Outwood Primary Academy Alne has achieved has achieved the Inclusive School Award.
Strong Inclusive Ethos
Outwood Primary Alne is a primary school in a small, rural village in an affluent area of Alne, North Yorkshire. The school is part of Outwood Academy Trust. There are currently 89 pupils on roll from Reception to Year 6. There is a preschool next door that is separate from the school but offers places for children from two years and wrap-around care for working families.
The school has a population of 94.79% White British, 7.45% Free School Meals (FSM) and 8.25% Special Educational Needs (SEN). There are currently no children on roll with English as an Additional Language (EAL).
Attendance currently stands at 98.94%, which is above the national average. There have been no suspensions in the last 12 months and the Headteacher reports suspensions are rare due to early intervention.
There are 13 staff in total at Outwood Primary Alne, with good retention of employees. The school is experiencing the national challenge of recruitment for support staff.
There is a strong inclusive ethos across Outwood Primary Alne and both pupil and staff wellbeing are fully embedded and shape all aspects of school life. There is a welcoming, positive atmosphere when you visit the school. From the moment you arrive, you are welcomed warmly into the community. All staff, parents and carers, Governors and pupils ‘buy in’ to the inclusive culture. Staff and pupils seem happy and interact positively with each other and any visitors. Classroom environments are purposeful and the pupils are engaged in the learning.
‘Close-Knit’ staff
Staff describe themselves as “close-knit” and work collaboratively to support the children and their families. In all meetings, it was evident that the staff’s commitment to their roles extends beyond the classroom. The staff will exceed expectations to support their pupils. There is a collective responsibility amongst the staff to look after the children and give them the best experience possible. All adults who work in the school are kind and nurturing. This kind and inclusive ethos permeates all staff, regardless of role; all staff are valued and respected.
Members of staff pride themselves on being inclusive. They believe that every child, no matter what their individual needs or barriers to learning, has equal access to learning and the same opportunities to succeed. They have a sound understanding that inclusion is not just about specific groups of children but about all children being included in all areas of the provision. This is evident as you walk around the school and see that all children are included in the learning environment.
The parents our Assessor met with on the day spoke positively of the support they had received over the years from Outwood Primary Alne.
Continuously Improving
It is evident through the documentation completed by the school to support the IQM Assessment that the leaders know their school well and can provide evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness. There is regular monitoring and evaluation of the provision to ensure it is continuously improving.
Pupil progress is excellent and pupils told our Assessor on the day that staff are enthusiastic about their teaching. Same day intervention addresses gaps in learning quickly and effectively.
Pupils are exposed to many cultural capital opportunities, which they were excited to share.
The school seeks support from relevant additional agencies when required, as well as access training from North Yorkshire County Council and Outwood Academy Trust.
Pupil’s Mental Health
The school has accessed Trust training on Zones of Regulation and Emotion Coaching to support the wellbeing of all pupils. Every pupil indicates how they are feeling from when they enter school until they go home with personalised wellbeing cards. Staff are tuned in to support pupil’s mental health and address ongoing needs with relevant interventions.
Wellbeing is tracked through the Trust’s Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) tracker to ensure needs are addressed. The pupils talked favourably about this and explained how the brain works when dysregulated. They could tell our Assessor strategies that would help in these situations, which included accessing sensory areas in each classroom and finger breathing.
The pupils said that they felt safe in Outwood Primary Alne and could talk to a trusted adult if they had a concern, as well as access the worry box or a wellbeing ambassador.
Transition to secondary school is supported by staff with access to additional visits, meetings before transition and shared pupil information. The Director for Special Educational Needs (SEN) felt there was more the Trust could do to support Transition overall, which was an area to continue to improve.
Positivity radiates throughout the school. Everyone spoken to during the assessment visit has a positive outlook. The staff, pupils and all stakeholders work “together” to find solutions to any issues they face. This sense of togetherness is a binding thread across all approaches.
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.