Granton Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Inspirational Vision
There is an inspirational vision for inclusive practice at Granton PS that is shared by all stakeholders including children based on excellence, high expectations, and pride. School leaders are passionate about inclusion and are strongly committed to their core values. During the tour of their vibrant, happy school, Year 6 children communicated an overwhelming sense of positivity and pride in their school.
The diversity in their multicultural community is celebrated with examples of children’s cultures and achievements proudly displayed. One child said that this is a “kind school where everyone gets treated the same.” Children feel safe to express their ideas and ask questions, and in the words of one child, “we can speak up and all voices are heard”. The children were very proud of their aspirations to become school councillor and understood the responsibility of being elected to represent their peers. Examples of posters advocating their skills and attributes as leaders were displayed around the school.
High Aspirations
At Granton PS, there is a fundamental belief in exploring every child’s potential and working together to remove barriers to learning. Staff have high aspirations, maintain high expectations, and seek to provide enriching opportunities for all children. Leaders aspire to design a curriculum and implement pedagogy so that “nothing will hold the children back”. As a result, children are aspirational about their future lives and talk about ambitions to go to university, to become a barrister, an author, an actress, and a YouTuber. Year 6 children expressed their love for the school and when asked about transitions one child said, “I wish Granton could make a secondary school”.
Early intervention is evident in the involvement of senior leaders during children’s transition into school. Home visits and regular informal interactions and communication with parents enable staff to learn about the family, put parents at ease, support them with challenges, and create a positive relationship right from the beginning. There is a vocabulary-based intervention for children who are new to learning English which enables them to actively engage as part of a diverse multilingual school and build a sense of belonging in a community that incorporates almost 60 different languages from over 20 different countries.
Participation is celebrated and learning to share and communicate are essential skills, teaching them how to manage their frustrations and build confidence. In the new Nursery building, children enjoy learning and there is “pure joy when they get something and pride in children sharing special moments, you watch lightbulbs come on”. The intervention has included a sensory room project, developing knowledge about selective mutism, and working with children to acknowledge emotions and build confidence.
Nurturing Wellbeing
School leaders at Granton PS are deeply committed to nurturing wellbeing and inspiring learning for everyone in their inclusive community. Despite concerns about the impact of Covid-19 on children’s social and emotional development, behaviour is exemplary. Trauma-informed practice and emotional wellbeing underpin the school’s approach to managing behaviour. Children learn to regulate their emotions and know who to talk to and what to do if they need help.
“Kind hands, kind words, kind feet” provides a clear set of expectations, and children can name and express their emotions in a safe way. One child said, “Sometimes we have problems, but they always get sorted. It is hard to shake it off when I feel mad, but we need to talk about stuff otherwise other people keep having the same effect on you”. Children are encouraged to behave in a way that in the words of one teacher “fills my heart with joy”.
‘Be a Kind Person’
When discussing the beautifully crafted legacy mosaics in the hall that spell out the word “FAMILY” (Forward thinking, Achieving, Multicultural, Inclusive, Loving, and Your community), one child said, “Inclusion means don’t judge or discriminate – be a kind person. It just makes sense to me, no matter who you are or where you come from you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes”. Anti Bullying Alliance resources are displayed around the school and every class has a feelings box. Individuals are positively supported by the Unlocking Potential intervention and Early Learning Support Assistants (ELSAs) in a safe space to receive reassurance, to relax, and to “get things out” in quiet spaces “away from the overwhelming hustle and bustle” of the classroom. This enables them to develop their emotional language and confidence in an environment where all feelings are considered normal, and staff help children learn how to manage these emotions in a way people can understand and help.
There is a strong connection between staff and parents. Accessibility, empathy, and knowledge of needs and circumstances result in significant attendance at events which enables parents to access information and know how to support their child’s progress. A parent appreciated how “Granton goes above and beyond”, noticing when they or their children need help and providing support in a multitude of different ways.
“Granton are like my grandparents, they ask how I’m feeling and help me express myself. We feel accepted. This is a happy community. Everyone is loving and nurturing including the people in the office, the cleaners, and the premises staff. They show my child respect and he in turn wants to try his hardest and achieve. There is empathy. There are no labels here. They are amazing.”
Research and evidence-based practice inform the rationale for change that prioritises the needs of individual children within their diverse community.
Driving Improvement
Leaders are relentless in driving improvement and are consistently looking for ways to build on children’s current achievements and address issues. The Executive Headteacher at Granton PS is a lead Ofsted inspector and influences thinking and policy at local and National levels. His leadership inspires school leaders to proactively and systematically respond to children’s unique challenges, explore new possibilities, prioritise, and meticulously skill up staff to embed highly effective pedagogy. They believe that “We can’t sit still, we are all learners all of the time” and are dedicated, creative, innovative, positive, and optimistic about change; “We love a challenge!”. Leaders describe their work as a “journey”, explicitly recognising their own personal challenges, and using this as a strength from which to empathise with children and celebrate diversity.
There is a strong commitment to professional development and staff expertise is a highly valued resource that is utilised both within and beyond the school. Leaders are committed to “spreading ourselves far and wide” to collaborate and learn from their wider community. High-quality training, opportunities for staff to collaborate, observe, and engage in teacher research groups with other schools, and international links with educational communities in several different countries have been established. Newly qualified teachers are well supported through coaching and mentoring.
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.