Aspect 2: Leadership

Inclusivity and leadership.

2.1: School improvement

Is there evidence that

  • the school has a clear, aspirational improvement and development plan created with all stakeholders
  • the development plan clearly prioritises inclusion of all children and young people (CYP), reflecting the needs of the whole school community
  • high expectations for CYP and staff are modelled by senior leaders and, in turn, by all other stakeholders?

Discussion prompts and evidence of impact

  • CYP and parents understand the leadership and management structure and school ethos.
  • Individual and collective CYP and parent voice is evident in the school plan, for example through surveys and audits, school council or parent groups. CYP and parents are aware of how they have contributed to plans and decisions and understand why their views have or have not been acted upon, for example ‘you said, we did’. This includes gathering and responding to the views of parents who may not typically respond.
  • The Leadership Team and governing body or trust not only receive reviews of how effectively the school meets the needs of its CYP but also responds, for example by appropriately adapting strategic plans based on feedback. The head teacher’s termly report to governors includes inclusion development.
  • School leaders analyse hard and soft data available to them to ensure that the under performance of all groups of CYP are both identified and addressed effectively with pace. The school improvement plan clearly identifies a range of initiatives to improve outcomes for all CYP, including those with attachment/trauma difficulties, or who have or have had support from a social worker.
  • The School Council, or equivalent, includes representation from all sectors of the school community, including disadvantaged groups, and understands and is valued for its role in school planning and decision making. Participation is enabled and supported so that it is meaningful for all.
  • The school has a regular cycle for quality assurance and self-evaluation of inclusive culture and practice. This includes working with partners such as the local authority’s Education and Skills teams.
  • The school makes good use of peer to peer review in developing its next steps.

2.2: Policies

Is there evidence that

  • policies are documents which are reflected in observable practice of the school and its routines?

Discussion prompts and evidence of impact

  • The school’s inclusive vision and aims are reflected in all policies. Policies are easily accessible and available in a range of appropriate formats.
  • Key policies are developed and reviewed with children and young people (CYP) and parent carers. CYP and parents carers are consulted and included in planning, implementing and reviewing policies and processes for improvement around the school and can actively contribute through ideas and initiatives. Where recommended templates are used, they are reviewed to ensure they are personal and appropriate to the school. Particular efforts are made to consult with CYP and parents from minority groups that may be less represented within the teaching staff, the SLT or the governing body.
  • All CYP, parents, staff and governors have access to relevant policies and can describe their effective implementation – they find them supportive and can provide examples where the policies have had a positive impact.
  • Governors receive regular reports that allow them to effectively monitor equality and diversity. They act on the information that they receive and can articulate the impact of their work.
  • The governing body ensures all policies are reviewed to ensure they accurately reflect current legislation/guidance, and are up to date, relevant, responsive and linked to whole school and individual provision maps. Where model policies are used, these are made bespoke to the school’s context.

2.3: Management of provision

Is there evidence that

  • the school has a system in place to ensure that there is joint planning and provision for those who manage pastoral / inclusion / behaviour and Special Educational Need and/ or Disability (SEND) provision
  • there is a clear provision map which identifies children and young people (CYP) with additional needs along with the provision that has been put into place, the cost of the provision and how the support is monitored and reviewed for impact
  • there is effective use of resources and key staff to ensure early identification of needs and that appropriate support is put in place for individual CYP?

