Manor Junior School in Essex has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
A Testament To The School
“The support the school has offered our family is beyond words and has forever changed our lives for the better. In summary, the Headteacher and SENCO have been a bedrock for our family over the last 24 months and continue to be so.”
This excerpt is from a letter written by a parent whose child has recently got a diagnosis for Autism, due to the school’s tenacity and support. This viewpoint was repeated by all the parents and is a testament to the work and commitment of the school as a whole. All aspects of school life have been examined to ensure that the school is truly inclusive; this is very impressive and has ensured that the pupils are happy and enthusiastic in their learning, leading to outstanding progress in children’s learning.
The Schools Ethos
Pupils spoke eloquently and enthusiastically about the pride that they have in their school and how much they have learned since being at the school. They spoke about the school’s ethos of ERIC- Enthusiasm, Respect, Inclusion and Challenge and how they know it is at the centre of everything as they talk about it throughout the school day. Pupils were polite, articulate, and confident speakers. They spoke in depth about their individual roles of Head of Learning, Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Creativity.
Staff Are Valued
Staff like working in the school due to its inclusive ethos and strong moral values. They spoke about the welcome and support that they received from fellow members of staff when they joined the school and how their opinions are valued by the senior leadership team. There is a strong team ethos throughout the staff with a sense of working towards a common goal. The Headteacher values her staff and has brought in measures to reduce staff workload to ensure that teachers have the time and space to be improving pupil outcomes rather than having to work on superficial tasks that do not add any value. She has made her office a welcoming environment and has also made a wellbeing room for staff to access. The SENCO is highly regarded by pupils, members of staff and particularly by parents who know that she gives her all to make sure that the children make good progress. Teachers are passionate about their roles. Support staff are highly valued by teachers as they use their initiative and go above and beyond in their roles. They have a good understanding of pupil needs.
Support Is Available
All children know where to access support for their mental health and wellbeing. The lead learning mentor is highly visible and supports pupils to equip them to problem solve for themselves with questions such as what they can do differently next time. She gives 1;1 support for children who have been identified by teachers or parents as well as running small social skill groups. The Learning Mentor also has a family support role, she is accessible to parents and supports them with a wide range of issues such as housing, disability paperwork and educational concerns.
Children’s Needs Are Met
Learning Support Assistants have dedicated roles so that all children’s needs are met. One LSA has a non-academic role. She leads the zones of regulation work, giving the pupils the language to describe how they are feeling. Personal Development Plans (PDP) is another branch of non-academic work, done in collaboration with parents who highlight the area of life skills that they feel their child needs at the current time. Topics are Keeping Safe, Organisation and Dressing Skills, Sensory work, tying shoelaces, etc. This programme currently has 39 children, and it is very successful.
The School Is Proud
The school is rightly proud of its truly inclusive practices: everyone is valued and welcomed into the school setting as an equal partner. This applies to all children, their parents and all staff. The school’s ethos (ERIC) puts the sense of all being included front and centre of the school’s philosophy. ERIC can be articulated by all the pupils as it is constantly being reinforced. The school mission statement- Motivation-Joy-Success is also very inclusive.
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