Woodside Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
‘Learning Together, Learning For Life’
The Interim Headteacher’s welcome on the school website highlights the school logo: Learning Together, Learning For Life. The inclusion provision for learning and pastoral development is clearly evident at Woodside Primary School and this was highlighted in the meetings with all stakeholders, as well as in all documentation provided during the Assessment Day.
The communication between all stakeholders is very strong and key messages and priorities are understood by all. Staff training happens every Wednesday after school for class teachers and on Tuesday mornings for Teaching Assistants. During the day, the long-term targets set for the school as well as the short-term outcomes to work towards these was understood by all stakeholders. It is clear that the voice of all staff members is important, with the SENDCo and Deputy Headteacher stating how staff training sessions are designed using targets from the SDP and also from staff voice.
One Teaching Assistant stated, “There has been an open-door policy, whereby we can have discussions with SLT and members of the Inspire Partnership about what further training we would like to be put in place, so that we can ensure we are delivering the best education for our children.” The key message that permeated throughout Woodside Primary School is that all stakeholders want the very best for pupils, staff, parents/carers, the governing body, and the local and wider school community. It was clear from all the meetings that the pastoral and academic teaching and learning that takes place at Woodside Primary School is the responsibility of everyone, and the passion from all stakeholders was clearly evident and admirable.
‘We Are All One Big Family Unit’
The SLT has a strong presence in the school and is positioned around the school at the beginning and end of the school day. This ensures both pupils and parents/carers are welcomed into the school in the morning and greeted on the way out. One parent stated: “The school feels like a family; we are all one big family unit.” Another parent continued to discuss how every staff member is passionate about the academic and pastoral success of all pupils stating, “Losing any part of the team would have a knock-on effect on the whole team. The staff all support one another, and everyone is valued.”
Woodside Primary School is a welcoming 3-form entry school, which joined the Inspire Partnership Trust in March 2020. The school is part of a family of 9 schools, which are based in Medway, Greenwich, and Croydon – the latter region being the area in which Woodside Primary School is located. The school historically was a 4-form entry school, but due to falling numbers it is now considered a 3-from entry school. Currently there are two Year 3 and 4 classes, due to numbers being low in the area and in the next academic year there will also be two Year 6 classes as there are less than 60 children in Year 5 at present.
There has been a lot of leadership changes at Woodside Primary School since June 2022. There has been the appointment of a new SENDCo, as well as one of the Deputy Headteacher’s acting as the current Interim Headteacher. A new Headteacher who has worked in schools in the Kent area is due to start at Woodside Primary School in September 2023. When discussing the impact of the changes with stakeholders during the day, there was a resounding appreciation for the impact both the Interim Headteacher and SENDCo have made since starting their positions last year.
One of the key targets that stakeholders discussed was the improvement in behaviour. Clear communication with staff, parents/carers and pupils has ensured that pupils do not enter the school site on bikes and scooters. Pupils are also consistently wearing their school uniforms, rather than variations of this. The change to the behaviour policy which has been led by the SLT, notably the Deputy Headteacher of Inclusion, has also attributed to a more respectful and calm learning environment.
The initiatives that have been introduced this academic year by the SENDCo have also been positively acknowledged by all. Despite only starting at the school less than a year ago (June 2022), it is evident that the SENDCo has a sound knowledge and understanding of the pupils needs at Woodside Primary School and in the local community. His passion for inclusion is apparent and has spread to all levels of the school community, thus spreading the message that inclusion is the responsibility of all. One parent stated, “The SENDCo has made the world of difference to all the children in this school. He engages with parents and supports staff at school. If I need to talk to him, he is always at the end of the phone, or we speak face-to-face. As a result of his hard work, my son has now made progress.”
Space and Extra Provision
Woodside Primary School is blessed with the amount of space and extra provision it has to support children from the age of 2-years-old. The ‘Nest’ is located in the Early Years provision and educates children between the ages of 2/3-years-old. It is the only school in the partnership that has such provision. The Nest use the Development Matters curriculum objectives in the same way as the Nursery and Reception Team.
Our Assessor felt it was an absolute pleasure to observe the Nest provision. The multi-sensory teaching and learning were evident from the minute the door was opened. The pupils had recently read The Three Little Pigs and used the areas from the Early Years curriculum to make cross-curricular, meaningful links. There was an amazing display in the classroom, whereby pupils had made 3 houses – 1 out of hay, 1 out of bricks they had cut out of paper (thus practising their fine motor skills) and 1 with sticks, which they had collected from the outdoor space.
There were photographs of pupils engaging in the learning. When speaking to the class teacher, she explained how pupils learn whilst doing and she proceeded to show other examples of multi-sensory teaching and learning that was evidenced in the Nest provision. It is clearly evident that the Nest is an educational environment which clearly supports pupils as they transition to the Nursery setting. The high expectations and passion that exuded from the Nest was infectious and it was a pleasure to observe the learning and life skills each pupil was acquiring.
As aforementioned, the school also has 2 soft play areas which have been designed with the support of external professionals, as well as 1 nurture room where the ELSA Team and the Assistant Psychologist deliver their pastoral support. The Zen Den is also an area used for KS1 therapies such as Yoga Therapy and Play Therapy, which pupils’ access under the leadership of the SENDCo, as per their Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) and ‘Learning Passport’. Pupils who are refugees also access the therapies, as directed by the SENDCo, classroom adults and the SLT.
