Dormanstown Primary Academy has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Inclusive Learning Community
Dormanstown Primary Academy has 263 pupils aged between 3 and 11 years. The school is part of the Tess Valley Educational Trust which comprises five primary schools located in Redcar and Middlesbrough. The school has a 35-place Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Unit, the primary need is communication and interaction with some ASD and moderate/complex learning needs. The school serves an area of substantial social and economic deprivation, with the closure of the local steel works significantly impacting the area.
The proportion of children eligible for Pupil Premium (PP) funding is much higher than the national average at over 70% and is in the highest 20% of schools nationally.
Dormanstown Primary Academy is committed to developing an inclusive learning community that includes its pupils, their families, and the broader community of Dormanstown. The school strives to be present and available for children, colleagues, and parents and to have considerate, professional, and respectful behaviours with all members of the school community.
Open and Inspirational Culture
An open and inspirational culture pervades and energises a ‘can do – will do’ culture. The Leadership team, staff, pupils, and parents share the vision of Dormanstown Primary Academy being a centre of excellence within a community that it values highly, respects, and wishes to support in any way possible. These challenges could overwhelm other schools that do not have the talents, skills, and inclusive commitment as those demonstrated by Dormanstown Academy.
The school continues to develop its curriculum to ensure it provides a challenging, stimulating, and creative curriculum delivered in a calm, supportive learning environment where all pupils are encouraged and enabled to achieve their best and to become independent resilient learners. Staff in the school are committed to ensuring individual progress continues to reflect the hard work that has been devoted to developing a broad, balanced, diverse, and well-thought-through curriculum that offers opportunities for every child to progress. A key development to this is the active use of the pupil’s voice which will be extended further by the school’s involvement in a project that will involve the children’s feedback and contributions to the designing of a meaningful curriculum.
Achievement is built upon a consistent and common understanding, shared by staff, students, and their parents, that the individual pupil is the focus and that everything possible is done to remove barriers to learning and to provide the widest opportunities for all. Inclusivity permeates the organisation and is the bedrock of the school’s ethos.
Our Assessor was warmly welcomed to Dormanstown Primary Academy and throughout the visit was very aware of the positive relationships shown between staff and between staff and pupils. The school has a warm and friendly atmosphere. Our Assessor witnessed a pupil struggling to transition from a break to get ‘ready for learning’. The approaches to encourage re-engagement were supportive, bespoke, and effective. During choir assembly pupils’ behaviour was excellent with staff available to support if needed.
Life of the School
Support staff feel included in the life of the school. They are always kept up-to-date with regular training in different areas of learning. The staff team at the school reception provides parents with the confidence to approach the school with their concerns. They are an important first line of contact for parents who may have an issue they need to discuss. Staff are also available at the beginning and end of the day for a ‘meet and greet’.
Our Assessor witnessed a member of the pastoral team supporting a pupil who was struggling to come to school. She stayed and supported with a positive transition into class. This close liaison helps to ensure two-way monitoring of attitudes, pupils’ progress, and the opportunities to celebrate successes. Parents understand the expectations of behaviour and the inclusive ethos of the school and recognise the improvements made over the recent years. They understand the high expectations of all staff to ensure children have a positive learning experience. Their engagement with, and support of, families as key players in developing a learning community is extensive and hugely appreciated by the parents.
Pupils acknowledged the support they receive from all staff, and parents highly value the excellent communication between school and home. The positive attitude of pupils throughout the assessment was excellent.
Dormanstown Academy is an excellent example of a school’s commitment to and implementation of inclusive practice. Staff have an enthusiasm and passion for their part in the learning and lives of the pupils at the school. They are dedicated and positive about the futures of their pupils.
Dormanstown Primary Academy constantly reviews its practice and seeks always to improve its impact upon the quality of its teaching and broader experiences for all of its pupils.
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.