The King John School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Inclusion is Central to Every Aspect
Our Assessor was made very welcome by everyone at The King John School. The culture and ethos was warm and friendly and people were keen to speak about the school. Inclusion is central to every aspect of the school, and it permeates the culture and ethos at every level. This is carried over into policy and curriculum development. Further, it is carried over into practice across the school. Staff and students alike are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about inclusion and feel they are part of the clear vision of the Headteacher. They are the people who make it happen.
The two days IQM visited the school were very busy as there was the opportunity to meet and great many members of staff and students as well as parents/carers. They all spoke very favourably about the school. They showed great loyalty and affection, and all felt lucky to be part of the school. All those spoken to were very clear about their commitment to the inclusion policy at practice that the school has set out. The leadership of the Headteacher has been key to putting inclusion at the centre of the school’s agenda. He is to be congratulated for his work in persuading and leading the drive for inclusion. This now permeates every aspect of the school.
School Values
The school values emerge as drivers of all policies and actions and it is clear it’s all about the students. The mantra is “They are all our children”. All students are equally valued. The leadership have invested in the structures that make inclusion happen and there is joined up thinking and working throughout this very large school. The approach is about prevention rather than reaction.
The King John School has identified the core values of PRIDE – Positivity, Resilience, Integrity, Dignity, and Equality which aims to ensure inclusion for all students. These values form the basis of the school’s inclusion policy and practice and the implementation of the newly developed programme of character education that is due to be fully implemented in September. Furthermore, the school is part of the Zenith Multi Academy Trust which has the core values of Dignity, Collaboration, Positivity and Aspiration.
Through these values the Trust aims to achieve its core purpose to enhance the life chances of every child and drive social mobility. These values underpin everything the schools in the Trust do. The Headteacher, staff and Governors felt being part of the Trust was very beneficial to the school and offered a lot of support and additionality in terms of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and collaboration opportunities.
Proud of Their School
The school has many strengths and the commitment of staff to students stands out. Staff obviously care about their students and relationships are strong. Students trust staff to support them. Teaching and learning are always under review and is always improving. Teachers are reflective and willing to change their practice in order to meet the need of students. The provision for students with SEN is very good and involves all teachers who are responsible for delivering good lessons at all levels. Pastoral care and behaviour support systems are exceptional. The curricular and qualifications framework allows students to follow their interests and allows them to learn in different ways. The PRIDE curriculum and rewards system strengthens the engagement of students at all levels. The students and staff are rightly proud of their school.
Students feel safe and secure at school and safeguarding processes are very strong. Nothing is left to chance. Student voice is listened to and is acted upon. They feel empowered to bring about change. Similarly, staff feel valued and supported and have a strong voice. The support systems in place designed to work together and there is joined up teaching and working to ensure vulnerable students are identified and given everything they need to succeed.
The school have taken on the challenge of ensuring they have a diverse curriculum, and they are examining (and changing) their curriculum, their policies and practices and their own bias to make sure no stone is left unturned, and everybody is fully included. Student voice is taken seriously, and they feel empowered to share their views and their feelings. The Headteacher meets with different groups of students on a regular basis, and he makes use of their feedback and takes appropriate action. Other leaders spoken to, gave examples of student feedback that they had acted on and changed something as a result. The students met were confident that they could always find someone to talk to either formally or informally to pass on any concerns or possible solutions to issues that arise.
Staff Voice is Heard
Similarly, staff voice is heard. There are systems in place to capture their thoughts and feedback and most will do this through the different teams they belong to. However, all those our Assessor met said they would have no hesitation in raising difficult issues or concerns with the Headteacher or any member of the senior team. Many felt confident in talking to the CEO when he is around the school and sharing any issues with him. There is a sense of collegiality and partnership working throughout the school.
This is a learning school at all levels. They have so much to be proud of and so much to share.
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.
• Our inaugural National Inclusion Conference will take place on the 27th November, for further details click here.