Star Primary School in Canning Town has achieved the Inclusive School Award.
Children Able to Articulate Their Rights
Star Primary School is in Canning Town in the London Borough of Newham. It is housed in a Victorian building with modern additions.
It received an Ofsted inspection in October and although the report has yet to be published, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) are expecting the outcome to be ‘Good’.
There are nearly 700 children on roll. School starts at 7:50am and finishes at 2pm. There is a Rainbow After School Club as well as engagement and enrichment clubs.
This is a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting School and the children are able to articulate their rights and responsibilities clearly. They were pleased to receive a letter from the G7 Summit after they had written to them about climate change.
The Headteacher has been in post for six years. She has been instrumental in setting up ‘Newham Learning’. This is a partnership of 40 schools across the authority. Instead of discussing the past, it focuses on the future and how best to share good practice. Many of the schools have the IQM award.
Guy Claxton has supported the partnership. It is currently working on gathering data, finding out what has happened to past pupils and determining how many have progressed to further and higher education etc. There is a network for Information Technology (IT) Leads and Science Leads. There is Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) support and Ofsted support and seven schools have recently received ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in their latest reports.
Many of the older children have responsibilities ranging from prefects to IT digital leaders to library monitors. There is a Head Boy and a Head Girl who are voted in by their peers. They are very proud of Star Primary School and explained all the boards around the school include information about internet safety, House Points, Education for Change, Rights Respecting, school council, PE at Star, climate change, eco board, suffragettes and ‘love for reading’, etc. They talked about the many opportunities that are offered here from Fit Friday and swimming in Year 5 to Tai Chi in Year 6.
Poverty is a Real Issue
All children are offered a bagel in the playground when they enter in the morning. The SLT are looking at extending this in the New Year to include a hot breakfast for every child. The school recognises that poverty is a real issue. Many children live in damp and cold homes and some come into school in dirty clothes because parents/carers cannot afford to wash them regularly. Parents are encouraged to bring in uniforms that are too small for their children and these are then washed and offered to other parents who may make a donation.
If children have a problem, there is a culture which encourages them to sort it out themselves. They conduct restorative conversations and they are taught to understand and appreciate what it is like to be upset.
The children are pleased to have the Zones of Regulation which they use to regulate their emotions. They believe that this will help them through their lives. Each class has a quiet area where a child could go to calm themselves if they are in the red zone. One child said that, “mental health is important for our physical health”. Fit Friday takes place each week where children are offered sports and activities linked to healthy living.
Staff are employed here who believe in inclusion. One member of staff said, “We live in challenging times and we must help children to be tolerant. We have to tackle discrimination and show children how to look after the planet”.
Children at Star are helped to understand how to make the environment better and how to value our future. Staff believe that it has to be a safe place. Children have a good understanding of safeguarding and know who they can talk to confidentially. This is truly a ‘community’ school.
The Welfare Support Team have a deep commitment to inclusion and have thoroughly bought into the Headteacher’s vision. They said that all children are welcome here and the offer is adapted to suit the individual’s needs but, “We have high standards for everybody”. The individual is looked at holistically and the team understand that each child has to be in the right place before they can properly learn. The School Counsellor is the main link between the parents and the school.
There is a Sense of Togetherness
The Senior Mental Health Leader leads a team of five Mental Health First Aiders who listen to the staff’s concerns.
An example of recent change has been that staff were feeling anxious because of the amount of emails that they were receiving in the evenings and weekends. This has now changed. Each team organises a wellbeing activity which helps staff feel valued and good about themselves. Bingo nights, staff parties, karaoke evenings etc, have all contributed to the staff being very stable, many of whom have been here a long time. There is a sense of togetherness here.
The School Counsellor is acutely aware that many children suffered through the pandemic. Many need a hug as social distancing meant that they could not be physically close to other people. As inflation has risen, relationships in some homes have deteriorated and tensions have risen. Children are able to self-refer to the School Counsellor who understands that they need to be listened to.
Communications at Star have improved immensely during the tenure of the Headteacher. She understands that it is ‘ok to be not ok.’ She encourages staff to come up with initiatives which will continue the improvement. “Her door is always open to new ideas.” Inclusivity and diversity are at the heart of the Headteacher’s vision.
Parents feel listened to and their concerns are answered immediately. They contrasted how they were treated at other schools yet here their children’s needs were addressed promptly. They feel that their children are making good progress despite the fact that they may have certain serious needs.
There are many languages spoken at Star and if English is difficult, ParentMail is translated, using Google Translate, to ensure lines of communication remain clear. Parents feel that the school is constantly improving and they had nothing negative to say about it.
Star had its first Winter Market for three years recently where the community could purchase toys, books, puzzles and baby clothes etc., some of which may be used for Christmas presents. The staff are very conscious of helping the community to continue to recognise their self-worth during this economic crisis.
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.