Christ the Redeemer Achieves Inclusion Award

November 10, 2017

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Christ the Redeemer Primary School in Belfast has achieved Inclusive School Award.

Context of the School

Christ the Redeemer Primary School is a very large and highly successful Primary setting where teamwork, collaboration and mutual respect lie at the heart of their work.

Background

Established in 2003, a shared vision was created which set high ambitions for all children and for the community at large. Over the years the astute leadership of the Principal, ably supported by her Governing Body and senior colleagues have ensured that the entire team is highly skilled, well-motivated and set good exemplars of positive relationships and aspiration for the children to follow. Initially there were some 30 children on roll. By the time the new school opened the enrolment had grown to 320 and in subsequent years the school has flourished, now accommodating over 700 young people.

Christ the Redeemer Primary School and Nursery is a Catholic Maintained School and is situated to the west of Belfast in an area of social deprivation. Approximately 35% of the pupils are entitled to free school meals and approximately 18% are currently on the SEN register.

Energy and Enthusiasm

The school was recognised as outstanding in its last ETI inspection and has gained recognition within the community and through quality assurance processes for many aspects of its work. However, the energy and enthusiasm which led to such success continues to drive the school forwards and information provided in a variety of forms shows that children are progressing even better still with statistics that show that standards are continuing to rise.

An Inclusive School

This is an inclusive school in which leaders have embraced wide-ranging principles for positive learning and behaviour. The UNICEF Rights Respecting School strategy underpins policy and practice, and this enables the children to understand their rights, but also respect their peers. Behaviour seen during the two-day Inclusion Quality Mark assessment process was exemplary and children wore their very smart uniform with real pride.

Children Enjoy Their Learning

Children enjoy their learning because it is so well structured. The school is also extremely well resourced. Teachers not only embrace best practice in teaching and learning and deliver high quality lessons, they also use Apple technologies to very good effect and this motivates children well. The curriculum quite rightly has a strong focus on academic achievement but also embraces creative topics which motivate and engage children well.

Excellent Support

Those children with special needs or disabilities are extremely well supported by the highly effective special needs co-ordinator and her colleagues. They use assessment and data to good effect to ensure that those who may be at risk of falling behind are very well supported with carefully considered interventions and resources which help them to progress.

Key Strengths

Among the key strengths of the school are the high-quality family outreach work initiated by the parent support worker, the astute leadership of the Principal in recruiting highly skilled, well-motivated personnel and the sustained opportunities for children and staff to collaborate and learn with and for each other.

Positive Inclusive Practice

The assessor was impressed with the positive inclusive practice evidenced across the school and with the children’s confident and polite demeanour. He has no hesitation in recommending that the school be accredited with the Inclusion Quality Mark’s Inclusive School Award. As a result of the embedded inclusive practice I also recommend that the school consider applying for Centre of Excellence status, which I would fully endorse. This would be subject to the inclusion within its plans of the appropriate areas for development and the completion of the Centre of Excellence documentation. If the school chooses to pursue this status and it were to be awarded the school would be subject to annual review from this point forwards.

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: info@inclusionmark.co.uk for further details.

Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack.