Les Landes School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Confident and Purposeful
Les Landes School shares its inclusive ethos from the moment you enter the school site. The Headteacher greets visitors as they enter the gate. The values of Achievement, Community and Pride are proudly shared with the school community on the website and in displays around the school and it is clear they are fully embedded in school life. When you arrive on to the school site, there is a happy smile to greet you from the Site Manager who welcomes you wholeheartedly, setting the tone for your visit. As you tour the school, it is clear that the values are deeply embedded in inclusion. Staff and pupils are friendly and kind, pupils hold doors open for you and greet you as you walk by. The interaction with adults is confident and they are happy to share their learning and what they are doing without prompt. As you enter the learning environment you are welcomed with a hearty and loved ‘dome’ area which enables you to feel at home. The classrooms and external learning areas are thoughtfully curated to showcase learning but also to embed the values further.
The school’s leadership is confident and purposeful. The Headteacher supported by her Deputy have a strong knowledge of the school and they have a clear vision as to what they are trying to achieve for their community. There is an honesty around the challenges within mainstream schooling, but they are clearly committed to ensuring that all pupils receive a high-quality learning experience. Leaders have invested financially in staff development in order to support for the most vulnerable pupils and their families. The most recent appointment is a Pastoral Lead. It is obvious that leaders know staff well and they work hard to support them emotionally and professionally. Adapting approaches to support in different ways from a gentle check-in to a more structured approach if needed. The Executive Head talks of the staffing team being “a strong team” but also each person is a “go to for something”.
Passionate About Meeting the Needs of Pupils
The Pastoral Lead, alongside Senior Leaders and the wider staffing team, is passionate about meeting the needs of pupils regardless of the barriers presented. All work closely with families, getting to know them well and the challenges they are facing. There is a strong emphasis on honesty and ensuring that families are well supported as they manage the challenges that come their way. There is a strong knowledge of the external services available and the ways in which pupils can be supported within school. Parents speak of how supportive this is and said, “there is a whole school approach to including their child”. Supported by a strong supportive staffing team, leaders are able to implement additional interventions alongside the curriculum whilst enabling children to feel included. An inclusive library, structured outdoor areas, the Chalet, personal workstations and wellbeing areas are all offered. SEND and Pastoral Leads have a strong knowledge of the curriculum that the school delivers and this, coupled with the embedded core values, enables support for SEND pupils in a way that they feel included in lessons, have a passion for learning as well as high aspirations.
Les Landes staffing team describe themselves as a “strong team” in which “everyone wants the best for the children”. They share responsibility for the pupils in their care and each other and talk of a “everyone chipping in to support pupils”. They say that everyone is approachable. It is clear that they are happy and positive about their work and keen to share how they manage to include significant need within their class and work, whilst being supported by leaders. All adults working within the school are kind and nurturing and all contribute to the strong inclusive ethos. This can be seen in their interactions with children and families. Parents speak of the adults that work with their children as knowing the children well and keen to overcome barriers and support adaptions.
The senior leaders at Les Landes support their staff with tailored and up-to-date training that is needed to cater for the pupils’ needs. Middle Leaders have accessed high quality support for leading their subjects which has shaped school development in their subject and pastoral leads have accessed additional training with pupil behaviour.
The good practice at Les Landes has been shared across the island with leaders contributing to, and leading, conversations at the West Island SEND Cluster and the Headteacher has been included in the development of the new JSRF. Recently the Headteacher worked across two schools building strong inclusive teams and practice.
Holistic Needs of Pupils
Leaders ensure that all staff view the holistic needs of pupils and their families and are keen to build ‘connectiveness’ amongst their school community. Quality First Teaching is strong at Les Landes and there is belief that it is the best vehicle for meeting need.
Families are well supported, and this is recognised by the families themselves. The Pastoral Lead is impactful and honest, working closely with families to agree a way forward that is in the best interests of the child. She manages the challenges of this well alongside the Headteacher as this role is in its first year. She provides empathetic intervention when it is needed. Parents talk of how the support from school reassures them and gives them a voice. When meeting with them, they say that “leaders make children feel at ease”, and that they are supported with a “whole school approach to including all children”. They also talk of highly personalised support.
It is evident from the IQM Inclusive School Award assessment that the leaders know their school well and have access to high quality data and information. The school’s profile has changed with need increasing and the leaders have worked hard to ensure the challenges of this are met. Some pupils join the school at a different point of entry to Reception and teachers talked about how these pupils are well supported and everyone is welcomed. Whilst in classes, learning was settled and routines in place showing the commitment to this cause.
The school is not supported by a Governance system but actively encourages external reviews and support. The Headteacher is keen to mention the additional support they receive from attending cluster meetings with local schools.
Need is Well Met
The school holds a good level of data on SEND pupils. Need is met well here across the school as part of Quality First Teaching and through the development of trauma-informed practice. Visual timetables and prompts are used in all classes as well as interventions to support reading and writing development. Those pupils with significant and complex needs such as those with autism, are supported alongside their peers and this support is impactful. Staff support pupils in a way that is personalised and inclusive.
Staff are acknowledged for the skills and knowledge that they have and have acquired. This enables them to drive forward school improvements. Staff talked of leaders getting to know them early in their roles “finding out what they can do”. This skillset is developed further to enable them to lead on areas of responsibility across the school. Whole school staff CPD sessions enable the sharing of good practice across the school and there are opportunities to attend staff development sessions.
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.