The Malling School Flagship Status

June 30, 2026

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The Malling School is a secondary school in West Malling, Kent. It is well known and regarded in the local community and is consistently oversubscribed. Integration is integral to all parts of the school and is interwoven throughout everything that happens.

The Malling School runs a successful Specialist Resource Provision, funded by the Local Authority. The majority of the pupils with special educational needs are taught in the mainstream and access the SRP virtually. Many pupils are autistic and have additional Speech, Language and Communication needs. This is supported by a large and well-structured SEND team which continues to grow. There are two SENDCos, one supporting the mainstream learners and another for pupils accessing the SRP. There is outreach support for students who need additional support in the mainstream but are not included in the SRP and teachers across the school are involved in training and continuing professional development.

Balanced inclusion

The Malling School has worked hard to embed a “balanced” system across the school, to ensure that all pupils are fully included in classrooms and all teachers and support staff are able to meet their needs. This has involved a programme of staff training and development. Every staff member has a copy of the Professional Development Programme which outlines teaching and pastoral policies. As part of this, The Malling School has been developing its own SALT team, meaning that there can be more individual interventions for students who need it.  A new literacy curriculum has been developed. New phonics interventions are now embedded. Lexia and other programmes are reviewed regularly and impact measured.

Strengthening wellbeing

The Malling School has been working with dedication to strengthen student wellbeing and personal development. Students’ views have been gathered through regular surveys to measure happiness and wellbeing. As a direct result of this feedback, extracurricular activities have been expanded, including more hobby clubs and a Duke of Edinburgh programme.

Enhanced social and emotional learning programmes and mental health support services have been introduced across all year groups, alongside a mentoring programme which pairs older students with younger ones. An organised wellbeing curriculum has been introduced for all students, and self-regulation and social skills programmes have been provided for students who will benefit from these.

The development of a Behaviour Curriculum is a new and exciting initiative in the school. The Malling School wanted to ensure that incoming students could

adapt and fit into the school environment and developed a “The Malling Way” behaviour charter between staff and students as a starting point. This includes moving around the site safely, set routines, recall, and an outline of how to play, for children who might not have experienced this before.

This is accompanied by a series of videos that tutors can use to illustrate when teaching. This curriculum works the whole way up the school and is supported by pupils and parents. Tutors get to know children well as individuals and help them to understand the Behaviour Curriculum, with clear and consistent expectations.

The Behaviour Curriculum is introduced during Induction Days and in Summer School so that students are familiar with it and understand what is expected of them before arriving at the school.

This consistent yet flexible and easily understood approach, emphasis on staff development, and strong Specialist Resource Provision marks The Malling School as a truly inclusive school. We are proud to award them with Flagship School Status.