St Helen’s Catholic Primary School in London has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.
Warmth and welcome
From the instant you arrive at St Helen’s Catholic Primary School you get a feeling of warmth and welcome. The Inclusion Lead was ready for the initial greeting and was able to talk our Assessor through the journey of the school so far. As she has been at the school for nearly 40 years, she had a lot of knowledge to impart.
The School offers a diverse curriculum which includes opportunities to learn French and take part in topic days. One example shared was that of the Art Carnival. Each class produced pieces of art linked to a particular focus e.g. Japanese Culture. The art produced was also linked to their emotions. Children had the opportunity to share their work in an ‘art gallery’ during the carnival which parents attended, and now the work is beautifully displayed in the corridors outside the classes. To enhance the curriculum offer further, staff are trained in the use of the forest area in the School grounds, which was observed being enjoyed by Reception children during the visit. Children spoke animatedly about the carnival they took part in, and their curriculum in general. They said that “PE lessons are fun” and “I like learning different things about art”.
Robust assessments procedures are in place which include half termly Pupil Progress meetings. Once pupils have been identified for support, an extensive range of interventions can be utilised to support a child in their area of needs. Minutes of SEND Provision and Progress Meetings were evidenced, which have a clear structure, to monitor the progress and next steps for interventions taking place.
Some interventions even take place outside of school e.g. one child who developed an aversion to buses (which was a problem for his mum as he needed to travel on one each day to and for school), was witnessed getting ready to go out for a bus journey with his school adult support. An intervention that was in place to reduce his fears and enable him to travel on buses easier in the future with his mum. Whilst building his resilience, the school suggests that it also helps the child build life skills as he visits shops and / or cafes on the way.
During Learning Walks the emphasis on promoting reading was apparent throughout the School, each class has a focussed reading area and corridors display work relating to the books being read in class. In relation to reading, audio books and sensory sacks enhance accessibility for differing needs.
Designed to maximise provision for a range of needs
There is much space in and around the School which has been carefully designed to maximise provision for a range of needs. A sensory room has a wealth of resources including AstroTurf flooring, a fish tank, soft cushions, and greenery, to make it feel inviting and comforting. An extension of this room is the soft play area which can be accessed by all children in the School where needed e.g. the inclusion lead described how the room was used in the lead up to Year 6 SATs to help children regulate.
A cookery room allows for opportunities for children to cook together, eat together and clean up together, especially offered to those that may not have these experiences at home. The Zones of Regulations displays, which is part of the school Flagship Project, can already be seen in classrooms and corridors. When visiting one Year three classroom, they were watching extracts of the film ‘Dory’ to illustrate and discuss feelings in the Green Zone. In the outside areas, the children have access to a sensory garden, climbing area (which was being built during the visit), basketball court, all-weather pitch, forest school area and table tennis tables. Different zones of the playground are also sectioned off as quiet zones.
It was clear from the visit that the School has a vast array of facilities to support its children and families e.g. a preschool and music room (which doubles as a room to have parent workshops). The local church lays just behind the School which the School visits regularly and provides an opportunity for pupils to meet parents and other members of the community.
Opportunities for the children
Upon meeting with pupils in Year 6, they were able to speak positively about the behaviour systems which have recently been introduced. They also liked the various rewards that were in place for them e.g. Star of the Week, Hot Chocolate Friday with the headteacher and phone calls or notes home. Further, the children were able to talk about the range of clubs on offer at the School, including dance, football (girls and boys), archery, violin, and newspaper clubs, to name but a few.
There is also a gardening club where it is planned to grow vegetables for cookery. Pupils spoke about the trips they have taken part in such as Science Camp, Adventure Island, and varying museums trips. The children have opportunities to join several pupil groups such as the School Council, and Mini Vinnies, which has a focus on charity work and doing things in the community.
The School is proud of the fact that it has a lot of home-grown staff. It was a particular pleasure to speak to an ECT teacher who had previously been a TA at the School, and the School had supported her in her training in becoming a teacher. She spoke passionately about the processes the School has in place to support staff, pupils, and parents alike, and she is passionate about the implementation of the new behaviour policies the School are in the process of trying to embed. Other staff feel that training for staff is productive and personalised e.g. staff feel they can ask to attend a course that is relevant to their specific learning needs.
Staff feel valued
Staff feel valued and staff wellbeing is a key priority of the School. Initiatives such as additional PPA, staff shout out systems, and reduced out of hour emails all contribute to this ethos. Staff also have access to virtual GPs and counselling if needed.
Through discussion with staff, they were able to voice that they have observed the positive impact of the School’s work to engage and support parents. They feel there is much more positive relationships between parents and staff as a result. Staff were able to share how the School also helps parents with transition periods e.g. secondary transfer forms, and translators being used to support EAL families.
Overall there is a feeling of achievement in the progress of one of their key targets of the school development plan, that is, improving the knowledge and understanding of all staff so they are able to support children of all needs effectively. Since the last IQM visit and up until the start of this term, the School has prided itself on not having any exclusions on record.
It was such a pleasure to visit St Helen’s Catholic Primary School and meet its staff, parents, and pupils. The School should be particularly proud of their pupils who were so polite and friendly and spoke very positively about their school – “there is so much to like about my school”. One student even said that “there was nothing I would change about my school”. These statements sum up our Assessor’s visit. St Helen’s should be proud of what it has accomplished so far in its journey for inclusive provision, and its commitment to making continual improvements in the future is evident.
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.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack