The Hyde School in Barnet has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Inclusion Runs Through The Hyde
The Hyde School is two form entry and is in an historically deprived area of Barnet. Currently there are 475 pupils on roll with 79% EAL, 14% SEND and 17% Pupil Premium. Recently there has been a change in that there is an increasing number of working parents and a consequent reduction in the number of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium. However, this does not mean that the families are more affluent as the school has recently admitted refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
The school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academy Trust (TEFAT) which offers a range of opportunities for collaboration and support for staff. The Headteacher is the regional SEND lead for the TEFAT London schools and offers outreach support, as well as taking part in SEND tribunals. In addition, the school maintains strong links with Barnet, being involved in moderation across schools.
The school has 11 members of staff being recognised as expert teachers. The Headteacher has a strong vision for inclusion that inspires and motivates staff and states that, ‘inclusion runs through The Hyde like words through a stick of rock’. The Hyde is then well equipped to offer the support it does to other schools.
Our Assessor met with parents before experiencing anything else about the school and so asked them what they thought they would see on a tour of The Hyde. The response was, ‘happy children’ and that was what our Assessor experienced. Not only were the children happy, but they were also engaged in the activities and eager to speak about the school. Our Assessor was warmly welcomed into the classrooms and in the corridors as they went around the school.
Common Theme is Energy and Interest
The Nursery and Reception are two large linked spaces that share an outside playground. Free flow happens between the rooms and the children can choose from a wide range of activities that are set up inside and outside.
Visually you can recognise which pupils are in Reception and which in Nursery as the Reception pupils are in uniform but they choose the activity to engage in and so work in mixed age groups.
The playground offers the children the opportunity to develop their physical skills and in addition there are tunnels etc that they can explore in the grassed area.
Each of the classrooms are individual spaces that reflect the needs of the class and the work they have completed and are currently engaged on. The displays are different and the rooms are set up differently.
The common theme is the energy and interest that is tangible as you enter the rooms. The corridor displays are amazing. Real skill is used to create both interesting and thought-provoking displays. There is something to attract everyone’s attention. Rather than it feeling like a sensory overload, the displays add to the feeling of warmth and care that permeates the school. This is particularly evident in the library which is a fun and safe place to be whilst still illustrating the joy of reading.
The curriculum on offer is broad and balanced with a real strength being its Urban Adventure Curriculum which was designed especially for the pupils to make the most of the opportunities available in the local and wider area.
It is a curriculum which is underpinned by real life experiences and aims to give the pupils respect for each other, equality and awe and wonder about the local area. Given the current financial situation for families, staff are looking to find cheaper alternatives that still allow this exploration. In addition, there is the Saturday school, run in collaboration with a local TEFAT school, which allows pupils to engage in a range of activities that they would not normally experience.
‘I Feel Valued and Trusted’
The school’s view of inclusion was demonstrated in our Assessor’s meeting with staff. Office staff were included as well as teaching and support staff.
Many of the staff have been in school for a long time and appreciate the support and development they have been given over the years. Training takes place weekly and additional training can be requested. They are very much a team as there is always someone there to help, with the Headteacher being very approachable and able to give advice.
One teaching assistant said, ‘I feel valued and trusted. When I’m feeling that, I can give my best’. There is a social committee and bowling was an activity from last term and the end of term pizza is enjoyed by all.
All staff spoke about how the children come first and how quality first teaching supports all pupils. Teamwork is evident in the classrooms as there is a fluid approach to who supports individual pupils or groups. Sometimes the teaching assistant would do this and the teacher at other times.
The staff know the pupils well, respond to pupil need and adapt work to allow pupil access. Staff build strong relationships with the parents as it is recognised that they need them on side in order to make the most of the work they are doing with the children. Parents recognise that staff do reach out to make connection with them.
Parents described the family atmosphere that the school has and how they feel supported. They are reassured by all that the staff do. It is common practice for staff to support families before the child starts at the school and this continues throughout the child’s time at school. The school always looks for ways to support and include children with disabilities and any additional need. Parents are more than aware of the school’s aim of developing the whole child.
There is a range of opportunities for parents to join in. Our Assessor heard about the Family Festival that was held as well as the reading initiatives that the parents liked and the workshops that were offered to support the children’s learning.
One example is, ‘How to support your child with Speech and Language’. Another strength is communication. A working parent explained how useful the electronic communications have been for her in helping to keep her aware of what is happening in school. She gave an example of how quickly staff respond. She had emailed school in the evening and had a response before eight the next morning. That clearly underlines how the school aims to have strong relationships with the parents.
Our Assessor’s meeting with the pupils highlighted how much has been done to give pupils a voice. They met with a confident group of young people who shared their thoughts. In the group were pupils with SEND as well as some who had not been at the school for long. They spoke confidently and they all explained how they liked the after-school clubs, how they felt safe in school and how they learned new things. New clubs were created in response to children’s requests and their changing interests.
They enjoy the opportunity given by the visits outside of school and could speak about them. The pupils feel listened to as well as being able to recognise the support that is given to them. It was a pleasure listening to them and seeing how they respected each other. The Celebration Assembly was another example of pupils showing respect to each other. They listened while staff explained about individual achievement and congratulated each other. With the whole school present, it was another illustration of the warmth and family atmosphere in the school.
Community Council
The school’s Community Council oversees the day-to-day work of the school. Our Assessor had a virtual meeting with a parent representative.
She spoke about the authenticity of the school and how there is the family feeling and a sense of belonging.
The Headteacher and senior team are approachable and that a real strength of the school is that it questions what the pupils need and responds appropriately.
The Chair of the Community Council said that inclusion was not a sub division of the school’s work but what it does. Inclusion, he said, is an essential and natural part of The Hyde and as a result can be taken for granted.
He praised the strength of the school team and said that they make things happen and that ‘the exceptional is normal at The Hyde’.
The CEO of the Elliot Foundation praised the Heacteacher’s work across the London schools as well as those in East Anglia. The strength of the relationships across the Community Council and the Trust itself was clear as was their support for the work of the school.
Inclusion is without a doubt integral to all that the school does and as such can appear to be just part of the normal working day. However, with the continued focus on the pupils’ needs and what should be done best to address them, there is no question that inclusion will always be a prime focus.
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:
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