Inclusion
Walthamstow Academy is committed to the individual needs of all young people. We respect diversity and aim to provide an educational environment in which all young people can thrive. We promote inclusion so that all students can realise their potential in terms of academic and personal achievement through access to the curriculum and extracurricular activities and by providing support, which is tailored to individual needs.
We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and have high expectations for all students. The achievements, attitudes and well-being of all our students matter. This helps to ensure that this school promotes the individuality of all our students irrespective of ethnicity, attainment, age, disability, gender or background and that they have a common curriculum experience.
Our Inclusion team is led by Lisa Hostick (SENCo). The governor with particular responsibility for Inclusion is Leon Jacobs (Inclusion). We are extremely proud of being awarded the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) for outstanding inclusive practice - this award follows a rigorous inspection process, which took an in-depth look at our inclusion work here at the academy.
Understanding Inclusion:
It is important to us that all stakeholders understand the term inclusion. Inclusion is concerned with the learning, participation and equal opportunities for all young people. Of which some examples are listed below:
- Minority ethnic and faith groups, travellers asylum seekers and refugees
- Students who need support to learn as an additional language (EAL)
- Students with special educational needs including those with emotional, behavioural, or social difficulties.
- Students with physical disabilities
- Students who may be gifted and talented
- Students in need including those in public care
- Children who are at risk of disaffection and exclusion from school
The purpose of the inclusion team is to:
- Ensure that all stakeholders have a common understanding of inclusion
- To ensure all education settings and activities whether formal or informal are fully accessible to all young people
- To promote partnership with parents, carers and other stakeholders,
- To monitor appropriate indicators to measure the success of the inclusion
- To ensure the effective use of resources towards prevention and early intervention.
- To collaborate with other education providers to enable sharing of expertise.
- To review the effectiveness and development of the inclusion.
In this Academy, inclusion underpins all policies and practices, staff training provides opportunity to explore issues and strategies that staff can use to promote inclusion. Inclusion is also promoted amongst students through PSHRE during form time, assemblies and day to day interactions with staff.