St Bede’s Catholic Middle School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Inclusion is Core to School’s Learning
St Bede’s is a Catholic Middle School in Redditch, West Midlands. Inclusion is core to the school’s learning and support offer and is further embedded as a result of following Catholic values. The curriculum offer is diverse and includes a range of sporting opportunities, art, music, French and computing. St Bede’s is an active member of the Worcestershire Careers Hub and supports the development of Worcestershire’s Future Workforce through the Worcestershire Enterprise Adviser Network. This provides pupils with an understanding of career options.
The school’s website states: “We aim to support the development of staff and pupils so that they can contribute to the “Greater Good.” This may be through academic success, sporting achievement or through leading in the community. St Bede’s is a Trinity Champion Centre, an Arts Mark Platinum Centre and an Arts Award Centre. There is a clear passion for inclusion at the school. This was evident when speaking to teaching staff, SENDCo, Pastoral team and Governors.
The school is a peaceful and very calm environment. Moving around the site, pupils appear to be comfortable, confident and respectful of their peers and staff. Pride in the school is clear to see from pupils and staff. Staff and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) are a visible and positive presence around the school. Pupils are happy to say “hello”, have a chat and share a joke with staff.
Welcoming and Friendly
All staff members met during the assessment day were welcoming and friendly. This was the case for Duty staff in the playground, colleagues present in meetings, and catering staff checking in on our Assessor to see if they had lunch, for example. Prefects mirrored this and role-modelled good behaviour. Prefects described and understood acceptable behaviour and how to react if they observed challenging or rude behaviour.
During a Pupil Voice meeting pupils were keen to share their positive experiences of being at St Bede’s Catholic Middle School. Pupils spoke about the range of clubs and after-school opportunities they have available to them, as well as the benefits of participating in them. Every pupil at the meeting knew who they could speak to if they were worried about anything, whether it was related to school or at home. Attitudes towards being at school were overwhelmingly positive. Our Assessor was told, “I would not change anything … my teachers always help me and the clubs are great’’.
Elements of a Catholic approach to life, behaviour and attitudes towards others are well embedded throughout the school. Kindness, respect, and pride in yourself and your achievements were common themes seen throughout the assessment day. An openness to all faiths, backgrounds, histories etc is clear around the school. The key elements that make up the school’s ethos would fit well alongside any faith or those who are atheists, for example.
Positive Impact
There is a clear emphasis on adapted support and inclusion for all pupils, including those with additional needs, SEND and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Work is done to transition pupils into the mainstream learning offer wherever possible. Resources are made available throughout sessions, so it is not only SEND pupils using them. The use of these resources or equipment has now become commonplace. Visualisers and numicon were used as examples.
These adaptive strategies and support methods are having a very positive impact on attainment and achievement levels across different subjects at the school. Data shared shows that levels are significantly higher than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics, for example.
A cross-faculty approach is well embedded throughout the school. Exam prep is embedded in Music sessions, for example. Pastoral staff are available to speak to pupils about exam worries and Prefects support pupils in Learning Support. An ethos/culture of care and support is very visible around the school.
A clear restorative approach can be seen throughout the school, with an effective Pastoral approach being outlined and demonstrated by different members of staff. Pupils are supported to be comfortable with getting things wrong, for example. This is re-framed as a learning opportunity. There is also a consistent approach and language used around potential sanctions at the school. For example, when speaking with the Pupil Voice group and Prefects, it was explained that words like ‘detention’ and ‘punishment’ are not used at St Bede’s Catholic Middle School.
It was explained that the emphasis is on understanding the reasons behind different types of behaviour. One learner explained, “nobody gets punished here, teachers will talk to us about how we are feeling or the reasons why people might act a certain way”. Another said, ‘‘we do not have detentions … we say we are going to reflect and restore’’. The reward system in place at St Bede’s is effective at instilling positive behaviour in pupils and encouraging them to try their best and to achieve.
Effective Support
Effective support and provision for pupils with SEND and/or additional needs were seen during the assessment day. Alongside the adaptive practices already noted, the Learning Support room provides all pupils (not only those with SEND and/or additional needs) with a supportive space to be in during break and lunch times. This space was described to me as ‘a safe haven’. Prefects and staff support pupils in Learning Support to participate in a range of activities such as board games, homework clubs, or having a chat about things that are on their minds.
Extra-curricular opportunities are frequent and diverse and are having a positive impact on wellbeing throughout the school, as well as creating a sense of pride and community. Different pupils spoke about a recent trip to France and were all extremely positive about the experience. The school has a very ‘sporty’ and active feel and many of the pupils spoken to described the different options and opportunities they have at St Bede’s Catholic Middle School.
Staff described that options are open to all pupils, regardless of gender and/or sporting ability, etc. This shows that inclusive practices and approaches are well established. Pupils are encouraged to try their best and to achieve in whichever sports they participate in. This transfers well into other areas of the school. An approach of trying your best, practising to get better, and achieving is visible on displays around the school, for example.
Outward-Looking
St Bede’s Catholic Middle School is very outward-looking and community focussed. Support links have been established to support families, partnering with RUFC for school football matches, to the desire to share good practice. This is further evidenced by their Flagship status plan. External agencies (Educational Psychologist and Careers & Enterprise Co-ordinator) were very positive about the working partnerships established with St Bede’s. For example, it was shared that, “staff are always on top of everything here, … there is a very strong teaching and learning department … learning is very engaging’’ and “staff are always very open to training and CPD … there is always the openness to get better so that support for pupils is improved”.
Staff are generally very complimentary about the school. Several members of staff spoken to were full of praise for colleagues, how they are supported and managed and the CPD and training opportunities they have received. Some notable quotes included: “you can be yourself here” and “I love working here … it is an amazing school”. This was also reflected when speaking to parents. One parent explained how the school had gone “above and beyond” when supporting their child even before they had joined St Bede’s. They described the transition package as “amazing” and that they “could not have asked for more” regarding how they have been supported since joining the school.
Our Assessor added, “My day at St Bede’s Catholic Middle School was a very positive one, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting pupils, staff, parents and Governors and seeing the many excellent things that are happening at the school. There is a clear commitment to inclusion, effective support, adaptive and personalised teaching and learning methods and providing a meaningful learning journey for all.”
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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