Moat Farm Infant School has achieved the Inclusive School Award.
Immersed Within the Classroom
Moat Farm Infant School is a four-form entry Infant school taking children from Nursery to Year 2. The Nursery provides places for up to 50 children with morning sessions being solely for preschool-age children. Afternoon sessions include children with 30 hours of provision, rising three funding and two-year-olds with English Language Teaching (ELT) funding.
The school has recently gained a few newly arrived pupils who are at the beginning stages of learning English and has put support in place to help with developing survival language and broadening vocabulary. Learners with English as an Additional Language (EAL) are immersed within the classroom to enable them to pick up language from the other children and adults, supported using ‘Communication in Print’. The school currently has around 30% of children on Pupil Premium (PP), although they believe this figure is not a true reflection of the cohort, with many parents not completing the forms despite them being provided as part of the induction pack for Reception.
Rainbows
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) within the school are above the national average at 30%. There are currently 18 children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and a further five awaiting a decision, taking the school significantly higher than the national average. Due to the increasing numbers of Reception children within the area presenting with quite complex additional needs, leaders decided to open Rainbows, a specialist SEND hub within the school in 2019.
Rainbows cater for up to 10 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other complex SEND needs. Children within Rainbows will have or are waiting for an EHCP. The hub currently has children from Year 1 and Year 2, with all children with additional needs in Reception being managed within mainstream, with the support of one-on-one provision where needed. The hub is continually being developed and adapted to meet the specific needs of the individual children. The school receives no additional funding for the unit and is very carefully managing the budget to be able to meet the needs of these pupils. Parents sign a parent/carer agreement for their child before they join the provision. Children are reintegrated gradually into mainstream classes where appropriate. Those remaining in Rainbows throughout their time at Moat Farm have very complex needs and are likely to transfer to a specialist setting or unit for Key Stage 2 (KS2).
Incredibly Welcoming
Provision within Rainbows follows the Key Stage 1 (KS1) curriculum but is delivered with additional increased scaffolding to enable the students to access the learning, through a practical, role-play approach. Interventions including ‘Dough Disco’ and ‘Squiggle While You Wiggle’ are used daily to support the development of gross and fine motor skills needed for writing. All children in Rainbows are assessed on B-squared and the curriculum is adapted to the individual needs of each child. Mathematics is taught through Maths Mastery focussing predominantly on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.
The school is incredibly welcoming to visitors and parents and there is a genuine caring ethos where the individual needs of all pupils are prioritised. Staff work exceptionally hard and are committed to providing an excellent experience for every child. Teamwork between all staff was exceptional, supported by excellent channels of communication and an effective ‘open door policy’ with leaders. Staff regularly check in on each other and support as needed.
The school is joining Stour Vale Academy Trust in February 2024, which currently has nine schools across the Black Country, including Moat Farm Junior School which is on the neighbouring site and is the school most of the KS2 pupils transition to. Leaders have chosen the Trust strategically ensuring it meets the school’s ethos and enables ongoing autonomy whilst gaining the benefits from Trust support. Leaders are also looking for the Trust to enable them to share their expertise and support other schools, particularly with the work with children with more challenging additional needs.
Leaders at school regularly use questionnaires and surveys to ensure essential feedback is obtained and acted upon. Outcomes from the surveys are extremely positive.
Staff Survey
The most recent staff survey identified that staff were not confident about accessing the Employee Assistance Scheme which led to posters being placed around school and half termly emails being sent to all staff providing clear information.
Staff also raised concerns about the time spent on planning guided reading sessions which was becoming unmanageable. This was addressed by leaders introducing Little Wandle Phonics and the associated reading books. Training provided for staff on using Little Wandle, alongside the planning included with the resources has led to more effective reading sessions and reduced planning time for staff.
A further concern was raised regarding the stressful nature of teaching and as a result, leaders booked a consultant to work with staff in school looking at managing workload. Staff explained they feel exceptionally well listened to by leaders and feel their needs and concerns are always addressed.
Leaders have also shared strategies with staff on ‘how to switch off from work’ and decided to stop using a whole staff WhatsApp group that was becoming intrusive into people’s personal life. Any ‘WhatsApp’ groups in school are now voluntary and used only to share pertinent information linked to the group. Leaders also changed how communication channels work in school, with urgent messages being given in person and holding a weekly staff briefing where key messages are shared. This has reduced the number of emails being sent and staff are now only expected to check and respond to emails weekly.
The most recent parent survey showed an incredibly positive view of the school. A total of 98% of parents said their children are happy at school, 99% reported their child feels safe, 99% feel that behaviour is good, 98% feel concerns raised are dealt with properly, 99% feel the school has high expectations and 98% reported being confident in supporting their child at home. A total of 99% of parents would highly recommend the school.
Children at Moat Farm Infant School are incredibly confident and articulate. They know how to keep themselves safe and were able to talk at length about how they know if adults in school are okay to talk to and what to do if an unknown adult is seen in school without a lanyard and/or a member of staff. The children are very happy at school and their needs are very well met.
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.