At Newquay Primary Academy we are committed to ensuring that every child is given every opportunity to achieve the highest standards. We recognise that all children are individuals, each with their own strengths and difficulties. We aim to teach each child in the way that best supports their learning. This means that all children, from the most able to those with special educational needs and disabilities, can make outstanding progress regardless of their starting points.
Inclusive aims
We promote the individuality of all children, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, attainment, age, disability, gender or background.
- We seek to ensure that every pupil has equal access to our full range of educational opportunities.
- We do not discriminate against anyone, be they staff, pupil or parent, on the grounds of ethnicity.
- We are proactive in promoting racial equality and good race relations and tackle discrimination wherever it may occur.
- We challenge personal prejudice and stereotypical views, whenever they occur.
- We value each pupil’s worth and celebrate the individuality and cultural diversity of the community centred on our school.
- We are aware that prejudice and stereotyping are caused by poor self-image and by ignorance. Through positive educational experiences and understanding of the viewpoints of others, we promote positive social attitudes and respect for all.
Ensuring access for pupils with special educational needs
Our curriculum is designed to provide access and opportunity for all children who attend our school. It complies with the requirements set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice in providing for pupils with special needs. We will always provide additional resources and support for pupils with special need and our curriculum may be adapted in consultation with parents.
Our SEND Co-ordinator (SENDCo) is part of a CELT-wide SENDCo team, based at the Integrated Health Centre at Newquay Tretherras, and has access to a very wide range of support services and expertise within that team.
We provide an Education and Health Care Plan (ECHP) for each of the pupils on the Register of Need. This will set out the nature of the special need and how we will meet the need. It will also set out targets for improvement. Our SENDCo is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the progress of each pupil at regular intervals and liaising with staff over intervention strategies and catch up arrangements.
Teaching at Newquay Primary Academy is based on the teacher’s knowledge of each pupil’s level of attainment: a prime focus is to develop further their knowledge and skills. We strive to ensure that all tasks set are appropriate to each child’s level of ability. When planning work for children with SEND, we give due regard to information and targets contained in the children’s Individual Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) which are reviewed termly by the SENDCo and monitored by the CELT Strategic Lead for SEND.
Challenging more able pupils
Both the Department for Education defines ‘more able’ pupils as those whose progress significantly exceeds age related expectations. We aim to ensure that our more able pupils are sufficiently challenged and have the very highest aspirations from the start.
We use data to identify pupils achieving at a level beyond their peers and make appropriate provision which stretches them in areas of strength and develops them in areas of relative weakness.
We provide an appropriately challenging curriculum for more able and potentially more able children, through extension within the curriculum, and through enrichment/study support beyond it. More able pupils will study with an older age group, if appropriate, and in the case of Years 5 and 6 will study core subjects with Year 7 students.
At Newquay Primary Academy we use the following teaching and learning strategies:
- Varied and flexible groupings within a year group.
- Vertical grouping across year groups when appropriate.
- Withdrawal of more able pupils for higher level work within small groups.
- Upwards differentiation/extension in schemes of work.
- Teaching thinking, critical skills and attitudes in a subject context e.g. Problem solving, decision making, creativity, inter-personal skills.
- Asking higher order questions which encourage investigation and enquiry.
- Setting clear and challenging targets.
- Enabling pupils to be involved in assessment for learning to evaluate their own work.
Closing the gap for disadvantaged pupils
The Department for Education identifies disadvantaged pupils as those: eligible for Free School Meals or have been in the last six years; Looked After Children (LAC), or those who have previously looked after by the state, but are now adopted or are subject to a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order; and children with parents in the armed forces.
It is assumed that these children are disadvantaged in comparison to others because of low family income, little or no family support (LAC) or lots of school moves all of which have been proven to have a negative impact on progress and attainment when compared to others.
At Newquay Primary Academy the achievement of disadvantaged children is a particular focus for all our staff, and our strong commitment to this is communicated at all levels, both within our communications and recruitment practices.
All disadvantaged pupils will have an individual education plan, setting out the nature of the disadvantage, the support required, the actions to be taken and targets for achievement. Plans are monitored by our Raising Standards Leaders.
Parents have access to a drop in facility at Newquay Tretherras’ Integrated Health Centre with our Parent Support Advisor.
We adopt a clear, strategic approach to the use of specific Pupil Premium funding which shows how plans are integrated into wider school support and improvement systems. Strong leadership systems ensure that Pupil Premium funding has the necessary impact. An identified member of our Local Governing Body is linked to the Raising Standards Disadvantaged Leader who is held to account for the impact of spending.
We ensure that disadvantaged pupils are given every opportunity to participate fully in extra-curricular activities and that they are equipped with the necessary strategies and support to overcome barriers to achievement and learning.
Supporting pupils for whom English is an additional language
All Newquay Primary Academy staff receive high quality training so that they understand the principles of second-language acquisition and methodology to be able to adapt their lessons accordingly. We also support the parents of our pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) pupils by providing a Parent Support Adviser (PSA for family literacy support who will conduct home visits and prepare support plans) so that parents understand how the education system works and how to support their child’s education.
EAL pupils have individualised education plans which will be reviewed regularly by the class teacher and Lead Teacher for EAL. When supporting EAL pupils, our staff will:
- Use visuals in the form of pictures, photographs etc. to help learners make sense of new information.
- Use graphic organisers such as tables or grids to help learners organise their thinking.
- Develop interactive and collaborative teaching and learning styles and activities.
- Think about the language demands of the curriculum (oral and written) and provide models.
- Use drama and role play to make learning memorable and encourage empathy.
- Get learners to work with partners or in small groups using the language for a specific purpose rather than out of context.
- Maintain and develop learners’ first language alongside improving their English.
- Provide opportunities to talk before writing and use.
- Support language development through key phrases and structures rather than key words.