St Ursula’s Convent School in Greenwich, London has achieved the Inclusion Quality Mark’s Inclusive School Award.
Context
St Ursula’s is an 11 – 16 voluntary aided Catholic Girls school in the London Borough of Greenwich. The school is small compared to some other secondary schools with 637 pupils on roll. 14.96%. of the school’s population receive Free School meals and 31.97% are in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding, 13.54% are identified as SEN. There are four Looked After Children and 17.65% have English as an Additional Language. 21.73% are identified as having medical needs. The school has been one of the highest performing schools in the Borough for a number of years. The school‘s motto is “Serviam” meaning “I shall serve.”
A New Team
The school has gone through some difficulties over the last few years. The new Headteacher arrived last September and has been working hard to sort out some of the cultural issues that have had such a negative effect in recent years. She is determined to make the school a truly inclusive one. She is very persuasive, and people have listened. She brought in a largely new senior team to enhance the small team that was previously in place. Many of these have only been in place since January but they are already working together very effectively. Gaining the trust of staff, students and parents is not easy and takes time. There has been a lot of necessary changes in the last two-and-a-bit terms. The school is in a hurry, but they understand that they have to take everyone with them, and this means real consultation at every level.
Holding On To Traditions
The new Headteacher has made a great start and the team are very supportive of her. She is taking the school into the 21st Century while retaining much of the traditions associated with the school. The students are the greatest asset a school can have and they really want to work alongside the Head and staff. The Student Voice Groups are growing in strength and, together with staff, both teachers and support staff, and they expect to see many of the planned changes in place and embedded this time next year.
Meeting Individual Needs
Inclusion at St Ursula’s Convent School means that all children have the same opportunities even if these opportunities are delivered in a different way. It was agreed that inclusion does not mean treating everyone the same – but is about meeting individual needs. The department have developed their own action plan for future developments and is working their way through it. Individual Profiles are prepared for each girl on the SEN register, and these are shared with teachers. Girls are involved in putting these together and taking ownership of their own profile and listing strategies that work for them in the classroom. The support they need and receive is clearly outlined. The staff also meet with parents so they can contribute to the Student Profile.
The St Ursula’s Way
The school has been using Rosenshein’s Principles over the years as the basis for the agreed pedagogy. However, the new Senior Leader has been working on identifying the St Ursula’s Way – what works in the school so this can be shared. She said they were trying to build on what is working and sharing good practice. Since she arrived in the school in January this year, she has done a series of drop-ins to help identify the best teachers. She has now identified eight of these and intends training them to coach others.
Wellbeing is a Priority
Staff and student wellbeing is a key priority for the school and there is a lot going on to ensure that students are properly supported. Staff like to work in a collegiate manner.
Proud Of Our School
Listening to students is a priority as they have made their feelings clear. The school is now working on the Race Equality Charter (with the Borough) and are working on decolonising the curriculum and ensuring that diversity is integral to every aspect of the school. There are now numerous Student Leadership Forums for the girls to participate in. Many of these are in the early stages of development but the intention is clear – to empower the girls and help them be proud to belong to the St Ursula’s community. This is a school where there is a lot of laughter and a lot of talking. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. The school will face any issues head-on. The school’s desire and the planning that has gone on is ambitious and is sincere.
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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