Children are Happy and Safe
Prince Albert is a 3-form entry school situated in the heart of Aston. Aston is considered amongst the city’s most deprived Wards, whilst having the 9th lowest average income out of the city’s 69 Wards. Despite the difficulties in the local area, the children at the school are happy and feel safe and it is clear that the outreach work done by the school is welcomed by the local community. The school is part of the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT) and live out the values of being caring, inclusive and creative, that raises the bar for every child so that they can flourish and achieve their potential.
Throughout the review, it was clear that the school has kept the IQM elements front and centre of their thinking during the last 12 months which was evident in their school development plan documentation and through the initial conversations with the senior team.
No Child is Left Behind
Whilst the school has been working on a focused element of inclusion, it was clear throughout the day that no child is left behind. During the learning walk it was evident that the school values communication skills and it was pleasing to see that some of the strategies adopted in the Nurture group were being brought into the mainstream classes as well. For example, some children who might struggle with mainstream group work have their own workstations with Makaton and Widget flash cards to support their communication. The learning walks also further emphasised the strong teaching and learning adopted within the school with focussed precision teaching happening in all classrooms visited.
Upon walking around the school, it was clear that the leaders take every opportunity to reinforce the values of the school to all the children. For example, the beautiful display in the school hall is vibrant enough to make children stop and discuss the words on display. The understanding of these values was tested through the pupil voice session and it was evident to see that they are not just laminated values, but they are lived values which permeate through the school life. It was lovely to witness how the school has been creative with the space they have.
Numerous breakout rooms for intervention, a bespoke room for support during social times and a specific pastoral zone for supporting children who are struggling with their emotions are all in place at Prince Albert School. These zones are staffed by skilled experts who are overseen by a pastoral manager to triangulate the provision.
Confidence was Infectious
Our Assessor felt it was such a pleasure to talk to the children during the review. The confidence from them was infectious and they clearly loved being a part of the school community. When they met the Headteacher in the morning she was very clear about raising the bar for the children in the school and this came out loud and clear when speaking with them.
When our Assessor asked pupils what they would like to do when they leave school, they have replies such as “Doctor, Dentist, Underwater Biologist and Artist”. The children selected were able to articulately explain the school values and why they are important and for children to be able to do this indicates a strength. When asked what was special about being a part of Prince Albert one of the children said, “It is a special place because the teachers motivate me and believe in me”.
Further evidence to support the Headteacher’s drive in PSHE came when the students highlighted this lesson as being one they really enjoy and have learnt a lot from. The children discussed the identity that their uniform brings and how proud they are to wear it. Finally, the children felt all adults in the school were fair and approachable and kept them safe. The children finished by saying they would recommend Prince Albert to any of their friends, it was a special place to be and they felt privileged to be a part of the school.
Felt Part of the Team
Our Assessor felt it was great to meet the staff working with the most vulnerable children in the school. They all bought into the school ethos, vision and felt part of the team. The training provided for them was referenced during the meeting and they could all articulate why this was important. The support assistants interviewed all referred to the importance of team work around supporting the most vulnerable when working with the individual class teachers. One member of staff identified the school as being one big team who all supports each other.
The parents of the school were keen to express their thanks for what they are doing to support their children. One parent of a child in Year 5 discussed the lengths the school has gone to support them in securing a special school for their child’s secondary education. The parent is of the opinion that without the school going the extra mile, this school would not have been sourced and therefore would be without a school for the next stage in their child’s education.
All parents spoke of the reputation that Prince Albert holds in the local community and beyond. Whilst they did not attend the coffee mornings laid on by the school, they did understand that the school was trying to further expand on the excellent relationships already formed.
Leaders discussed the importance of this work in continuing to encourage a more inclusive environment for parents and for the school to facilitate a peer-to-peer support network amongst parents to help those parents who have children with SEND to accept help that is on offer from the school and to not think it will bring social exclusion or judgement.
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: info@iqmaward.com for further details.
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