Glebe Primary School in Harrow has achieved IQM Centre of Excellence status.
A Very Inclusive School
This school is an excellent example of a very inclusive school which caters very well for children from a wide range of different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The Senior Leadership team inspire the rest of the school community with their strong beliefs in inclusion and treating everyone with respect.
Pupils Like School
Pupils are very clear that they all like school and said,
“Teachers help us with our learning.”
A year one child said,
“I like lesson times best – teachers are very nice to me and help me.”
Very High Level of Progress
The school received a letter, in February 2017, from Nick Gibb (Minister of State for School Standards) congratulating them for the very high level of progress the pupils are making. The school’s results for 2016 show that it was amongst the top 3% of schools in England in terms of the progress pupils make between Key Stage 1 and the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.
Happy, Polite and Motivated Pupils
The pupils are happy, polite and motivated to learn due to creative and challenging lessons. They were all on task and clearly interested in the range of activities on offer.
Effective Displays
Displays are used effectively to show the school’s values as a Rights Respecting school. Success is celebrated in displays as well as showcasing recent visits e.g. an author visiting the school to talk about her writing career.
A Very Skilled Team
The Inclusion Team are a very skilled, multi-disciplinary team who are enthusiastic about making sure that all pupils’ needs are met. They work strategically using a collaborative and supportive approach.
Parents are Complimentary
Parents are very complimentary of the school with one parent saying,
“Staff talk to you like they are a friend, you forget they are teachers”.
Discussing inclusion, one parent said,
“The school treats everyone the same. All different backgrounds and religions – it is the same opportunities for everyone.”
Parent Ambassadors
There are currently six Parent Ambassadors who can communicate with families in Somali, Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, Gujarati, Romanian and Tamil. Parents are active in the school, setting up their own health and well-being group as part of the Healthy Schools’ Initiative.
A Valuable Resource
Parents realise that having a creche available so that they can attend courses run by the school is a very valuable resource for them and has removed barriers to learning for people who want to improve their English or attend other courses that may lead to employment, improving prospects for the whole family.
A Wide Range of Courses for Parents
A wide range of courses including English, Maths, Safeguarding and Child Protection courses are available for all parents and are very well attended. A parent forum session was taking place at the school and highlighted the involvement of parents as they had very constructive discussions with school staff about the new legislation for PSHE and Relationship Education and how the school would consequently adapt lessons.
Professional Development
Finding the best way to help all children learn is at the heart of the school’s ethos and is reflected in the strong emphasis that is placed on staff’s professional development. The school has recently gained the CPD Platinum Award 2017. All the training is matched to children’s needs and is flexible throughout the year as new needs are identified. All staff have an action research project, linked to their role and the children they support. Observation of a teaching assistant training session was good evidence of how this self- reflection benefits all learners. Talented and gifted pupils have the opportunity to attend an Art club which is accredited by the British Arts Council and 14 members of staff were trained in the ELKLAN approach to support children with Speech and Language difficulties more effectively.
Sharing Outstanding Practice
The school is very proactive in the support that they give to other professionals in the wider community as they share their outstanding practice. The school is a Learning Hub for Cross-Cultural Communication and Language Learning. They provide support to schools in Harrow and in other London boroughs in relation to raising achievement for pupils for whom English is an additional language. The school works in partnership with other Learning Hubs, teaching school alliances and the Institute of Education.
Confident and Articulate
The school council members are very confident and articulate, with a strong desire to help their peers. One year 3 pupil said,
“We make other people happy by what we do.”
The school council represent their peers very well, seeking their views and representing them in the school council meetings.
Sources of Evidence
The Self Evaluation Report is comprehensive and gives a range of examples of outstanding practice that were witnessed during the days of the visit. Inclusion is at the heart of the school’s work and is reflected in each learning opportunity throughout the school day.
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.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack.