Stanley Park Infants’ School, Carshalton in Surrey, has been awarded the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Introducing Stanley Park
Stanley Park Infant School is a forward thinking and research led school. Leaders at all levels continually reflect on how best to drive the school forward to improve outcomes for all pupils. Discussions with a range of staff members highlighted the school’s commitment and determination to not only have high expectations of the pupils but of themselves also. In discussions. staff reflected on their own learning journeys and how they are continually looking to develop their own professional skills to produce better outcomes for their pupils. There is a collaborative feel with all staff contributing to the vision and strategic direction of the school. The SLT are clear about the vision and next steps and have excellent reflective leadership skills, wanting the best outcome for all pupils whatever their individual need.
Supportive Yet Appropriately Challenging
Inclusion is integral to all policies and values within the school and extends from the children in their classrooms, to supporting all parents and staff and ensuring that Governors have a clear understanding of the school vision. Governors are actively invited into school to gain first-hand experience of how the school operates. Despite a change of personnel, the Governing Body continue to have a positive working relationship with SLT and provide support and challenge where required. When sharing strategies and vision for the school, Governors readily ask questions against the SDP and challenge how they will benefit or support children with additional needs or those in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant. Governors are confident that all staff are included when creating the School Development Plan and buy into the wider vision of inclusion. From their school visits Governors state that
“Inclusive practice is evident in all classes, with pupils of all abilities supporting each other and working together in their classrooms.”
Inclusion At The Core
Class teachers promote inclusion within all classes. The use of visual timetables and other additional scaffolding tools means the needs of all pupils are catered for, and adaptions are made ensuring that pupils can confidently engage in lessons and enjoy their learning. Teaching staff are keenly aware of the impact of mental health and wellbeing on a child’s ability to successfully access their learning. This is demonstrated by the use of Zones of Regulation in all classrooms, where children identify how they are feeling throughout the course of the day, readily using known strategies to help them if they are not feeling in a good place.
Staff understand that unless a child feels emotionally regulated then they will not be able to work to their full potential. Class teachers describe Stanley Park Infants as, “an exciting place to work as there is the constant challenge of how we can best support all children. Children are at the centre of everything we do, and we never give up on them.” Another commented
“Children are at the centre. We are continually reflecting on their learning experience and how to achieve the best outcome for every child.”
Effective Collaboration
Support staff at Stanley Park Infant School feel valued and supported. The structure of support for all pupils has been carefully mapped out with excellent use of support staff as well as the development of expertise amongst them. Interventions such as phonics, reading, Attention Autism, OT, and SALT support as well as ELSA are readily available to those pupils who may benefit from additional support.
Opportunities for pre-teaching of topic vocabulary and precision teaching are also planned into the intervention schedule. Support staff feel that SLT are readily available to share both concerns and successes with and that their door is always open.
Many members of the support staff team have worked at Stanley Park Infants for a significant period of time and explained how the school had a ‘real community feel,’ newer members of staff reinforced this view by expressing how they had been readily welcomed to the team and felt welcomed and supported in equal measure.
Confident Communicators
Pupils speak confidently about their school. They confidently shared their school charter – ‘Be kind, be helpful, be the best you can be!’ and explained how they are all different with varying strengths and challenges. When asked about ‘Rainbow Rewards’ the children explained that ‘Rainbow Rewards’ are given when they do something good – and not necessarily just good work.
The rewards can be given for having good ideas, helping another child, working independently, listening well in class, and doing fantastic walking. Children also spoke about ‘Zones of Regulation’ and how they are used to check how they are feeling. They understood and felt able to use the suggested strategies but also knew that they could speak to an adult if they were struggling.
When discussing their class work pupils shared how they are given opportunities to go back through their work and edit it, correcting any spelling and punctuation mistakes. They also knew to check their work against the success criteria and explained how teachers mark their work – sharing with them what they had done well.
The School Council shared that they had many different responsibilities in school including speaking to new parents about their school, taking part in meetings and giving speeches in assembly. Pupils also spoke about the opportunities available to them beyond the classroom such as choir, cookery club, cheerleading, Lego club, board game club, tennis, and dance. When talking about their school, the pupils stated that “Everyone has nice manners,” and “All the grown-ups are really nice.” They unanimously agreed that Stanley Park Infant School is a great place to be.
Parents In Partnership 
Parents speak fondly and with pride about Stanley Park Infant School. They describe the school as a place where it is not just their children who are nurtured and supported but the whole family. A parent described it as feeling as if the school, ‘has its arms wrapped around us as a family.’ Personal matters are taken seriously and dealt with respectfully, without judgement.
The school’s open-door policy allows parents to have daily interactions with teaching and support staff, creating a family atmosphere where any hierarchy of staff is removed, ensuring that parents feel readily able to have access to any member of staff from the office to the Head of School. Parents shared that the Head of School is a visible presence, who makes connections with families daily.
Concerns around academic progress and social and emotional development are addressed with parents early on in a child’s journey at Stanley Park and adaptions are readily made to support children. Parents also highlighted that all staff support pupils beyond the school and show an interest in events or activities that children take part in outside of school, celebrating and sharing in their achievements.
Parents feel supported in the transition of their children at the end of Year 2 to Junior School and when moving year group at the end of each academic year. Visits to new classrooms and the Junior School take place in the Summer Term, allowing pupils to become familiar with their new settings. Parents felt confident that staff in the next academic year were well informed about their child and that any additional support or adjustments were in place for their child right from the start of the new year.
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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