St Helen’s Catholic School has achieved the Inclusive School Award.
Increased Diversity
St Helen’s Catholic Primary is a Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School in the heart of Brixton, it serves a community where many pupils have travelled a long distance to attend the school. It is an average-sized school that takes pupils from ages 4 to 11, including a small number of part-time nursery pupils. The school operates preschool provision through a breakfast club and there are numerous opportunities for pupils to participate in afterschool club provision. Currently, there are 262 pupils on the roll. In line with the other schools in the Local Authority and neighbouring boroughs, the school is managing falling pupil numbers and increased diversity of intake.
The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meal status and Pupil Premium (PP) is much higher than the national average. Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic heritages, and this proportion is much higher than average. The two largest groups are Black African and White groups other than British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) is also much higher than average.
The school is situated in an area of high social and economic deprivation and the deprivation indicator places it in the third quartile of the national average. The proportion of pupils who receive SEND support is higher than average and the percentage of pupils with an EHCP is also higher than the national average. The attainment of pupils on entering the school is below average. 29% of pupils are on the school’s SEN register. There are 126 pupils for whom the school receives the PP grant. The proportion of pupils from homes with EAL is significantly above average and consists primarily of pupils of Black African or White groups other than British. The school is part of the Lambeth Catholic Schools Partnership.
Leaders are Passionate
The school was judged as continuing to be “good” by Ofsted in 2018. In the report, Ofsted inspectors highlighted that “leaders are passionate about making sure the curriculum meets the needs of the pupils” and that leaders have a “clear plan for developing teaching, so that disadvantaged pupils can be given the same opportunities as all pupils to make progress.”
The next steps identified by Ofsted were: That there is greater emphasis placed on how pupils are being supported with their reading during lessons and intervention sessions; That Governors have a clearer understanding of assessment information, so that they can appropriately challenge school leaders.
The values of the school are based on providing a high-quality education for all pupils rooted in Gospel values. “Belong Believe Achieve” is the school motto and it is woven throughout the whole school community.
School leaders have an exceptional understanding of the pupils at the school, and they ensure that the needs of the pupils are met through a personalised approach to their learning.
They describe their school as firstly being a caring school which serves an incredibly diverse community. The curriculum has evolved to develop pupils’ personal gifts and talents and everyone’s contribution is sincerely valued.
Forward-Thinking Team
The school community is passionate about inclusion and through the eight elements from the IQM process they have been able to pause and reflect as well as being able to showcase what they do well and articulate what makes them individual. They are a forward-thinking team and are always striving to improve and are eager to take the next step on their journey.
The Headteacher proudly articulated, “We always move forward but we also need to celebrate and acknowledge what we do well. We role model and live our ethos.”
All staff value the support that everyone shares and provides for each other. There is a high level of trust and appreciation throughout the school. This is a testament to the loyalty and commitment that the staff have for the school. The Receptionist has been working at the school for 25 years! This was celebrated through a special assembly where families and the school community came together to enjoy her memories.
“Leaders at the school go the extra mile. They are all amazing and show a great deal of respect. They take the worry out of any situation.”
Leaders value the hard work that all staff are committed to and ensure that their well-being is a priority. The academic calendar is planned to reduce workload and there is a trained staff counsellor available if a need may arise. However, it goes far beyond that; there is a genuine feeling of support and care within the school where no one is taken for granted.
There is a true investment in staff and they are given opportunities to grow and develop in their role through planned professional development. Early Career Teachers (ECT) are given exceptional support by an ECT coach/mentor who contributes to their development as teachers.
High Expectations
High expectations are visible through the engaging displays throughout the school which support the learning process. Pupils’ artwork in the style of key artists currently fills the main corridors and reflects the engaging curriculum that has been developed.
Whilst visiting classrooms positive learning behaviours were evident and as described by one of the school leaders, “we manage personalities.” Through conversations, it is clear that they manage them exceptionally well, as well as providing personalised learning, for all to excel in.
During the IQM assessment, our Assessor had the honour of meeting the School Council representatives who were a delight. They reiterated how caring the school is and that everyone is kind to each other. A new initiative within the school is the introduction of Zones of Regulation. Although this was only introduced in September, pupils were able to explain how they support them to self-regulate.
Pupils spoke confidently about the curriculum which is broad and balanced. One pupil even shared a song which was quite remarkable! All the pupils know that there is a focus on language development and they explained how the teachers encourage them to use exciting words including the word “discombobulated.”
Close-Knit Community
As a close-knit community school, partnerships with parents are central and leaders value their feedback. Parents and carers know that they can approach leaders who they explained are always at the school gate morning and night, to discuss any concerns. They feel supported by the leaders at the school and have seen the journey that the school has been on in recent years. One parent explained that the school is flexible with uniform because they understand that the cost of living crisis has had a huge impact on families.
During the meeting with the Chair of Governors (COG), it became clear how the school community and church community are linked through strong core values and local families belong to both. It is a strong community and parents engage in the church community; when the former Parish Priest passed away, the school held a memorial service for him. Conversations with parents inform the COG how happy they are with the school and she has experienced through her own eyes the tremendous support parents had during COVID-19, which was invaluable.
Catholic values are promoted throughout the school, for example, on Ash Wednesday the Headteacher will invite the school to attend Mass and pupils will take part in readings. The Catholic ethos is a vibrant part of the school.
The wellbeing of the Headteacher is crucial and the COG has developed a very positive supportive relationship with him. She explained that during the pandemic he managed to organise laptops for all pupils, explaining, “He would sacrifice everything for the pupils at the school. He handles things in such an excellent way.”
The Premises Manager is a huge part of the school community and supports the organisation of many events. Our Assessor was fortunate enough to meet him and he shared his respect for the leadership team, who he said always make him feel valued and appreciate everything that he does for the school.
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.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack.