Greenhill Academy in Oldham has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Noticeably Calm Atmosphere
Greenhill Academy is a special place where everyone is encouraged to believe, achieve and succeed. Our Assessor had a lovely day and was made to feel so welcome and included. Throughout the whole school, there is a noticeably calm atmosphere and it is absolutely evident that the ‘quality first’ offer provided is for every single child.
Greenhill Academy ensures that every child achieves their potential and has the best possible start to their lives.
Staff are extremely passionate and dedicated, not only was this obvious from various meetings throughout the day but also during the tour of the school.
It is clear to see why Greenhill has such a high reputation within the Local Authority. There is a clear team approach to inclusion at Greenhill Academy where relationships with families are developed through confidence and trust. The school has exceptionally strong community links.
Since the school has a 70-place preschool, it enables any additional needs to be identified at an early starting point and appropriate support to be planned.
Children who are lucky enough to have a place in preschool are fortunate to experience the absolute foundations of learning. From nursery class upwards, there are 60 places per year group.
Currently, 27 percent of children on roll at Greenhill Academy are on the SEN register. The school identified a rise in complex additional needs and so set up two learning bases for those children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD).
Positive Adaptation
These bases are funded by the school and currently have between seven to ten children accessing each room. Both bases are run by Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinators (SENCos) and children follow a bespoke, personalised curriculum.
A positive adaptation, made since the pandemic, is that parents are given the opportunity to attend annual EHCP meetings online or over the phone; this has raised the attendance at meetings.
The school has also recently developed a SLCN Lead who completed specialist training and has focused on developing speech and language throughout the school.
The SLCN Lead has been successful in supporting staff with strategies to implement with children who have speech and language needs as well as liaising with external agencies. The new lead is part of a network across the authority and attends regular meetings with colleagues to discuss provision and support. SLCN is the highest SEN need across the school and this new role has been effective at providing support round this need and also across the Trust. This role has also enabled further inhouse staff training and intervention support.
The school has a wellbeing offer for all staff and, as part of this, there are fitness sessions and a football club that staff can access.
Extremely Articulate Children
Our Assessor met with children from across all different classes during their visit who were all keen to show and share a piece of work that made them proud.
All children were extremely articulate and proud to be at Greenhill Academy. One child said the best thing about school was that, “if a child has got needs, they get to sit near the front and are helped”. The children were proud to detail how good the teaching and learning is at school and how their confidence has developed. Our Assessor was also thrilled to meet a ‘star of the week’ who had chosen to wear the ‘golden’ jumper for the week. During the tour of the school with the Deputy Head Prefects, they explained they, “feel proud of how far school has come and that we can have our own iPad”. The real sense of pride was evident in children across the school.
Greenhill Academy has a sensory room that can be accessed by any children but the two learning bases and nursery have regular timetabled slots.
This space is immersive and so calming for all children; it is a great space that provides respite for children.
The night before the IQM visit, the whole school had attended an evening performance of a pantomime. For children who could not access this, due to sensory overload, an alternative experience was arranged for them to access in school; evidence that inclusion is always considered at Greenhill Academy.
Children at Greenhill Academy are so accepting of others and go out of their way to support each other. Behaviour around the school was exemplary and the Assessor noted the amazing Early Years department; our Assessor was shocked at the fantastic atmosphere in all classes.
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.
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