The Fermain Academy has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Superbly Inclusive
The Fermain Academy is a superbly inclusive, 13-16 Alternative Provision ‘free school’ in Macclesfield. It is part of the Yes Trust, serving students from all over Cheshire East and beyond. Students attend the academy after struggling in their mainstream school and all have additional needs. Students who are referred are at risk of permanent exclusion from their home school, while some have been at a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). An increasing number are vulnerable in a variety of ways. Almost all students have a persistent record of absence from their previous settings and can present with diagnosed or undiagnosed additional needs.
Those involved with the academy have a shared belief that the young people in their care should have access to the best education provision so that they are able to realise their ambitions for their future and their life chances are improved by embedding outstanding practice. Supported by the Headteacher’s statement, “At The Fermain Academy every young person should be given the opportunity to succeed in their learning and personal development and achieve their potential. Our aim is to prepare them for the future through a broad curriculum, combined with practical, vocational elements and full wrap-around pastoral support”. A truly inclusive statement, evidence of which was seen throughout the review. It is encouraging to see that there has been no loss of momentum since the last IQM review, despite changes in Leadership. In fact, the pace of change has increased and clearly demonstrates how the values and vision for inclusion underpin all developments. The academy is a vibrant, ever-changing, and developing community with a happy outward-facing environment. This was apparent on entering reception where our Assessor was warmly greeted by staff and made to feel very welcome.
Moral Purpose and Core Values
Since the last review the academy has revisited and revised its Moral Purpose and Core Values that are at the heart of everything they do. Its moral purpose is “As a school to help you C.H.A.N.G.E. – Challenge yourself, Help each other, Aspire to be Great, Nurture your Potential, Grow as an Individual and Enjoy Learning”. The Core Values, “Child Centred, Adaptive and Sensitive to Need and Authentic in our relationships,” apply equally to students and staff. Highly inclusive statements and beliefs that permeate the very fabric and ethos of the academy. A superbly inclusion ethos, that allows staff led by the aspirational and inspirational newly appointed Headteacher, to re-engage the disengaged by raising their aspirations, realising their potential, and recognising their achievements through an individualised whole education approach facilitated in small working groups by trusted adult role models.
Staff at the academy are empathetic, understanding and superbly skilled, with a fantastic ability to see the potential in their students, and that enables them to flourish. It was very clear throughout the day that the staff are a strong team who are able to actively and successfully support their students to regulate their own emotions to build resilience and self-esteem, skills that are invaluable for their life after school. A superb commitment to their students never giving up on them, thereby enabling them to become the best version of themselves. The staff should be rightly proud of themselves for the efforts they put in with their students to ensure successful outcomes.
Conversations during the day with staff, students, a Governor, and a consultant, reinforced the view that there is an immense level of pride felt by everyone about the school. Nothing is too much trouble and support is quickly offered and issues resolved. It was very clear that students are happy here. Staff engage and work with their peers, students, and their families to meet needs, often going above and beyond what is expected of them and in this regard they are outstanding. This is achieved through a strongly held and deep belief in inclusive education and a belief in a true partnership with families and carers, and when needed external partners from the Trust providing superb levels of advice, support, and care. This was evidenced in meetings throughout the day.
Staff take immense pride in providing superb pastoral care, actively promoting equality and diversity, and thereby ensuring that the academy is an extremely welcoming, inclusive, and caring place to not only be educated but to work. Students enjoy participating in school life and are engaged in their learning, as it is a happy, friendly, stimulating, and vibrant learning environment where staff and students freely mix and participate in activities together during breaks and at lunchtime. There is a clear focus on helping everyone to develop their potential, whatever that might be and helping to ensure they will become positive members of their community and society.
Inclusion Occurs Naturally
Inclusion occurs naturally and is ingrained in every aspect here due entirely to the efforts of the staff, led by the newly appointed Headteacher and the extremely effective leadership team and staff. Students are at the heart of an encouraging and challenging curriculum and environment recognising and celebrating differences, communicates the importance of learning, and have a firmly held belief that everyone can achieve, and this is underpinned by extremely positive and trusting relationships with parents and the local community, that are a continuing focus to ensure that all students are successful no matter their starting point.
Discussions with members of staff, students, a Governor, and Hair and Beauty Consultant proved extremely useful in confirming that the academy continues to meet the criteria for the IQM award. Discussions and evidence provided throughout the day focussed on key aspects of the academy’s inclusive ethos allowing a highly positive and extremely inclusive picture to emerge. Staff passion for the work they engage in clearly shone through in each meeting in both formal and informal settings and was clearly demonstrated in the way that they spoke about the academy, the staff, students and in the way that they work with each other, with students, and families.
What stood out throughout the day was that everyone our Assessor spoke to was very clear that good relationships were paramount to achieve success. Relationships with each other, with students and with families. The effort that staff put into ensuring positive relationships with their students is a very significant part of the reason why the academy is so successful in re-engaging their students so successfully. It is something that everyone associated with the academy should be proud of. Everyone is considered to be a member of the ‘Fermain Family’, and this includes students who have moved on and are often welcomed back to talk about their successes after leaving or who need support to move forward. Supporting students who have left the academy will be a significant part of the work undertaken at the skills centre with a dedicated drop-in time. Superb levels of collaboration ensure that the academy is successful, supported by superb teamwork from staff who naturally promote equality and diversity and see their roles as a vocation. They should be justifiably proud of their success in this respect, where no-one is left out or behind and where everyone is included and supported to achieve success.
Discussions during the review focused on a review of last year’s Flagship Project as identified in the report above. The evolution of the Flagship Project for the year ahead that is already being successfully enacted and discussions about how staff ensure that all students and staff are nurtured, supported, and cared for and the way that they support each other.