Discussion prompts and evidence of impact

  • The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is a member of the school’s senior leadership team (SLT). The SLT ‘champions’ inclusion within the school and ensures there is a system in place for whole school provision planning to meet the CYP’s pastoral, social and emotional needs that impact on learning, well-being and behaviour.
  • Leaders, at all levels, champion inclusion.
  • There is transparency of funding in schools and staff understand how the funding is used.
  • The SENCO is aware of the notional budget and can evidence how they manage resources and the impact of SEND expenditure. There are designated leads who are aware of and have responsibility for the SEN budget, and for making sure it improves outcomes for CYP. Governors oversee the expenditure and hold school leaders to account for the impact of this.
  • The school can demonstrate how delegated SEND funding is improving outcomes for CYP with SEND since joining the school and how pupil premium funding is improving outcomes for these CYP. This includes service families, Children Looked After, adopted children and previously looked after CYP.  
  • The designated leader with responsibility for Pupil Premium plans appropriately for the spending of the funding and regularly evaluates the impact of these strategies. Governors are aware of and hold school leaders to account for the impact of the spend. Funding is used to address identified barriers.
  • School leaders including governors can explain the rationale for the allocation of resources – this includes professional development and resources used to support CYP and staff’s emotional well-being and mental health.
  • All teachers are inclusive teachers; the role of the SENCO is focused on the leadership of inclusive practice and SEND across the school and has the remit and capacity within the school to affect change as needed.
  • The curriculum is effectively planned and adapted to meet the needs of all CYP and is therefore contextualised for their school community.  
  • The school intervention map provides an overview of interventions, personalised provision and associated costings term by term. It shows that resources are used flexibly and are constantly under review based on impact.
  • The school reviews the impact of its provision maps, for example by proactively seeking and acting on the views of CYP, reviewing the curriculum, conducting learning walks, scrutinising CYP work, reviewing progress data, talking to disadvantaged groups and parents of identified CYP or following CYP through a school day, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of provision and to identify further areas for improvement.
  • The school has an identified member/s of staff for different groups. They are clear about their role, for example Looked After or Pupil Premium CYP, transition, pastoral and well-being leads. The identified member of staff receives regular training and attends relevant network meetings to ensure they keep up to date with national and local initiatives. For example, SENCO forums, ELSA Networks, Locality Groups, DSL networks.
  • Staff working with CYP with complex or a high level of needs receive regular supervision to provide opportunity for reflection and problem solving and to make best use of staff expertise and experience.
  • The SLT consistently evaluates the progress of individuals to actively address specific needs academic, social and so on, and there is evidence of targeting resources to support the CYP, for example Pupil Premium.

2.4: Partnership working and collaboration

Is there evidence that

  • The school enhances its provision and practice for all children and young people (CYP) through building relationships and partnership working and can evidence improved outcomes as a result
  • Corporate responsibility for all CYP in the locality is evident in practice
  • The school collaborates with a range of agencies and other schools to develop its capacity to improve outcomes for each CYP?

Discussion prompts and evidence of impact

  • A culture of collaboration is created within the school, for example leaders and governors check whether systems enable staff to plan, teach and review together. Staff have the opportunity to develop shared resources and plan to overcome barriers together.
  • A culture of collaboration is created with other schools and organisations. This could include sharing and developing good practice with local schools and beyond, including providing advice and support. This could also include providing support to other schools in meeting the needs of more vulnerable or disadvantaged CYP and providing key pastoral and SEND staff to support less experienced staff in other schools.
  • School leaders work with external agencies, including the Local Authority’s Educational Psychology Service and Advisory Teams to review and develop plans for different groups within the school. For example, school (both special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and designated safeguarding lead (DSL) attends a termly consultation with Early Help to discuss CYP that they are concerned about and identify appropriate support and next steps.  Actions are recorded, reviewed after a suitable timescale and impact evaluated.  Appropriate and relevant information and resources are shared and used across the school to support the child or young person.
  • The school fosters productive and positive relationships with a wide range of other agencies in the local community to improve outcomes for CYP including, where appropriate:
    • Local schools
    • Forums and network Meetings (Behaviour Forum, SENCO Hubs and Networks)
    • School Effectiveness Team
    • Advisory Services and other support services, including Safeguarding in Education and Pupil Entitlement, Autism and Social Communication team, Learning and Behaviour Advisory team
    • Teaching Schools 
    • Hubs for example Maths Hub, English Hub, Science Partnership
    • Research Schools
    • Area Inclusion and Improvement Boards (AIIBs)
    • Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
    • The Special Needs and Assessment Team (SENAT)
    • SEND Information, Advice and Support (SENDIAS)
    • Ethnic Minority and Travellers Achievement Service (EMTAS)
    • Portage
    • Early Help and Children’s Social Care
    • National Health Service (NHS) and Therapeutic Teams
    • West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF)
    • Alternative provision providers
    • Holiday, weekend and after school activity providers for example scouting organisations, Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, National Citizenship Service (NCS)
    • National and local support groups and organisations
    • Short break providers
    • Church dioceses and other relevant faith or organisations
    • Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) community groups
  • The school actively seeks to learn how other schools, both locally and nationally successfully include CYP with individual needs. Staff and CYP share ideas with and visit other schools to support the development of provision.
  • The school has audited the resources available within the local and wider community. The school has links within the local community, and these are used to enhance the provision, including careers education/preparation for adulthood planning within the school.
  • The school maintains a record of current local services and how to access them for example Local Offer to identify services and resources with SEND.