partners and the local community are outstanding. Children clearly love their school, and they love learning. The school premises are well-equipped to support pupils with disabilities to fully access the curriculum. Everyone in the school community is involved in evaluating inclusion; what they do well and what could be better. Both partner schools engage in research to find out what the experts say about best practice in inclusion.
Calm Learning Environment
The school has a personalised curriculum offer for pupils with additional needs including playtime, lunchtime, and extra-curricular activities. They develop effective interventions that ensure pupils catch up and keep up, particularly disadvantaged pupils. Bygrove ensures a consistently high standard of pupil behaviour in lessons, in the playground and around school buildings. Leaders promote inclusive practice in school and monitor the quality of inclusive practice, in particular its impact on pupil achievement.
In Summary
The school’s excellent team of teachers and support staff continue to work tirelessly to meet the needs of the children and families and they provide invaluable support to each other in order to deal with the most challenging of circumstances whilst continually developing its excellent practice on inclusion and is sharing its practice with other schools well beyond the school gates in some instances.
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.
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