Thatto Heath Community Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Children at the Centre of all that Happens in School
The core purpose at Thatto Primary School is to put the children at the centre of all that happens in school. The Deputy Headteacher emphasized the importance of prioritising children in the curriculum, staffing, and environment, stating, “We will do everything to make everyone welcome. We do our best for our children and make sure they get what they need.”
The staff recognize that a child’s time at Thatto is foundational for their future. “We want them to get everything which helps them to have the best possible start and to get what they need for later life.” The Hearts curriculum, which was the focus of the school’s last review, is now firmly integrated, and staff confidently discussed its positive impact. The children themselves told our Assessor that “Hearts” is what makes our school special.
Strong Relationships
Upon entering Thatto Primary School, the warmth and friendliness of the school community are immediately apparent, with warm greetings from students, parents, and staff. The IQM Lead stressed the importance of building strong relationships, stating, “Pastoral support is one of our Unique Selling Points (USPs), our relationships are really strong, families feel they can approach us.” It was apparent that children and families feel comfortable to engage with the school staff. A parent explained that support has been “literally life changing”, that “nothing is too difficult”.
The school acknowledges that it has become a magnet for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and while they are proud to be valued by the Local Authority (LA) and other agencies, they also acknowledge their limited capacity, especially financially. They have addressed this by collaborating closely with the LA and local special schools to research different approaches and enhance support for their most vulnerable learners.
Coming out of this work, “Butterflies” provides resource provision for up to 12 children with higher level needs, staffed carefully and led by a senior teacher who is focussed on that cohort and constantly striving to develop the provision to meet the needs of the children. This has been the focus of the Centre of Excellence action plan, and the Butterflies Lead teacher talked about how her confidence and understanding had developed over the period, and about the openness of staff to adapt and adjust alongside the needs of the children.
Children increase the amount of time they spend in their “base class” over time, a Year 6 pupil talked about the lessons she enjoyed joining, and the class-based children had a clear understanding of equity and how to welcome their Butterflies classmates. Again, the staff restlessness to improve was apparent, they are already working to develop the curriculum for these children further. There is also a nurture provision which supports learners with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs as their primary need.
Environment Thoughtfully Designed
The school’s environment has been thoughtfully designed to maximize support for all students. While classroom staff retain responsibility for their areas, there are clear principles, such as maintaining calm classroom displays. The nurture team has established a Forest School area for their learners, and other staff have created purposeful displays and spaces tailored to their specific children.
There is a sensory room accessed by the two resource rooms but also by other children and cohorts who benefit from a decompress time in their week. Specific mindfulness and Lego areas support sensory and wellness breaks, and outdoor areas are designed to meet the needs of physical and sensory development. The children were observed to be calm and purposeful throughout the visit.
The school describes itself as “responsive to need.” During the review day, our Assessor observed a newly set-up sensory area linked to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for several children who were finding the transition to the school setting challenging. It was evident from the EYFS Lead and IQM Lead that they collaborate closely to quickly understand and support these children. In addition to the sensory space, there were visuals and designated workstations for these children. Classroom staff were actively engaged in this process.
In lessons there is a calm and focussed learning atmosphere. All pupils are thoroughly engaged in the learning, children with SEND or any other needs or vulnerabilities were well supported and were engaged in learning.
A parent said that although having a child with additional needs has been difficult, “the hardest journey I’ve ever been on” the provision has enabled her child to be successful and described the strength of communication between school and home as “wonderful”. “I am putting my trust in these people – at work I am not worried about my child anymore”.
Low Staff Turnover
The IQM Lead highlighted the low staff turnover as evidence of a positive culture, stating, “It reflects how valued our staff feel.” Both she and the Attendance Lead explained why they chose to work at the school, emphasizing their strong commitment and motivation. This dedication to doing what’s best for the children was evident throughout the visit.
Reading holds a prominent place in the school, and it is a top priority for the Headteacher. Engaging displays throughout the school corridors showcase a variety of genres, including a special “lending library” of her personal books. The children participate in regular “picture book assemblies” focused on social and emotional learning, and they shared how this has made it “acceptable” to read picture books, regardless of their age.
A new display featuring “Sunny Side Up Glasses” and various glasses the children have made and brought to school was also introduced. The children our Assessor met with described the positive impact of these assemblies and referred to the “Reading Push” as one of the best aspects of their school experience. They discussed celebrating their reading choices, rather than just focusing on quantity, and expressed gratitude for the broader range of reading materials they now have access to. The school utilizes Read Write Inc. and carefully planned teaching areas and groups to support phonics acquisition. The IQM Lead believes there is potential to further support children with Specific Learning Difficulties and is pursuing additional training at Hope University. This is the focus of the Flagship action plan.
Emphasis on Attendance
The support for students’ Mental Health and Wellbeing has been a core focus at Thatto Heath Community Primary School for some time. The school has two full-time staff members dedicated to this, a Wellbeing Champion, and a Mental Health Learning Mentor, who work to support children and families in a targeted manner. Children talked about the support for wellbeing and how they can always find “someone to listen.” Worry boxes in classrooms and the Heart curriculum support this.
This year, the school has placed particular emphasis on attendance. The new Attendance Lead has built strong relationships based on trust, emphasizing that they do not see themselves as authorities to punish families instead highlighting that she is “not looking at me as an authority to punish families. Our support is pastoral, we want to build trust with school. Our work is about breaking down barriers”. She has recently focussed on preventative work for emotionally based school avoidance as a barrier to learning running targeted sessions with parents and children looking at things to support their attendance and has built a planning format to set out plans explicitly with children. She described thus as “Planning for success, so that children feel listened to and have some control.” The adaptability of the team and bespoke nature of the support shines through.
This has been a significant development for the school, resulting in a reduction in persistent absenteeism. The Attendance Lead feels well-equipped to continue this work, stating, “Now I can intervene faster,” building on the trust established with children and families to prevent ongoing attendance issues.
Across all sessions observed, primarily in KS1 and Early Years, it was clear that pupils with SEND are well supported and fully integrated into the learning. Instructions were clear so that pupils knew what was expected of them and were able to talk about their learning objective. Attitudes towards learning appeared consistently excellent.
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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