Vaughan Primary School in Harrow has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Knows The Community Well
Vaughan Primary School is a three-form entry school with 672 pupils on roll. It is in a built-up area of the London Borough of Harrow. The catchment area is relatively small and housing is often multi-occupancy. Mobility has increased since the end of Covid and last year’s Year 6 had just a quarter of pupils who had been there since the end of Key Stage 1. There is a long waiting list for spaces for children starting school, as there were 400 applications for the 90 space Nursery. 50% of the pupils are EAL. 120 pupils are Pupil Premium, with 14 pupils having an EHCP, with 4 under assessment. In total, there are 66 pupils receiving SEND support.
Deprivation in the area is high and the Headteacher has a foodbank in her office to support those families who cannot face the stigma of visiting the Harrow Foodbank.
The school will also support the families by delivering food parcels. Hygiene, sanitary and baby foods are also provided. The local supermarket collects donations from customers and the school collects these from the store. In addition, in order to further support families, the school is setting up a uniform shop of donated used items.
The Headteacher knows the community well and understands the challenges that a diverse community can bring. She has created an ethos where the children’s welfare is paramount and acknowledges that learning cannot take place if the children do not feel safe and secure. The Breakfast and After School Club is run by staff that the pupils know from different roles in the school and they know the children. The Sanctuary runs on a Monday morning to support those pupils who may well have had a difficult weekend. Here they have breakfast, play games, and are supported in a ‘slow’ start to the week. A Learning Mentor and a CBT counsellor support pupils and families throughout the week running small group and 1-1 sessions.
Bright and Cheerful Spaces
The Nursery and Reception are next door to each other and are bright and cheerful spaces with a range of activities for the pupils to engage in. They each have an outside space separated by a fence so that they can see each other.
Outside offers the opportunity for different learning activities. These outside areas are at the edge of the school’s outside space which is surprisingly spacious given the location within housing. Year 1 and Year 2 are organised so that the year groups are located close together. Year 2 has a communal space which allows for additional activities. Classrooms have lively and interesting displays linked to learning.
Key Stage 2 is in the newer part of the building. Each year group has a small room that can be used for interventions. Activity in the classrooms is focused. Our Assessor saw the maths lead in one room and the class was using manipulatives. As she explained later, the aim is for all children to have access to and use manipulatives as and when necessary, rather than them just being given to certain pupils.
She said too how having these on the table can lead to interesting discussions about why one manipulative has been used rather than another. In another room, our Assessor saw a class using laptops to assist their learning.
The school is on a digital journey and is working with the Tablet Academy to develop skills in using Microsoft 365 to support pupils. Staff reported how useful it was to have the laptops and how they helped to keep pupils with ADHD more focused on the task.
There is a well-stocked library which can be used for interventions as is The Studio which is also used for staff training. The Hub is the area where the Pastoral team is based and this is near the Design and Technology room. In addition, there is a PPA room for staff to work in when they have their dedicated out of class time.
Positive Behaviour of Pupils
Throughout our Assessor’s tour of the school and at other times, they were impressed by the positive behaviour of the pupils. At one point, the Assessor was walking along the corridor and pupils outside of their classrooms were blocking the open space by the door. One boy saw our Assessor and said, ‘Let me help you Miss,’ and held the other door open. That exemplifies the positive behaviour witnessed around the school. It was also evident how staff know pupils and were checking the attendance of those with additional challenges.
All staff in the school believe all pupils should have access to the same experiences. They know their pupils well and all needs are considered and ensure that adaptions are made so that all can be included, by for example, thinking about resources, groupings, or use of additional adults.
Sometimes it is appropriate for a pupil to have a reduced timetable. There is great emphasis on the staff being a team and the importance of collaborative working and the need to find solutions. Staff like the fact that the SLT are supportive and appreciate the regular CPD they receive as well as the targeted support for individual roles. They feel an important and valued part of the school.
The children are set in each year group, with one set for the more able and the other classes being mixed. The curriculum is designed to develop the skills and attitudes that help children become life-long learners and succeed in their future. It is structured so that skills become embedded. Care is taken to always use interesting resources and that there is appropriate challenge for all pupils, no matter their starting point.
Being healthy is important and so there are two sessions for PE per week which the pupils said they enjoy as they like the opportunity to take part in games and activities with other schools. Adding to the curriculum is the range of clubs that the pupils can take part in, for example, Art, Lego, Drama and linking with the allotments that back onto the school field. Each year group has their curriculum outlined on a page on the website so that parents know what is being taught that term.
Parents Feel Supported
Intervention is offered by the HLTAs, and TAs inside and outside the classrooms. The Pastoral Team offer social, emotional, and mental health interventions. One member of the Pastoral team is a CBT counsellor and, for example, runs social skills, mindfulness, and FRIENDS’ programmes. The Learning Mentor is trained in counselling skills and, for example, uses Drawing and Talking and Lego therapy. Bereavement support is available. Parent and pupil feedback about their work is very complimentary.
Parents feel supported and fully informed of what is happening in school and how quickly their own messages are responded to. They spoke of the importance of the Learning Mentor as a means of support at challenging times. Staff are approachable and that no problem is too much for the school.
The staff know their children. They praised the community feel of the school and how they are listened to. They appreciate the early planning for the Year 6 school journey, for example as it means that money can be saved in preparation.
The pupils are happy and enjoy their time in school. They have a voice. The School Council this year has Inclusion as its project. The Inclusion Lead spoke to them about inclusion and they have now been tasked with thinking about what can be done in school. That is a creative way of raising the importance of inclusion.
The pupils told our Assessor about the other ways in which they have a voice; Buddy Bus Stop, House Captains, and Sports Leaders to name a few. The pupils feel safe and supported. They know they can talk to staff and liked the opportunity of Space to Talk where they can fill in a form and post it in the box and the Pastoral Team will come and see them.
The governors know and understand the Headteacher’s vision for the school, that she cares and wants the school to be an inclusive place. At all times the SIP is kept in mind and governors are able to have robust conversations with SLT. The Governing Body, like the school, works in a collaborative way. Their individual skills are utilised, they are well trained and have a clear role in their visits to school. They told our Assessor that this is a school where everyone has a voice.
The school has a link with Harrow School. The boys come into school and listen to the pupils read and they run fundraising for the school. The Headteacher makes good use of this extra money as she does with the funds raised by the PTA, The Friends of Vaughan. The aim is to use the additional funding to support the creation of a sensory room. There is also a Link with Watford Football Club who provided mentoring to SEND and PP pupils in Year 5 who have social, emotional, and mental health difficulties.
There are clear plans in place for how the school wishes to embed and develop its work on Inclusion. There is no doubt that Inclusion is at the heart of all its work and that Vaughan Primary School constantly reflects on its practice in relation to all pupils.
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.