Les Quennevais School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
High Quality Learning
Les Quennevais School is a seven-form entry, 11 to 16 school in the west of Jersey. There are currently 863 pupils on roll from Year 7 to 11. The need of pupils and their families is growing across the school with 20% of the pupil demographic currently being registered as in receipt of Jersey Premium. 10% of pupils are registered on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) register and 16% of pupils are multilingual learners.
In 2020, the school community moved into a purpose-built building. Staff and pupils were involved in the decision around layout and resources as well as the consideration regarding the systems and processes in place to support high quality learning. As such the school community are proud of what they have built together.
The school is currently awaiting a review by the Children, Young People, Education and Skills Department (CYPES) which is expected to take place before September 2024. The Jersey Schools Review is an independent assessment of the quality of education in all Government of Jersey primary and secondary schools.
Strong Inclusive Ethos
There is a strong inclusive ethos at Les Quennevais. The school’s vision of ‘Learning to be your best through excellence and enjoyment’ is fundamental to the work of the school in inspiring students. The values of ‘Respect, Resilience and Ambition’ underpin this and are known by all. They are proudly displayed around the school and on the school’s website. They shape the conversations that adults have with students and how the curriculum is delivered.
As you arrive at the school building, there is a friendly smile and a calm environment that makes you feel welcomed into the school community. Whoever you talk to or meet along the way, wants to connect with you and it is noticeable that a strong inclusive ethos is embedded. The staff and pupils are kind and friendly. They are happy to chat and interact with visitors and they feel like they belong to the community they are learning in. They are also keen to share with you what they are doing and why they are doing it.
The classrooms are orderly and purposeful, they have a calm, focused energy about them. It is obvious a range of needs are catered for but there is no exception to the high engagement seen in all pupils.
Strong Leadership
Leadership is strong, focused and distributive. The Headteacher is supported by an experienced and capable Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and they share the ambitious vision with others who share and recognise it in return. The Headteacher has driven the inclusion ethos and the SLT has embraced it, establishing a clear strategic direction. Leaders speak passionately about the vision, giving examples of how it is embedded in everyday decision-making and strategic future focus. Future focus sits at the heart of the SLT enabling them to respond to changing needs and priorities. They invest in staff so that they feel supported by the knowledge and skills that they need to discharge their roles.
Independence is encouraged; staff suggest ideas, lead and champion change and have agency over their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) journey. Staff talk of ‘being trusted’ and being ‘given ownership’ of their development. This in turn builds capacity that the school is keen to encourage. The staffing team at Les Quennevais is stable and there is a low staff turnover. This enables a safe and more predictable teaching environment for students.
Drive to Overcome Challenges
The Director of Inclusion, alongside her Inclusion Team, is passionate about meeting the needs of pupils regardless of the barriers presented. The drive to overcome challenges ensures that personalised support is given in an appropriate way that meets the need of each individual and family. The Director of Inclusion says the team “is willing to go above and beyond” in their quest to ensure students feel included at the school. The team works creatively to find solutions to issues that are developing for pupils such as adapting timetables, purchasing new resources, supporting inclusion in mainstream lessons with additional adult support and accessing outdoor learning areas.
The percentage of pupils with complex needs is growing considerably since the scope of the Additional Resource Centre (ARC) widened to meet increased need in Jersey. Leaders have been able to support teachers within the ARC and across the school to manage the need appropriately whilst enabling students to thrive. The Inclusion Team, led by the Director of Inclusion is highly regarded by all members of staff.
Staff describe themselves as “a great team”. Staff within the ARC show a sense of community when working with pupils with considerable need. Staff work collaboratively to support the pupils and their families and each of them understands the importance of their role. When you speak to wider staff, they are happy and positive about their work and keen to share how they support each other and how they are supported by leaders. They want pupils to be inspired “by the curriculum and relationships they have learning it” and are passionate about meeting the holistic needs of pupils and their families. All adults working within the school are kind and nurturing and all contribute to the strong inclusive ethos.
Senior Leaders ensure that all staff have the training they require to support pupils and their needs. Staff feel well supported with the training opportunities that they can access and are offered.
Sharing Good Practice
Senior Leaders showcase their work at Les Quennevais by sharing good practice with schools. The Director of Inclusion regularly attends local primary feeder schools and those schools now housing an ARC. This work is proactive and thoughtful and designed to ensure that the transition is successful as well as developing local provision more widely. All leaders work closely with the CYPES department to ensure that challenge and support are evident in all they do. They offer a strong voice.
All staff have a sound knowledge of inclusion and using data and regular team reviews, knowledge and understanding are shared allowing a collegiate approach to meeting need. This shows respect for a wide range of experience and knowledge as well as enabling effective use of those skills.
Consistent Management Plans are used alongside Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) to ensure that all staff have a good understanding of the needs within their class. However, inclusion is seen as a holistic approach and not as a differentiated provision. There is a strong belief in Quality First Teaching (QFT) as the vehicle for meeting need where possible. Blended learning opportunities are maximised.
Staff at Les Quennevais go above and beyond what is expected when supporting families. The Inclusion Team’s work with families is impactful and families talk positively about the relationship they have with them. The Director of Inclusion is strong in communicating what inclusion means at the school and the team supports parents and carers to access support from relevant organisations when appropriate.
When meeting with parents, they talk of open and honest support that enables them to work positively with the school. They appreciate how they can contact staff freely which calms their anxieties and worries. One parent talked about the support given to her family when her child joined in Year 7. She appreciated the open-minded approach and noted the comfort she felt in the school and her family “learning together” from the start. She said, “there is no better feeling when a school knows your child”. Another parent stated that she felt “communication was key” and “someone is always at the end of an email/call”.
The needs of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) pupils are met well across the school as blended learning. QFT coupled with a strong trauma-informed approach means pupils feel well supported. The Director of Inclusion talked about meeting the needs of the most recent cohort of students who have significant cognitive delay. The school has been quick to upskill teaching and support staff to deliver sessions at an appropriate level. Early reading and phonics schemes are now in place as well as a thematic curriculum based on picture books such as ‘The Tiger Comes to Tea’.
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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