Cannon Lane Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
‘Shine Like Stars’
Cannon Lane Primary School is 4-form entry and is situated in an affluent area of Harrow. However, the demographic of the intake is changing with a higher number of PP, EAL and SEND pupils. The school feels that it is better at identifying children and families that need support. The parents are aspirational and have high expectations of the school. Parents are committed to the school and uptake for workshops is high. Many of the children are involved in private tuition after school and many Year 6 pupils sit 11+ tests. The school is a Learning Hub for parental engagement.
The school’s aim is for all children and adults to be happy, safe and successful and there is a shared feeling of respect for each other. Values are integral to the life of the school and as a Rights Respecting School, children are explicitly taught values. The school promotes – Excellence, Respect, Responsibility, Co-operation, Kindness and Resilience and the curriculum has the expectation that all children will, ‘Shine Like Stars’.
On our Assessor’s tour of the school the calm, purposeful atmosphere was apparent. The behaviour of the pupils was outstanding and even on a very hot day, from reception through to Y6, the pupils were focused on their learning and enjoying it. The Reception classes were in their phonics sessions and subtle changes of approach could be seen in the different classrooms. Additional adult support was being used effectively. Throughout the classrooms it was obvious how individual workstations were used and how they were adapted to the needs of individuals; some were plain and uncluttered whist others were decorated to reflect the pupils’ interests. These workstations are used at appropriate times to help the individuals to focus on their work. Visual timetables are used for the whole class so that it is clear what has been completed and what will come next. Individual visual timetables are also used where appropriate.
Learning Superheroes
On the walls in the corridor are drawings and information about the Learning Superheroes highlighting the characteristics of good learners. It was a parent who had drawn these characters for the school. Pupils talk about these characteristics and parents have even said how they refer to them at home when congratulating or encouraging siblings about the skills they need to use.
The school responds to the individual needs of the pupils and includes them.
Good use is made of specialist teachers and rooms. There is a well-equipped Art room and pottery is one area available to them. The Year 6 fossils were drying and some had been painted. This is linked to the Y6 Isle of Wight trip. Similarly, the Food Technology room is used to support and extend topic work as well as being used for an after-school club. Music is important in the school. Peripatetic teachers come to the school and the pupils have instrumental lessons. The Music teacher had started some one-to-one therapy sessions and it is hoped that these will resume. There are 2 libraries. The downstairs one has a book vending machine that was donated by the Friends of Cannon Lane, the Parent Teacher Association. This helps to support the drive for reading as the children are given rewards in assembly and then can come and insert the code into the machine to choose a book. Both libraries and the reading areas in the classrooms are being made into comfortable areas where the pupils can enjoy reading.
Pupils Knew What They Were Doing
Our Assessor saw how the ICT suite was being used. A class had been outside doing a bug hunt and then came in to record their findings on the computer. It was evident that the pupils knew what they were doing and were confident in using the computers. The pupil experience is further enhanced by the learning of a foreign language. In years 3 and 4 the pupils learn French, whilst in years 5 and 6 they learn Mandarin. A teacher is bought in from a local secondary school for the Mandarin lessons and this also creates good links for the pupils moving on at the end of year 6.
Another special room in the school is the Wonder Room. This is the room where the Learning Mentor is based. This is a quieter space that does not look like a classroom. There are a range of activities there that the pupils can engage in and it is warm and welcoming. Open door and drop-in sessions are available as well as the planned interventions that are run. Just inside the door there is a pad where pupils can write down their concerns and drop into the worry box. That way if the Learning Mentor is not in the room, she can check the box and follow up.
Pupils spoke about how they feel safe in school and that they enjoy the learning. Staff make learning interesting and fun. Our Assessor saw pupils enjoying their lessons. A real highlight was seeing the Reception pupils making use of the outside space and activities. Our Assessor watched one boy thinking and working out how to get water running down a series of pipes. His concentration was broken when he was reminded by staff to put on an apron, but he was then back, moving supports and using different pipes until he did it.
Pupils spoke about the Forest School activities, how they found them fun and interesting. One girl said how good it was to go outside of the classroom as it made her feel free and that there are lots of things you can’t do in the classroom. They said how the session starts with them talking about what they can feel, see, hear and smell, making them aware of nature. They took our Assessor out to see the Forest School and once out there, it was clear to see how they changed. The pupils had been sitting around the table sharing information with our Assessor but they were individuals. Outside in the Forest School area, they become a team and explored the area.
The teachers reiterated the value of the Forest School saying how they could see the changes in the pupils. Our Assessor was told about 2 girls in different year groups who are both hearing impaired, met at the Forest School and the positive impact this had on them, meeting someone just like them.
Positive, Uplifting Environment
Staff spoke about the positive, uplifting environment in the school. The Headteacher and senior leadership team have an open-door policy and staff support each other. Staff mental health is as important as pupil mental health and much is done to maintain a good work/life balance. They spoke about how the school is recognising the change in needs and the development of dance in the curriculum is an example of this. This helps those who may find it harder to communicate as they can show rather than say. The PE lead had met with the governors and she said how they were fully on board with the developments.
The Learning Mentor spoke about how supported she is by the SLT whilst, at the same time, being given a level of integrity to get on with her work. Over one year, 24 children have benefitted from ELSA support and another colleague has been ELSA trained. This is a direct response to the change in pupil needs. For interventions, staff explained that different approaches needed to be considered, the need to be flexible and how important it was to think about next steps. There is no doubt that there is real emphasis on meeting individual need and this is supported further by the Rainbow Bereavement group, the Creative Therapist and the Speech and Language Therapist to name a few.
The Friends of Cannon Lane had just held a summer fair at the weekend and a parent who was unwell and unable to meet with our Assessor, sent in comments to share about the community work. Parents had adopted trees from the Jubilee and had nurtured them at home. They had then brought them in and planted along the fence boundary with a local school. This would help to provide some screening as well as support nature. Parents would be coming in to compost the area as well. Beds had been dug out in the Forest School area and had previously planted fruit trees. The parents had planned the work and would be carrying it out. They had managed to organise it so that another fence area would be rotavated so that planting could take place there.
Good Links
The school has good links with local schools. As it does not have a Nursery, children can arrive from several settings but visits are made and information shared. Transition at Year 6 can also cover several schools. Once again information is shared and visits arranged so that the transition can be as smooth as possible.
Another excellent link is that with Harrow Early Support and a worker leads sessions with parents every half term, covering things like positive parenting strategies, routines and boundaries. Further work is planned for parents to understand how to support their child’s mental health, which is a current concern of the school. The aim is to be proactive in order to reduce referrals.
Conclusing our Assessor said, “The Headteacher told me that the school welcomes all, even if their needs are greater and that the aim is for everyone to be happy, safe and successful. I did see real evidence of this. All pupils are included and support and advice are sought where appropriate. The atmosphere in the school is positive. There are high expectations for all and adjustment and support are in place so that all can achieve.”
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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