Riddings Infant and Nursery School in Riddings, Derbyshire has achieved the Inclusion Quality Mark’s Inclusive School Award
Context
Riddings Infant and Nursery School is an average, inner-city primary school with 219 pupils on roll. Of the pupils on roll, 35% are in receipt of Pupil Premium and there is a number of children on the Early Help offer, with a further eight children recognised as having an Educational Health Care Plan. Riddings is not just a school but it is a whole community, a place where ‘one stop aims to fix all.’
The School Is Supportive
A strength of the school is the way that the huge team is both welcoming and friendly and works together to celebrate individualism. Parents are extremely positive about the school and many comment on how the school is so supportive, creating a ‘colourful and lively space for pupils to learn.’ Classrooms are calm places that contribute well to purposeful learning. The passionate Leadership Team have an accurate understanding of the school’s current performance. They have clear plans as to what needs to improve, and how to use pupils’ progress and attainment to measure the impact of any actions taken.
They Are Proud Of Their School
Recognising the diversity within their school, governors and leaders have embraced this and their approach to learning about international development encourages critical examination of global issues and builds an awareness of the impact that individuals can have on them. They know the school well and are ambitious for the pupils using a variety of sources of information to check on the school’s overall effectiveness. Governors to leaders and leaders to staff are not afraid to have challenging conversations with each other to ensure each are held to account. They are proud of their school and how it supports its community.
The Impressive ‘BE KINDER’ Code
As such adults’ support for pupils’ personal development and the many strategies and tools they have in place to promote the wellbeing, resilience, safety, and positive attitudes of pupils, is one to be proud of. Safeguarding and attendance monitoring procedures are rigorous and well understood by staff, parents, and pupils alike. The impressive ‘BE KINDER’ code for both staff and children captures the behavioural expectations and ethos, pupils could clearly explain its meaning. They are motivated to follow the school code and earn positive praise and rewards both on a class and individual basis. As a result, behaviour around the school is outstanding and the school environment is calm, nurturing, emotionally secure, and full of resilient pupils who show kindness, empathy, and friendship. All staff display high aspirations for all pupils and are motivated to help them achieve positive outcomes, and pupils comment how the best things at Riddings are ‘learning, playing and reward times.’
Learning for the Holistic Child
Their approach to learning for the holistic child and their experiences encourages critical examination of all barriers they may have to learning. They get to know the child and fully understand the impact that they, as professionals working in their school, can have on them. Staff talked about how they appreciate the continual professional development opportunities that they have and the opportunities to work with other colleagues and share expertise, there is a culture of high expectations, and as professionals, they feel supported and challenged. Staff were keen to share that they were a school following the belief; ‘one for all and all for one!’ They plan learning activities carefully to meet the needs of all the pupils and provide appropriate levels of challenge. Pupils can use and apply their knowledge and skills in all subjects and the skills ladders are used to support all to question skillfully. This questioning helps to deepen pupils’ understanding and extend their vocabulary, particularly in reading. As a team there is a legitimate identification that the school needs to build on the successful changes made to the way that language acquisition is key to improving the progress that their pupils make, the work they have undertaken to date on this clearly makes a difference to the pupils.
There Are Strong Relationships
At Riddings pupils are polite and courteous. There are strong relationships in school. The adults support for pupils’ personal development and the many strategies and tools they have in place to promote the wellbeing, resilience, safety, and positive attitudes of pupils is one to be proud of. Safeguarding and attendance monitoring procedures are rigorous and well understood by staff and parents alike. The impressive ‘KINDER’ values for both staff and children capture the behavioural expectations and ethos, all stakeholders could clearly explain its meaning. They are motivated to follow the school’s values and as a result, behaviour around school is excellent and the school environment is calm.
The School Has A Good Reputation
Partnerships with others are highly valued by the Leadership Team. They actively participate within Derbyshire Local Authority and with other schools in the local area. This work is extremely strong, particularly in offering and accessing staff training and enriching pupil’s learning through shared opportunities. Riddings contribution is
‘held in high regard in the local authority and community.’
The assessor learnt that the school was currently teaching second and third generations of its families. A parent spoke of how the school
‘has a good reputation for its inclusive, skilled and caring approach to working with pupils with any kind of need.’
A Governor shared how they are often told
‘It is the school you want your child to go to in the local community.’
Inclusion Is Infectious
Everyone working at Riddings Infant and Nursery School contributes to a highly effective team and the School is run efficiently and effectively by both the Headteacher and Inclusion Lead, who are welcoming, clearly proud of their school and their enthusiasm for inclusion is infectious.
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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