Upton Priory School has achieved the Inclusive School Award.
Vibrant and Welcoming School
Upton Priory School is a vibrant and welcoming school which is highly valued by its community. Leaders are clear in their commitment to inclusion and developing the wellbeing of their community. They recognise and embrace their responsibility to prepare their pupils for the next stage of their education, this being seen as pupils who are resilient, respectful, co-operative, and motivated learners, who take pride in all they do.
Upton Priory School is a large two form entry primary school with a school-based nursery and is a member of The Falibroome Trust, a multi academy trust which links three secondary school and a group of primary schools within and around Macclesfield Town. At the time of the review visit, there were 346 pupils on roll including those in the nursery. Pupils eligible for Pupil Premium (PP) Funding amounted to 25.4% and there were 4% with recognised additional needs. There were also a further 11% of pupils on the monitoring stage for recognition of needs. Pupils come from a range of private, local authority and rental housing and there is an increasing number of pupils whose first language is not English, currently 5.5% of the school population.
Optimism, and Great Energy
There are challenges for all schools and at Upton Priory these have been met with resolve, optimism, and great energy. The discussions during the review unfolded a heart-warming account of how the school ensured that all children and their families were supported. The leaders shared how they have overcome the school’s historical challenges and were now in a much stronger place working with a clear focus of enabling all, despite any barriers to be a valued member of Upton Priory inclusive community. It is clear this is being achieved as one parent whose child had joined the school last year commented, how the school were “…very good at holding my hand through the process I found our family going through.”
The school sits within a housing estate in a very pleasant, extensive, grassed area. This area serves as the venue for its outdoor learning which is used by all classes using this outdoor space to the full. Recently, the school has secured a substantial grant from a local Trust, to expand its outdoor space by improving its Early Years area which, for pupils, will serve as a good transition from their classroom-based learning to full-on outdoor learning. This is spoken highly of being able to provide a valuable resource for wellbeing and raising self-esteem; it will be very interesting to see the area in action next year as staff during the assessment were already moving in.
Developing relationships and creating an environment which promotes and supports emotional and Mental Health wellbeing is a priority for Upton Priory, building upon a solid foundation achieved in previous years. Our Assessor talked to pupils during the review who spoke about their time at school and home during the pandemic. They were clearly very happy about returning to full school experience and spoke highly of the opportunities that the school arrange for them and love their learning at Upton Priory.
They were also confident to explain how their voice was encouraged and often listened to when leaders were looking to make improvements.
One pupil spoke about their recent visit to the Peak Wildlife Park, another shared how they have been to play with The Halle in Manchester, and one spoke of how they regularly visit the residential nursing homes and gardened with them. They enjoy that they are members of a wider community, and another explained how they were able to join in with the recent trip to Conway and sleep there. This was their first trip away from home. While they spoke of the challenge this gave, the child also spoke of the support they were given from the staff and how it was fantastic!
It is evident that trips and visits play a vital role in the curriculum and the opportunities for learning provided were highly appropriate and enriching. Our Assessor was shown examples of ‘learning’ resources that were designed to be engaging and challenging both within school and at home which encouraged parents to support their children. There are several platforms which maintain effective communication with parents. Parents spoke how there was always an ‘open door’ where you can always speak with someone, or send an email, or call and the staff, ‘will always be there to listen and action anything from the chat.’
Value of Reading
There is considerable work going on at the moment to ensure that a good amount of reading materials is made available to parents and their families, through this work children returning to school in September will see the opening of a brand-new library where teachers have selected texts which have a number of themes that match the diverse society, we currently live in. Apart from the inherent value of reading these texts, the library will also provide a tangible link between home learning and school learning as the school is opening it regularly for the whole family to visit and loan books from each week.
Staff were acutely aware of the levels of need amongst their families during this continually changing time and how both the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis is impacting upon how they now work. They effectively provide strategies for promoting emotional and Mental Health wellbeing, leaders and Governors spoke on how they were aware of the increased pressures on staff and spoke of one of the measures put in place to assist and support them, this being that all staff are given a termly ‘wellbeing’ day during the year. Staff spoken to shared how this was something they really valued. One staff member shared how, ‘teaching here is a challenge but rewarding, we are well supported and supportive of each other, no one is too busy for you.’
Governance is well informed and highly supportive of the aims of the school. Governors meet regularly and our Assessor met with the Chair of Governors who explained how the Governing body continues to operate effectively while also benefitting from being part of the wider Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). They shared how excellent communication was the key to the school’s success, how they had been on the board for several years, sharing the honest and impressive journey that the school has been on regarding inclusion and improvement. Upton Priory is truly an integral part of its community and families feel welcome and as both a parent and the Chair of Governors separately told me, ‘…it feels like a partnership where my contribution is valued.’
It is clear from the journey shared with the Assessor that the school has a strong inclusive ethos and is showing how it intends to go from strength to strength in terms of its inclusive practice in the next few years.
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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