Place Farm Academy Primary has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Pupils are at the Heart of Everything
Place Farm Academy Primary is a two-form primary school in Haverhill, Suffolk. There are currently 408 pupils on roll from Reception to Year 6. The need of pupils and their families is growing across the school with 32% of the pupil demographic currently being registered as in receipt of Pupil Premium (PP), which is above the national average. 12.9% of pupils are registered on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) register, which is slightly below the National Average. Those with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) are broadly in line with National Averages. English is the main language spoken at home, however the number of pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) is rising swiftly due to changes in the community. 16% of pupils are monitored on the EAL register.
The school was inspected by Ofsted 2022 and recognised the school as ‘Good’ overall but acknowledged the school’s ‘outstanding’ work in Personal Development and Behaviour and Attitudes.
The report highlights that: Pupils are at the heart of everything the school does; Pupils have very positive attitudes toward their learning; The range of visits and visitors support pupils to learn more about the subjects they study at school; Pupils understand and show the school’s PROUD values; Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); Effective approaches ensure pupils’ support needs are identified and met.
Strong Inclusive Ethos
There is a strong inclusive ethos at Place Farm Academy School. The ‘PROUD’ values are fully embedded and shape the conversations and activities of all involved with the school. From the moment you arrive within the school building, there is a friendly smile, and you are welcomed warmly into the school community. Whoever you talk to or meet along your way, shares the inclusive culture that is deeply embedded. Staff and pupils are friendly and kind. They are happy to chat and interact with visitors asking them who they are and why they are here. They are also keen to share what they are doing. Classrooms and external learning areas are calm and purposeful and there is a high level of engagement in sessions without exception.
The leadership at Place Farm is strong, focused and distributive. The Executive Headteacher and Head of School are strong and have a clear and ambitious vision for the school which others share and recognise. The Head of School is driven to continually develop this ethos and engages with her team to establish strategic direction and to ensure that the ‘PROUD’ values are lived in decision making. She is focused on investing in staff so that they can be their very best and is focused on building the capacity of leadership skills within her team. Governors and Trust leaders describe the leadership as “a highly experienced team that welcomes challenge”.
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), alongside the Children and Family Support Worker, is passionate about meeting the needs of pupils regardless of the barriers presented. This drive to overcome challenges ensures that personalised support is given in an appropriate way. Creative solutions are found, such as developing a nurture room to provide high quality provision away from mainstream classes or supporting the transport for a child to attend the right provision. The SENCo has a strong knowledge of the Curriculum within Unity Schools Partnership (CUSP) Curriculum that the school has adopted, and this enables her to support SEND pupils in a way that means they feel included in lessons. She supports staff in managing high levels of need whilst supporting them to take ownership of their classes. She is highly regarded by all members of staff.
Strong Team
Staff describe themselves as a “strong team that supports each other” and work collaboratively to support the pupils and their families. In all meetings and conversations, it is clear that staff are happy and positive about their work, and they are keen to share that they are supported in many ways by Leaders and the school’s systems.
They talk of their commitment to the school community going “beyond the classrooms” and are passionate about meeting the holistic needs of pupils and their families. All adults working within the school are kind and nurturing and all contribute to the strong inclusive ethos.
The Senior Leaders pride themselves on ensuring that all staff have the training they require to support pupils and their needs. They say, “we train everyone at every level, building capacity”. Examples are seen in Early Career Teachers (ECTs) taking on leadership roles supported by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) scaffolded around them. Senior Leaders showcase their work at Place Farm by sharing good practice across schools. More recently, supporting a linked school under the guidance of the Executive Headteacher but more comprehensively in developing the CUSP curriculum. They have a sound knowledge of inclusion and through the use of ‘Class in a Nutshell’ overviews, have a good understanding of the needs within their class. However, inclusion is seen as a holistic approach and not as differentiated provision. There is a strong and unrelenting belief in Quality First Teaching (QFT) as being the vehicle for meeting need.
Support for Families
Support for families at Place Farm Primary Academy goes above and beyond what is expected. The Children and Family Support Manager role within the school is impactful and families talk positively about the relationship they have with her. Supported by a wider Rainbow Team, and under the strategic direction of the SENCo, she supports parents and carers, accessing support from the Local Authority (LA) and Charities to provide support. When meeting with parents, they talk of creative and bespoke solution-focused support that enables their child and family to work positively with the school. One parent stated that she “didn’t know where she would be without the support of the school”.
It is evident from the evidence presented during the IQM assessment that the leaders know their school well and have access to high quality data and information. Governors and Trust leaders are reassured by high quality reports that detail impact and there are regular balances and checks in place at various levels to ensure systems are strong. The school has a changing profile, partially due to a change in employment needs within the community because of Brexit as well as the cost-of-living crisis.
Adapting to these needs and ensuring provision meets it, is a key priority for the school. They mobilise swiftly. As an example, leaders talked of how they have appointed an EAL lead in the Autumn Term to support in developing advocacy for a growing need of EAL pupils and young interpreters have been trained already.
Early Reading Schemes
Easy to access data for SEND pupils has shown that Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs are lower than in most schools nationally.
Need is met well here across the school as part of Quality First Teaching (QFT) and a Trauma-Informed approach, and pupils feel well supported.
The SENCo talks of meeting the needs of “the First 20%” in all they do. A higher SEND need in Years 4 to 6 is evident but is lower in earlier years.
Fidelity shown to high quality early reading schemes such as Sounds-Write, and bringing forward dyslexia assessments to identify need, has ensured adaptations are made much earlier avoiding the need for more intense support later on.
Training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is key to the development of provision at Place Farm. Regular weekly school and Trust briefings enable leaders and staff to keep up to date on national and local initiatives. Staff meetings are focused on School Development Plan (SDP) priorities. Support staff are able to choose a personalised training programme from National College materials to follow their own interests, as well as attending intensive whole-school training such as Sounds-Write.
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.
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