Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane in Pontefract has received the Inclusive School Award for the first time.
Rapid progress
Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane is a school where rapid progress has been made, in a relatively short time, towards establishing a truly inclusive environment. Under the guidance of its relatively new Principal, a strong culture of inclusivity has emerged.
The Academy is part of the Outwood Grange Academy Trust and benefits from being able to draw strength from the established vision and practice of the Trust in developing its own iteration of these in a way that fits with its local context.
The Academy states its guiding principles as:
- We put children first; we care deeply about children;
- We strive to be experts; and
- We are obsessive about attaining the highest standards, thereby enhancing children’s life chances.
Evidence presented and made available during the visit strongly indicates that these principles are being realised in practice.
Leadership sets high standards regarding pupil behaviour and engagement, all staff involved are aware of these and evidence suggests that they are being applied consistently.
Pupils respond to this consistent regime which reinforces positive behaviours, and this was strongly evidenced in what was seen during the visit throughout the day.
The realisation of these expectations is monitored, and special provision is made both for monitoring and consequent social and emotional intervention regarding pupils experiencing particular challenges in engaging with education in order that any barriers to learning may be removed over time.
Sensory breaks
Work has been undertaken to provide ‘sensory breaks’ for pupils who are finding the Academy day challenging and a range of sensory facilities are either in place or under rapid development to allow these to happen.
Evidence suggests that these opportunities are having a positive impact on such pupils wellbeing and consequent engagement with learning.
Similarly high expectations are in play regarding attendance and punctuality with appropriate support and intervention strategies in place to maintain and raise standards in conjunction with a newly appointed Attendance Officer.
The curriculum, which clearly focusses upon educating the ‘whole child’, is firmly rooted within the model of the Trust. Leaders speak of the local consultation that took place in its creation with the result that the curriculum at Bell Lane retains very much the feel of a local offer rather than a one size fits all approach.
The curriculum, and in this context the entire offer both within and outside the classroom, incorporates the five pillars of effective character education – Sport, Creativity, Performing, Volunteering and Membership and the World of Work.
In this way, Bell Lane demonstrates its commitment to educating the whole child through its learner model.
Unifying thread
A unifying thread which exemplifies the ‘whole child’ approach at the core of the curriculum is in the Outwood Diploma, which provides structured opportunities for pupils of the Academy to engage at all levels with this curriculum vision as Bell Lane, in common with others within the Trust, is able to develop its own particular projects throughout the year in line with the underlying themes.
Support for English and Maths is strong, this is of course particularly important in the context of supporting wider curriculum access in terms of literacy and numeracy.
The Academy benefits from access to curriculum hubs at Trust level which permit access to academic research and best practice from across the Trust and beyond.
The Academy site is a combination of the old and the new in that the original Victorian structure has been added to in a variety of forms as the community has developed.
In some cases, this can create a lack of cohesion and thereby inclusivity by limiting on phase of the school to one part of the building. Senior Leaders are aware of this, and significant efforts have been made to promote continuity of practice and access across all areas of the site.
Strategies are also in place to support pupils moving across phases to adapt to new environments at times of transition.
Outwood Bell Lane Academy has striven hard to create and sustain an inclusive environment.
With excellent support from the Trust in the context of its established overarching vision and developmental support and challenge, it is being successful in its endeavours.
The spirit of inclusivity ‘lives’ in this Academy and is exemplified across its day-to-day dealings with pupils, parents, and the wider 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