The Malling School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
School Has a Great Many Strengths
It was a great pleasure to visit The Malling School to carry out their IQM Assessment. Our Assessor had carried out their initial IQM Assessment in 2014 and last visited in 2016 when the school was an IQM Centre of Excellence. At that time the school was half the size, with less than 500 pupils on roll. Today there are well over a 1,000 pupils on roll and the school is heavily oversubscribed. There is also a new Headteacher and many new senior leaders. However, it was great to reconnect with the IQM Lead, with whom our Assessor had worked on previous visits. She is someone who has been working at the school for over 30 years and started out as a parent and Teaching Assistant. She is a prime example of the way the school spots talent and then develops it and many others our Assessor met have had, or are on, a similar journey. She knows the school very well and is very well respected by all those she works with.
The school has a great many strengths. The leadership of the Headteacher was commented on frequently during conversations with all stakeholders. They say he has changed the culture and ethos of the school. Staff, parents and pupils feel valued and they believe their contribution matters. The Headteacher has a very clear vision of where the school is going and he has been able to take others with him on this journey. His determination to move the school forward inspires others and there is real ownership. Both children and adults are proud to be part of the school.
Total Commitment to Inclusion
The total commitment to inclusion is evident in every aspect of the school but particularly by the investment and funding put into making inclusion work. The school has been innovative and creative in the way it supports pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the model of inclusion, where the Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) and mainstream school merge into one, is unique and ground breaking. The model is working very well and provision for pupils with SEN is excellent.
The relentless focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning through ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) shows a clear understanding that inclusion is mostly about excellence in teaching. The commitment of every teacher to improve their practice is important as this is how improvements will be sustainable over time. CPD is carefully planned and is focused mostly on the classroom and what needs to happen in order to meet the needs of all pupils, no matter what their starting point is.
The inclusive range of courses available post 16 is a model that every school should adopt. Similarly, the focus, from Year 7 onwards, on careers and life beyond school is helping to raise aspirations and ambitions of pupils and their parents/carers.
Strong Relationships
The safeguarding policy and procedures are sound and the school puts a lot of effort into resources in this area. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure when they are at school. The strong relationships between staff and pupils means that pupils will report any concerns or anxieties they may have. Staff are well trained and are always vigilant.
Pastoral care is a priority and pupils feel safe and secure and know and respect the routines and expectations. Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is carefully planned, is relevant and is regularly updated. Behaviour is generally very good and many staff spoke about how this has changed since the arrival of the new Headteacher. Previously behaviour was less good. This has certainly changed and a new behaviour system is now in place.
Perhaps it is now time to review the system, involving pupils more in policy development, asking them about their experience in the classroom and about the way they learn. Most of all, it is about making sure they are active rather than passive learners who are able to question and debate in a mature way, developing independence. They have a lot to contribute and it is important to give them more of a voice. The Malling School is a listening school and they want to hear from the pupils.
Partnerships with parents/carers is growing and relationships are generally very positive. The parents spoken to were full of praise for all the school did for their children and about the way they included parents.
Collaboration is integral to the way The Malling School works and our Assessor said they know the school will take this responsibility very seriously. The Malling School has much to be proud of.
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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