Prior to this academic year, there was an area in the school called ‘The Haven’. This room was designed as a ‘nurture room’ and was a room for pupils finding learning difficult. The room was for all ages and could include pupils from Reception to Year 6. When the Interim Headteacher and SENDCo were appointed, the decision was made by the Inspire Partnership to close ‘The Haven’ classroom and to ensure all pupils were included in the classroom. However, as and when pupils require additional support, it is clear that this is provided. There are breakout areas attached to most classrooms in the school, which include an outdoor area for sensory breaks. Each class also has a ‘Regulation Station’ which was an initiative introduced this academic year by the SENDCo. Each regulation station has its own resources and equipment which suit the cohort and a budget is set aside for this to be replenished at the beginning of each academic year.
Zones of Regulation
Zones of Regulation is also another new programme which has been introduced this academic year. All stakeholders were able to discuss the targets and desired outcomes for using this programme, which highlights the clear communication which has been shared and understood by all. One parent stated, “My child now uses Zones of Regulation at home. He will tell me which colour he is in, and I know how he is feeling. It is also really quick because if he does not want to speak, he can tell me the colour and I automatically know his emotions and how I can help him.”
When discussing the strategies that pupils have learnt from the Zones of Regulation programme one child stated, “I have learnt lots about my emotions this year. If I see an argument happening, I can tell a teacher or walk away. If the argument does not involve me, we have been told not to get involved but to let a teacher know.”
Some pupils find breaktimes and lunchtimes very overwhelming, so there are nurture lunchtime and breaktime clubs for pupils that need a space in which they feel safer. The leadership room, which is situated by the school reception area is where pupils may go to eat with the SLT. Classroom adults can also signpost pupils to the SLT so that these pupils can be invited to the club.
This clearly demonstrates how the adults at Woodside Primary School are aware of the impact of unstructured settings for some children and therefore there is a clear plan to support pupils pastorally should they feel overwhelmed.
What was clearly evident when conducting the learning walk was the inclusivity shows in displays and key texts around the school environment. The diversity on display for all the pupils to consciously and sub-consciously internalise was admirable. It is clear a lot of work has gone into creating an inclusive curriculum and environment which reflect the diverse and inclusive school population. The termly texts which form the ‘hook’ for the learning each term is based on an inclusive, diverse, and accessible theme in which staff make cross-curricular links with. This is known as the ‘Global Curriculum’. This leads to clear targets and outcomes and leads to a diverse and multi-cultural curriculum inclusive of all faiths, genders, races, and religions. One pupil stated, “I enjoy the fun learning here. The teachers are so fun and make our learning really fun. Last week we were learning about keeping healthy and we made our own fruit smoothies.”
Classroom Ambassadors
Classroom Ambassadors have been trained to approach visitors to the class and inform them of the learning objective and task. This creates a welcoming atmosphere and highlights that everyone is welcome at Woodside Primary School. School councillors also help to collect pupil voice from each pupil across the school to help with school improvements in all areas of school life. The voice of each pupil is valued at Woodside Primary School and it is clear that the school moulds to the needs of each pupil, not the other way around.
Adaptations are made for each individual pupil for all areas of The SEND Code of Practice (2015), including pupils with hearing and visual impairment. The visual impairment team in the Croydon SEND Team work closely with the SENDCo, Deputy Headteacher of Inclusion, the Year 3 class teacher and Teaching Assistant to support the teaching and learning for a visually impaired pupil. Braille has been used in the school and plans have been made by the visual impairment team to use a Braille technology app to support with the teaching and learning later this year.
The safeguarding of pupils is considered the responsibility of all, and training is delivered to all staff (Level 2) and members of the SLT (Level 3), with key changes to policies communicated to all. The Family Support Worker and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), as well as Deputy DSL use the Effective Resilience document to refer families to ‘Early Help’ and to levels which require additional support from Social Workers and other external agencies.
There is a clear mission in the school to prioritise the Mental Health and Wellbeing of staff as well as pupils and parents/carers. The staffroom is decorated to a high standard, which shows respect for the team. The Assistant SENDCo has worked as the Staff Wellbeing Lead this year and planned events as aforementioned, such as a baby shower for a member of staff, as well as a quiz.
The staff comradery is very evident in the school with one Teaching Assistant stating, “We are all one big family. We support one another and are not afraid to ask for help and support. No-one works in isolation. We observe one another and there is an open-door policy where we can discuss anything with the SLT. I cannot imagine working anywhere else, which is as close as we all are.”
Admiration for the Staff
Parents/carers showed admiration for the staff at Woodside Primary School and stated that even though they were aware of the amount of work the staff at the school undertook each day, the admiration increased during the pandemic. They acknowledged how the changes such as moving from one partnership to the next, as well as the introduction of an Interim Headteacher and SENDCo was unsettling at first but stated that the school has gone above and beyond to make changes to ensure the school is the best that it can be. Although there is apprehension for further changes to come with the appointment of a new Headteacher in September 2023, the school has positively highlighted the new changes and is looking forward to a new future which will build on these changes.
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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