Hill House School has achieved the Inclusive School Award.
Family Ethos
The repeated message from our Assessor’s visit was that Hill House School is like a family. This was mentioned many times regarding year groups, whole school and for the staff themselves. According to one parent, it “feels like a very big family. The teachers know the children inside out.” Belonging to one of four Houses enables pupils to really know members of staff and children in other year groups who support each other. Staff join pupils in the dining hall for lunch and pupils sit where they want to. Students from the sixth form listen to younger readers and arrange events for the school including a Santa Run and a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. The EYFS Co-ordinator proudly shared how this family ethos has been maintained whilst the school has grown in size.
Hill House School is a co-educational day school in South Yorkshire which caters for children from the age of three to eighteen. There are currently almost 800 pupils at the school which welcomes many new starters into Year 7 from other primary schools and again into the sixth form. The school is extremely proud of its high academic standards. This year 69% of A level results were at Grade B and above; at GCSE, the overall pass rate was 96% with 49% of these results at grades 9 to 7. Specialist teaching begins with French from nursery, art from Year 3 and science from Year 5 which has greatly improved achievement, according to the Head of Junior School. The most recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in September 2022 graded the school as excellent in the quality of academic achievements and personal development.
High Standard
In addition to academic strengths, the school has a tradition of excellence in sport, music and the arts and offers scholarships in these areas for pupils in the senior school. The high standard achieved in all three areas is demonstrated around the school with photographs, examples of work and lists of award winners. Whilst senior leaders are proud of the many opportunities available, they are also committed to ensuring that pupils appreciate the privileges they have, supporting a variety of charities and developing empathy for different viewpoints via a diverse range of external speakers.
Personal development is a key focus for the school with every pupil monitored for engagement with the extraordinary range of enrichment activities on offer. From Reception, children can attend ballet and yoga classes and become Rainbow Guides. Further up the school, additional activities include choir, horse riding and Warhammer! “If you have a talent, we’ll find it and push you in it,” the Senior House Mistress pointed out. Parents agreed and mentioned the change in attitude to learning through being encouraged to develop all-round skills bringing their children to life.
Pupil voice is sought from even the youngest children. On leaving the dining hall pupils rate the food on offer via an iPad which helps eliminate food waste. A pupil in Year 10 shared how she had worked with the school council to approach senior leaders to amend the uniform to allow girls to wear trousers, which is now in place. Concerns recorded by pupils for the Safeguarding Lead resulted in a change to the use of toilets which are now divided in Senior School for use either by Year 7 to Year 9 or Year 10 and Year 11 pupils.
Ambition for Every Single Pupil
There is ambition for every single pupil to achieve regardless of need. Once a pupil becomes a member of the school, there is total commitment to supporting all their siblings. There are currently 91 pupils at SEN Support and one Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). The Head of Junior School spoke of the school’s commitment to the whole child with the same pastoral, academic and extra-curricular opportunities open to all. The Head of Senior House emphasised that “children are truly cared for” and that staff will never give up. Pupils with additional needs are quickly identified and are highly motivated to do their best with appropriate resources and strategies.
Parents spoken to shared their relief when their children’s needs were immediately pinpointed, and excellent support provided. One child’s confidence and reading ability have soared whilst another is experiencing a phenomenal time since joining the sixth form and feels they have a huge ability to achieve. According to the Head of Senior House, baseline data shows that children with additional needs achieve better progress than their peers due to receiving such effective input.
Exciting Stage of Development for Inclusion
Hill House School is at an exciting stage of development for inclusion. The IQM Lead/SENDCo is embedding an approach focused around the pupil’s voice, ensuring that all staff understand the strategies to put in place via succinct individual descriptions of need. New classroom areas have been identified and developed to enable a wide range of support to be offered, including attractive small group classrooms. “For every problem we can offer a solution,” the IQM Lead explained. Learning needs are “not barriers, they are gateways to another opportunity.”
Together with the IQM Lead, the SENDCo is very excited about the additional accessibility for both pupils and staff, with support continuing seamlessly across the whole age range of the school. According to the SENDCo, this is opening up opportunities to “discuss the corridor of life.”
Emotional literacy is a new area of focus with an increase in the numbers of pupils requiring support to overcome anxiety and develop their self-esteem. A newly appointed Learning Assistant is looking forward to starting their studies towards becoming an Emotional Literacy and Support Assistant (ELSA). The SENDCo has already started to provide Lego Therapy to groups and individuals in Year 7 and Year 8 to develop their skills in working together. The Governor overseeing SEND enjoys meeting regularly with the IQM Lead and is extremely supportive of the increased focus on inclusion. “Teachers are embracing the provision,” she explained.
Our Assessor concluded, “I would like to extend my appreciation to all the members of staff and pupils who provided such a warm welcome during my visit. It was a genuine privilege to speak to many members of staff who openly shared their passion and commitment for every child. As a recently appointed member of staff commented, “There is a sense of community and togetherness, knowing all the staff and every child. I love it.”
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.
• Our inaugural National Inclusion Conference will take place on the 27th November, for further details click here.