Detailed and Enlightening Meeting
A detailed and enlightening meeting with the newly appointed Headteacher to discuss the academy’s journey since the last review and the context of improvements, changes in staffing, new appointments related to the skills centre project and the fast pace of change.
This was followed by the opportunity to discuss the Flagship Project’s progress since the last review, with the Headteacher, Pastoral Lead and a member of the Local Selection Board (LSB) Governor. This included a discussion about the difficulties in securing the building and delays due to legal issues in securing the long-term lease that initially held up progress. However, it was clear that once these difficulties had been surmounted Phase 1 of the work was able to move forward rapidly and due to the work of the Office Manager and Site Manager leading this phase they were clearly back on track and the building should be ready for September 2023. Discussed were the courses being offered from September, the possible opportunities and courses that could be offered in the future and how they will continue to support students post 16+ who need support to move to the next stage in their lives by offering a dedicated drop in at the centre for those students to access help and support. A superb idea and demonstrates the caring nature of the staff. Our Asessor was also able to have a broad and wide-ranging conversation with the Safeguarding Governor about the inclusive nature of the academy and why it is so successful in re-engaging disengaged students and how LSB Governors are actively involved in academy life and support the staff. It was very clear that the Governors are extremely knowledgeable and are able to support both staff and students.
Superb Inclusive Ethos
The visit to the new skills centre and the subsequent conversation with The Office Manager and Hair and Beauty Consultant who were working at the building during the visit served to further confirm our Assessor’s opinion about the academy’s superb inclusive ethos and that their plans for the centre were appropriate and would more than meet the identified need for their students and students within the locality.
The Office Manager was very supportive of the aims of the academy and of the need for the centre and was clearly enjoying her role in managing this aspect of the project. The conversation with the Hair and Beauty Consultant (who used to work at the academy) who was mapping out where equipment would be put in the new salon upstairs was extremely enthusiastic about what the salon would offer for the students who would attend and had been actively involved in obtaining equipment at the best cost for the academy and would also liaise with the local college to see whether college students would be able to attend and support those training at the skills centre. Both were clearly of the opinion that The Fermin Academy is a superbly inclusive place both for students and staff.
The guided tour of the extremely large 2 storey building with commentary about how each area would be used from September and the identification of another area to possibly be used for textiles was extremely useful to give an idea of the scale and suitability of the project. The Headteacher has a very clear vision of what the skill centre will be, how it will be used and how it will evolve that is shared by all staff and students that can’t wait to use it. Our Assessor came away from the visit and the discussions understanding the need and the vision and was extremely impressed by the building and how it is being renovated. When finished it will be a superb place and other academies and schools will be envious. The staff should be very proud of what they are on the verge of achieving.
Looked After and Supported
Next our Assessor met with a student who was keen to speak about her time at the academy and how she was looked after and supported. She recognised that staff often went beyond what had been experienced at the previous setting to ensure success and described how she was able to access support when needed. Accommodations had been made to her studies to suit her abilities, her needs and she was comfortable in talking about her experience that she assured had not been the case previously. This was followed by a tour of the school and a discussion about how the development of the skills centre will allow certain areas of the academy to be re-organised to better suit the needs of the students and this included a look at a small, wooded area on the perimeter of the school that they are interested in turning into an outdoor experiential area. As a part of the tour, our Assessor was able to experience the academy at lunch and see the interactions between staff and students sharing the same space and involved in activities together.
Conversations with some students and staff at this point reinforced the feelings that the academy is an inclusive place to be. Students seen were a credit to themselves and the academy, behaving in a mature and sensible manner. Interactions seen between staff and students were extremely positive and showed excellent relationships. Staff clearly know their students well and students know and respond well to the staff and is something everyone should be proud of.
Our Assessor was able to meet the new staff who will be leading the Hair and Beauty and Construction Courses at the skills centre from September who were able to express their opinions on the inclusive nature of the academy and how they had been supported and welcomed since their appointments. Both are very keen to get started and have been exploring which qualifications are the most suitable for the students they will be teaching given the sometimes-transitory nature of said students. They want to ensure that whenever a student begins to access the courses, they have the opportunity to be achieved. Our Assessor was impressed by their professionalism and their desire to ensure successful outcomes for the students soon to be entrusted in their care.
Behaviour was Excellent
It was a pleasure to engage in conversations with everyone involved in the review and to hear their differing but supportive opinions of the academy and their involvement whether as a member of staff, Governor, consultant, or student. What became apparent was their belief that the academy is a superbly inclusive place to be a part of and that it will continue to evolve and change to meet the need of its community and rise to whatever challenges are thrown at them in the future. It will be of great interest to see how the academy has moved forward under the stewardship of the new Headteacher and it will be a pleasure to re-engage with these extremely passionate, articulate, and inclusive members of the school community, at the next review.
Our Assessor added, “It was a privilege to revisit the school to conduct its review and to see the academy in action and discuss plans for the future. Meeting such passionate, dedicated, and enthusiastic staff, who are supported to achieve success and deliver such superb support, care, nurture, and learning experience in a superbly inclusive setting soon to be enhanced by the opening in September of the skills centre. Students spoken to in a variety of settings were mature, articulate, and gave their views freely and without the fear of censure. As a consequence of the positive relationships students conduct themselves in a mature and adult manner. Behaviour seen around the academy was excellent and this is the true measure of the respect and partnership that has evolved here, and everyone involved should be proud of this and be extremely proud of what they continue to achieve, where the emphasis is placed on ensuring everyone is nurtured and included and no one is left out.
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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