North Beckton Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
“We All Belong Ethos”
“They put children’s needs first at this school”. This remark was made by a Year 5 member of the Pupil Parliament at North Beckton PS who was showing our Assessor around as part of the school tour. He continued by saying that all pupils get along, as they follow the ‘we all belong ethos’.
Our Assessor agreed that North Beckton PS is a very inclusive school where the ethos of, “we all belong” was evident throughout the visit, whether it was talking to children or their parents, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), other members of staff or the Chair of Governors. There is a strong commitment from staff to make sure that all pupils have their individual needs met.
The school’s unflinching drive towards excellence in inclusive practices was recognised in the latest Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) visit which took place in September 2023. The school got ‘Good’ for all areas and ‘Outstanding’ for the Early Years provision. Inspectors commented on the following, “the school has high expectations for what pupils should achieve. Pupils work hard and concentrate on their learning. They achieve well in their studies and are proud to contribute to the life of the school.”
The school is part of the Tapscott Learning Trust with 490 pupils on roll. The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities. It caters for up to 14 pupils.
Behaviour Policy
The SLT evaluated what they had learned from the experiences of the Covid Pandemic so have retained some measures that have proven to be successful. They have also increased their support for children’s mental health and have a robust programme in place, including Place2B counselling, the services of an educational mental health practitioner who is going to be running the Brain Buddies programme. They are also going to be involved in the Department for Education (DfE) Bounce Back programme for pupils in Years 5 and 6.
The new behaviour policy and the non-negotiables in the classrooms such as visual timetables and the use of symbols all help pupils to access the inclusive curriculum. Individualised timetables for some pupils ensure that they get what they need to thrive.
The school has recently introduced the Social Inclusion model which means that all pupils are in the classroom together where they receive quality first teaching rather than pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) having Mathematics and English lessons separately in the morning as happened previously.
The school operates an open-door policy for parents. All the SLT and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos) base themselves on the playground each morning so that parents/carers can approach them about any questions or issues that they have.
Supportive Staff
Our Assessor was very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a music assembly where the pupils were learning how to sing “Don’t Worry” by Bob Marley. Everyone was involved in their own way, most children singing, others signing and another pupil watching from a Physical Education (PE) mat – it was a very special, fully inclusive event. The enthusiasm from the teacher and enjoyment gained by the pupils was a pleasure to see.
A Year 6 class was at the beginning stages of learning how to play the guitar in a session delivered by a specialist music teacher, who works with the school one day a week. The pupils were all very focused. It was a positive inclusive setting where the nurturing approach of the teacher gave everyone the confidence to have a go.
Many staff have been at the school for a long time. These staff are very supportive of newer staff. This was reinforced by an Early Career Teacher (ECT) and a newly appointed Teaching Assistant (TA) who mentioned that they feel they can approach anyone if they need any advice or help with their role. Teachers and TAs spoke about a very supportive SLT who are approachable and completely child-focused. Everyone is encouraged to develop their skills for the benefit of the pupils.
One TA who joined the school as a volunteer whilst at university described the staff as being like a, “close family”. Another TA spoke about how much she had enjoyed the training sessions which have helped her to deliver daily intervention sessions.
Intensive Training
Staff who work with children on the Engagement Model have received intensive training so that they can teach the pupils most effectively. The Trust has supported the teacher with the services of a specialist teacher to provide training in how to run PE sessions. Staff have had sign-along, hoist, and feeding training.
The Attendance Officer spoke about her role which encompasses safeguarding, monitoring attendance and making home visits. She likes the fact that she works with a strong team that communicates well with each other. Another teacher spoke about the community feel of the school which had led to her accepting a position at the school, in preference to other schools. Teachers value the close links between the school and their partner school in the Trust. They feel they have learned a lot by visiting the school and shadowing staff there and doing learning walks.
Speaking to the Chair of Governors, all Governors have a voice in this inclusive Governing Body. Members of the Governing body present with many different skills and come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, reflecting the composition of the school community.
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.