Robert May’s School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Inclusion is Integral to Robert May’s
Robert May’s is a large mixed comprehensive school (11-16) with an ASD Resource Provision. There are 1,300 students on roll, and it is heavily oversubscribed. The Headteacher has been in post since 2021 and she followed a Headteacher who led the school through Covid and then decided to retire. Four members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) (two Deputy Headteachers and two Assistant Headteachers) have been at the school for a long time and the team has increased since the new Headteacher arrived. The team works very effectively together.
Inclusion in all its guises is integral to Robert May’s School. The students come first and pastoral care is a priority. Although academic achievement and progress are important this school prides itself on educating the whole child. Staff know the students well and do their very best to motivate, encourage, and support them in everything they do. There are high expectations of students and staff, and these are communicated clearly to all stakeholders. Good communication at all levels is key to the success of the school.
Robert May’s School converted to Academy status on 1st May 2012 and is currently a stand-alone academy, however, they are part of the ARETE Partnership with a number of other schools which helps ensure they do not become isolated. The Headteacher and other members of staff work with colleagues in LA-maintained schools and academy trusts. They also work with a small number of stand-alone academies. Collaborations and sharing practice are an integral part of the school’s ethos and this is encouraged at every level.
Real Feeling of Partnership
The arrival of the new Headteacher in 2021 has had a big impact on the school. Staff have full confidence in her and they know she is there for the children and them. She values her staff at all levels and appreciates all that they contribute and the extra mile they go to support students. There is a real feeling of partnership and working together towards a common goal. Inclusion is at the heart of the Headteacher’s vision. She understands that staff are her greatest asset and if they are well looked after they will ensure students are cared for.
The Headteacher and SLT know the school very well. They are very visible and work closely together to support staff and students and they work hard to include parents. Collaboration comes naturally to the Headteacher and her team and they happily work with colleagues from across the Trust and the Local Authority (LA) and with other organisations. They are keen to improve and strengthen every area of the school and are therefore eager to learn from others. Furthermore, they are always happy to share their practice with others.
The school has made real progress since the arrival of the new Headteacher. Staff have confidence in her and they know she is there for them. She has succeeded in getting the staff on board with her vision and there is a feeling of partnership and working together towards the same aim. This is a measure of her leadership skills and her values.
Inclusion is at the heart of the Headteacher’s vision. All the staff spoken to told our Assessor they felt valued and knew that their contribution made a difference. The Headteacher is ambitious for the school in all areas, particularly in terms of academic outcomes. However, the student’s wellbeing is the priority, and the school prides itself on valuing the whole child.
The Headteacher and SLT know the school very well. They are very visible and work closely together to support staff and students and they work hard to include parents. The school is well organized and communication throughout the school is very good.
Students are Safe at School
Pastoral Care is a real strength of the school, and this is particularly true for disadvantaged students and those who are obviously in need of additional support. However, there are good systems in place to ensure students are safe at school and that they always have someone to talk to if they need help. Safeguarding processes are very effective and there is joined-up thinking and working to ensure no student falls through the gaps. The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) department is increasingly effective, and the new Director of Inclusion is making great inroads in developing support for SEN students. There are a very large number of students with EHCPs across the school and an even larger number of SEN support. Therefore, the work of this department is really important to the individuals concerned as well as to the school as a whole. The role of the Director of Inclusion is a key one. She is working with the Director of Teaching and Learning to help ensure teachers are properly equipped to support SEN needs in the classroom.
Behaviour around the school is generally good although a small number of students disrupt some lessons and take up a lot of time of staff. The school is aware of who these children are and is putting measures in place to support them. It is clear that the normal behaviour processes including sanctions are not working for this minority of students and a different approach is needed. This is something the school is working on. They are investigating restorative approaches and looking at what they can learn from trauma-informed practice to help meet the needs of this group but also to look at a kinder (less punitive) approach to behaviour for learning. The joined-up thinking around pastoral care, behaviour for learning, student support, wellbeing, and SEN is important in ensuring no student is left behind. The safeguarding policy and practice is a priority and it permeates the school at all levels.
Something for Everyone
Whilst the role of the tutor is really important in terms of giving students a sense of belonging the new House System is adding to that by introducing new opportunities for healthy competition in lots of different areas. There is something for everyone. It also provides additional opportunities for student leadership roles as House Captains. The more the school can involve students in leadership roles and listen to their views on school developments the better. It will help to get them all on the same “bus” going in the same direction.
The senior team tries to ensure that accountability measures are positive and help to support teachers and help to improve their practice. The CPD on offer is often bespoke and teachers have a choice of training and development that meets their development needs. Currently, there is no teaching and learning team but all of SLT and Middle Leaders input into discussions and planning. There are clear whole school priorities in terms of training that have come from the last Ofsted Inspection and performance management reviews help to identify individual CPD requests. The school aims to try to achieve consistency of practice across the school but does not involve a framework that stifles individual teachers’ creativity. This is welcomed.
Parents are generally happy with the quality of education and care that the school provides, and they appreciate all that is done for their children. They point to good communication between home and school as being a real strength. They trust the school with their children.
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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