Selwyn Primary SchoolAchieves Centre of Excellence Again

All Needs Are Met

Selwyn Primary School has two buildings on the site, the new one for the nursery and EYFS and the older one for KS1 and KS2. The ME area has 3 rooms for 17 children each of whom has an EHCP. There is one class teacher with 7 support staff. Every child has their own visual timetable. Learning here is carefully planned. The support staff have plenty of in-house training. The children, although registered here, are included in everything that goes on in the school i.e. trips to Southend, the Theatre Royal Stratford and singing in the velodrome in Elizabeth Park to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Olympics. Selwyn provides various additional support packages to ensure the needs of all children are met. Certain children are invited to join the Early Risers at 8:00 a.m. where they receive additional support.

A Space For Everyone

There are several additional rooms throughout the rest of the school which are used for children who need additional support ‘to keep up, not catch up.’ There is a sensory room and the Blue Room which is a space for children to be calm. It is also used for those who have made good choices if they want a quiet room in which to read. There are plenty of outdoor spaces to support their learning. Olive trees in the KS1 playground are harvested and the children take home tortillas. There is a garden where the children grow vegetables. The learning here is linked to the curriculum and the topic they are studying. This is looked after by a gardener from Grow Your Own Playground. She comes in once a fortnight and more often in the summer and works alongside the children. She teaches them ‘Lessons in Loaf’ where they learn how wheat is grown from seed to taking a loaf of bread home.

Barriers Are Removed

The support for deaf children is bespoke to their needs. These children have varied abilities and their support will be in class or in an additionality room. British Sign Language is taught throughout the school to ensure barriers to their learning are removed. The pace and language are set appropriately to address their individual needs. There is a Teaching Assistant who is deaf and several members of staff are trained to level 6 standard. There is a weekly signed assembly.

A Love Of Reading

Most of the classes are a good size. All classes have an ‘Above and Beyond’ board displaying a target. One child from each class has their name put on a board in the corridor. Each class has a ‘Writer of the Half Term’ board. There is a ‘For the Love of Reading’ board in the corridor celebrating all the texts used in each Year group. Children enjoy looking at this and pointing out which books they have read. There is a ‘Signing Superstars’ board with a sign of the week and other useful BSL signs for the children to learn and use. Selwyn Primary School has embraced the Education 4 Change programme. It ensures the school provides high-quality, practical opportunities to explore diversity and racial issues in a meaningful way.

Staff Are Important

The Teaching Assistants are highly regarded here at Selwyn. They have good relationships with the teachers who involve them in the planning. A signing TA said that she feels part of the learning; they receive emails, the teacher models the work and everybody feels prepared. All staff are involved in transition toward the end of each academic year. Depending on the child, children receive a booklet with pictures of the playground, teachers and support staff and the hall etc. to help them feel less anxious about the change ahead. ?

Inclusion Is Part Of The DNA Of The School

The school is outward facing. It embraces local, national and international events e.g. World Book Day; International Women’s Day; NSPCC Rocks Challenge; British Science Week; Anti-Bullying Week; World Mental Health Day and visits from the Fire Brigade and guests coming in to talk about Stranger Danger, to name but a few. The chair of the school regularly meets the SENCo and fully supports the work that the school is doing to support the children with additional needs. The governors do not think of ‘inclusion’ as something separate. It is part of the DNA of Selwyn and integral to every aspect of school life.

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.