INCLUSION POLICY

Approved / July 2015
Review Date / Summer Term 2017
Signed (Principal) / Name
Signed (Chair of Local Governing Body) / Name
Signed (Company Secretary) / Name

Statement Of Intent As An Inclusive School

The learning and well being of every child in our school matters. This is reflected through our teaching and learning policy, distinctive moral code; Chapel St ethos of Grace, Love and Fellowship and respect for all children as individuals.

We actively promote the achievement of all groups of pupils and ensure through regular monitoring, evaluation and support that our children make progress towards their individual goals.

Aim

Our school aims to be an inclusive school. This means that equality of opportunity must be a reality for all our children. We achieve this reality through actively seeking to remove barriers to learning and participation than can hinder or exclude individual pupils, or groups of pupils within our school:

·  Girls and Boys

·  Black and Minority Ethnic groups

·  Different faith and religious groups.

·  Children with Special Educational Needs

·  Children with physical and/or health based needs

·  Children who need support to learn English as an additional language

·  Gifted and Talented children

·  Looked After children

·  Children who are at risk of disaffection or are vulnerable

·  Travellers and Asylum Seekers

·  Children from all families (eg those with one parent; two parents; step families and families where both parents are of the same gender)

Objectives

In order to meet the need of individuals and groups of children we use the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum as a starting point and:

·  Set suitable targets and goals for learning

·  Respond to children’s diverse learning needs

·  Work to overcome potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils

·  Provide other curricular opportunities to support learning-this includes working with external support teachers eg Speech and Language Therapy; Behaviour Support; Mobility Support and Specialist Learning Support and providing opportunities to develop positive attitudes to learning through a supportive approach to learning to think and thinking to learn.

How we achieve these aims and objectives ?

We achieve educational inclusion by continually reviewing what we do within a class, year group and at whole school level through asking ourselves these key questions:

·  Do all our children achieve as much as they can ?

·  Are there differences in the achievement of different groups of children ?

·  What are we doing for those children who are not achieving their best ?

·  What provision can we provide to support individual learning needs ?

·  Is what we are providing successful ?

·  Do we make successful links to children’s personal, social and emotional development and do our action impact on learning ?

·  Are we successful in preparing children for the next steps in their learning and preparing them to live in our diverse society ?

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

We aim to give all our children the opportunity to succeed and reach the highest level of personal achievement. When planning work, teachers take into account the abilities of all of their children. For some children we use learning goals from earlier key stages or from individual education plans and for others with a higher aptitude we accelerate their learning as and when appropriate. This enables children to achieve their very best –to be the best they can be and encourages positive self esteem. In addition teaching staff use different assessment tools to ascertain children’s preferred learning styles and to build them into their daily planning, alongside using a range of structured thinking tools and higher order questioning to scaffold and model learning. Throughout their planning teachers ensure equal opportunities for all children and are aware of national, local and school based legislation and policies covering race, gender and disability.

Teachers ensure that they encourage children to have positive views of themselves as learners and as a school we are committed to a foundation of thinking for lifelong learning. To achieve this teachers ensure that children:

·  feel secure and all contributions are valued

·  appreciate and value the differences they see in others

·  take responsibility for their own actions

·  develop skills as independent learners

·  develop skills to become independent thinkers

·  develop skills to become emotionally intelligent

·  understand the importance of appropriate behaviour for learning success

·  are taught in groupings that allow them to experience success

·  use materials and resources that reflect a range of social and cultural backgrounds, without stereotyping

·  have curriculum experiences that allow for a range of different learning styles to be experienced

·  are encouraged to participate fully, regardless of disabilities or medical needs.

Children with Disabilities

Some children in our school may have disabilities and consequently need additional resources to support their mobility and/or learning. The school is committed to providing an environment that allows all children full access to their learning. Although the nature of our building is difficult for ease of access, the governing body is committed to providing premises accessibility in line with the Disability Discrimination Act (2001). In response to this the governing body regularly reviews its accessibility plan and works in partnership with the Local Education Authority to plan strategically for improvements over the short term and longer term.

Where necessary teachers modify teaching and learning so that the work for these children:

·  takes account of their pace of learning and the equipment that they use

·  takes account of the effort and concentration needed in oral work, or when using visual aids

·  takes account of physical support needs in order that mobility and freedom of access to the curriculum is ‘the norm’.

·  is adapted or offers alternative activities in those subjects where children are unable to manipulate tools, equipment or use certain types of materials

·  allows equal opportunities for participation in educational visits

·  includes approaches to learning that allow success (eg approaches that allow hearing impaired children to learn about sound in science and music and visually impaired children to learn about light in Science)

·  uses assessment techniques that reflect their individual needs and abilities

Looked After Children

In line with local and national requirements for safeguarding children and looked after children the school will:

·  Ensure all Looked After Children have equal access to all areas of the curriculum

·  Ensure tracking of Looked After Children’s progress and target setting are completed half termly and reported to the Designated Teacher.

·  Allow access to additional intervention and support programmes as and when necessary including 1:1 tuition.

·  Use assessment techniques that can inform PEP target setting and reviews

·  Ensure access to all extended school activities in line with disadvantaged fund and LAC subsidies.

·  Liaise with all professionals in a timely and inclusive manner for the benefit of all children ensuring a multi disciplinary approach to achieving PEP targets and Child Protection Plan targets.

·  Attend all meetings and reviews for Looked After Children.

Disapplication and Modification

The school can, where necessary, modify or disapply the National Curriculum and its assessment arrangements. Our school policy is to this only in exceptional circumstances or in line with a child’s statement of Special Educational Needs. The school makes every effort to meet the learning needs of all children without recourse to disapplication or modification. We achieve this through greater differentiation of the child’s work, or through the provision of additional learning resources or support. When necessary, we also support learning through appropriate external specialists. In these cases, teachers work closely with these agencies to support the child.

In exceptional circumstances we may decide that modification or disapplication is the correct procedure to follow. We would only do this after detailed consultation with parents and external specialists.

Should we go ahead with modification or disapplication, we would do so through:

Section 364 of the Education Act 1996. This allows modification or disappliaction of the National Curriculum, or elements of it through a Statement of Special Educational Need.

Racism and Inclusion

The school recognises the importance of reflecting the diversity of our society within schemes of work and activities that are additional curricular and extra curricular opportunities. Teachers are flexible in their planning and offer appropriate challenges to children through regular assessment for learning regardless of ethnic or social background. The school has implemented the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (1999) and plans learning in line with its equal opportunities and diversity policy.

All racist incidents are recorded and reported to the governing body by the Headteacher. The school contacts parents of those pupils involved in racist incidents and takes a proactive approach to children understanding and respecting each others similarities and differences.

Conclusion

At Benedict Primary School the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well being of every child matters. We ensure that we take the needs of individual children into account when planning for learning to reflect success and enjoyment for all.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies:

Teaching and Learning

Assessment/Feedback and Marking

Special Educational Needs

Able, Gifted and Talented

English as an Additional Language

Equal Opportunities

Child Protection/Safeguarding

Looked After Children

Continuing Professional Development


BPS Inclusion Policy 2 of 5