Briar Hill Primary School Achieves Flagship Status Again

The School is an Exceptional Centre of Learning

There is no doubt that Briar Hill Primary School is an exceptional centre of learning, impacting not only on the pupils in the school, but on the staff, the wider community, and the Academy Trust, which has overarching responsibility for the school. The inspirational Headteacher is driven by her total commitment to the wellbeing of all, which in her own words is 'at the core and the absolute moral purpose’ of her leadership. She refuses to allow the acute deprivation within the area of the school’s location to act as an excuse for any underachievement and has created an exceptional environment that really understands and fulfils the needs of her pupils. She has the support of a strong teaching team and an Academy Trust that applauds her dynamic approach, celebrating the amazing achievement of pupils who might otherwise have been less successful. This is a high achieving school and it was placed second out of 350 in the Northampton schools ‘Good Schools Guide’.

They Have High Aspirations

The Headteacher instils high aspirations in her pupils and staff, ensuring that the curriculum is enriched by many activities that children in her school may never have otherwise experienced. Many of these are offered at no cost to pupils and their families as the Trust is generous in its financial support. For example, next term Year 5 pupils will be spending a day in London where they will visit the Royal Opera House. This will be an amazing experience, especially for those who until now have never left their home town. Pupils in the same year group also receive free Ukulele lessons, and a trip out or a special ‘in-school’ visitor is organised for every class at least half termly. On one occasion the local cinema was booked so that the whole school could have its own private viewing of a popular film. For some pupils, this was their first experience of visiting such a building and the grandeur of the furnishings and lighting were as thrilling an experience as the film itself.

The Challenges of Covid

The challenges of Covid are still impacting the school as many pupils and staff have been affected by the most recent variant. Staff and pupil absence figures are much higher than usual which places increased pressure on those still in school. However, the staff team have risen to the challenges posed by the pandemic and over the last two academic years have grown and developed their capacity to support pupils, the wider community and each other. Discussion with the Maths Leader demonstrated the support for pupils and families, covering not only their academic needs but also their wellbeing. Extra technology devices were made available and as far as possible live lessons were delivered online. Continuity of learning was paramount, and a pupil brought attention to the fact that he was missing the support pack that he accessed during lessons in school. These were then swiftly reassembled and delivered to pupils so that they had equipment such as table squares and number lines to support the activities already provided.

Staying Connected Is Key

Teachers and the support team of assistants prepared resources and stayed connected with families daily. This work was overseen and often carried out by the DSL/Deputy SENDCo and the HLTA responsible for Wellbeing. Regular phone calls to families, doorstep visits and the delivery of food parcels and learning resources became the norm. Dojo – the previously mentioned home/school communication tool became even more useful and a careful log of contact with families and children ensured that every child was regularly seen and informally assessed for their wellbeing. Occasionally, other agencies such as the MASH team were engaged to ensure the health, wellbeing and safety of children and their families. The diligence of all staff involved in supporting those most in need is extremely humbling and even extended to visits on Christmas Eve, ensuring that families had sufficient food for the holiday weekend. Unsurprisingly, the school was awarded ‘Rose of Northamptonshire’ for its dedication to teaching children during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Arts are Highly Valued

Education in and through the arts is highly valued and the commitment to its empirical value is very evident through the stunning displays and a conversation with the leading member of staff for Art. Experiences are linked to language and reading development and exploration of the work of relevant artists helps children identify with the diversity and positive social influence of artists and their work. Reading texts available reflect this commitment and children are encouraged and enjoy reading books such as ‘The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing’ by Keith Haring. A progressive curriculum plan for art is in place and the enthusiasm and commitment of the Art Lead is a very strong driving force for creative and innovative thinking. There is tremendous support across the Trust for music and many opportunities for the enhancement of Arts education.?

The Governors are Positive

?The Chair of Governors is clearly a great supporter of the school. He acknowledged the diverse and sometimes challenging environment within which the school is situated but was incredibly positive about the way in which the school drives an inclusive agenda. He has witnessed at first hand many in-school activities and although personal visits have been suspended during Covid times he and his team of Governors have maintained supportive contact with the school. He modestly admitted to donating several devices to the school so that disadvantaged pupils could access online learning.

Support is Excellent

School staff work closely with parents who gave incredibly positive feedback about the support received by their children. One such parent described how her KS2 daughter had earned and benefitted from responsibilities she had been given and how this success reflected on the aspirations of a younger sibling. Another commented positively on the social, moral, and cultural influence of the school and how much she appreciates the strong focus on wellbeing.

The School has a Powerful Belief System

At Briar Hill Primary School, equality, diversity, and inclusion are present as a powerful belief system. Deprivation and disadvantage are not disregarded but act as a catalyst to ensure that every child in the school is given the ultimate tools for success i.e., confidence, self-belief, and outstanding education. Ambition and aspiration are qualities that are driven forward so that every pupil leaving the school at the end of Year 6 has the energy and determination to be the absolute best they can be. The enthusiasm and skill of the staff are strengthened by the strong leadership of a Headteacher and Senior Team who not only remove all limits on pupil progress and achievement but replace them with a real vision for the success of the young people in their care. Briar Hill Primary School is a most exciting centre of learning.

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 feel free to telephone: 028 7127 7857 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm) or email: [email protected] for further details.