At Corngreaves Academy, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. Our intent is to create a school culture where every child is known, valued and able to thrive, regardless of their starting point, background, need or circumstance. We believe every child has the right to feel safe, successful and, most importantly, that they belong. Inclusion is not a separate initiative, intervention or provision. It is the foundation upon which our curriculum, teaching, relationships and wider school culture are built. Our commitment to "Be Kind, Be Ready, Be Safe... Belong" ensures that all pupils are welcomed into a community where they are respected, celebrated and supported to achieve their full potential.
Our approach aligns with Ofsted's expectation that all pupils should have access to a high-quality, inclusive education where barriers to learning and participation are identified and removed, and where all children are supported to achieve and thrive. We are ambitious for every child and believe that all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), should access a broad, ambitious and knowledge-rich curriculum that prepares them for the next stage of their education and for life beyond school. We do not lower expectations because a child experiences difficulty. Instead, we remove barriers through high-quality inclusive teaching, adaptive practice and carefully planned support so that every pupil can participate, achieve and succeed alongside their peers.
Our inclusive approach is underpinned by the Education Endowment Foundation's guidance on SEND in mainstream schools, which identifies high-quality teaching as the most effective way to improve outcomes for pupils with SEND. We recognise that pupils with SEND have the greatest need for excellent teaching and are entitled to provision that supports both achievement and enjoyment of school. High-quality inclusive teaching is therefore our first response to additional need. Targeted interventions and specialist support play an important role, but they complement rather than replace effective classroom teaching.
In line with the Department for Education's SEND and Inclusion Training for Mainstream Schools, we are committed to developing inclusive teaching practices, creating positive and supportive learning environments and continually building staff confidence and expertise in understanding and responding to individual needs. We believe that inclusion starts in the classroom and is the responsibility of every adult within our school.
At Corngreaves Academy, we recognise that inclusion begins long before a child is identified as having SEND. We place significant value on the Early Years Foundation Stage and understand that the foundations laid during a child's earliest years influence future success across all areas of learning. Before children can become successful readers, writers and mathematicians, they must first develop the foundational skills that underpin learning. Communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, physical development, attention, listening, emotional regulation and independence are the building blocks upon which future learning is established. We are deliberate in our approach to developing these skills and recognise that early support can prevent difficulties from becoming significant barriers to learning later in a child's educational journey.
Developing communication and language is a particular priority within our school community. Strong language skills underpin learning across the curriculum and are fundamental to children's future attainment, wellbeing and independence. We use Wellcomm as a universal screening tool within the Early Years to gain a detailed understanding of every child's speech, language and communication development. This enables us to identify needs at the earliest opportunity, provide timely support and ensure that adult interactions, classroom provision and next steps are carefully matched to individual need. We believe that communication is the gateway to learning and that supporting children to understand, express themselves and engage with others is fundamental to successful inclusion.
We recognise that many pupils with SEND require additional support to develop the foundational skills that enable them to access learning successfully. Therefore, we place equal importance on developing communication and language, social interaction, emotional regulation, independence, resilience and physical development alongside academic achievement. By strengthening these foundations, we equip pupils with the skills they need to access an ambitious curriculum, develop confidence and become increasingly independent learners. Our focus is not simply on helping children succeed today, but on providing the foundations that will enable them to thrive throughout their lives.
Our teaching is informed by current research around adaptive teaching, cognitive science and effective instruction. We recognise that all learners benefit from clear explanations, explicit instruction, modelling, guided practice, retrieval opportunities and carefully structured support. Through responsive teaching and regular checks for understanding, staff identify misconceptions swiftly and adapt their practice to ensure success for all learners. We understand that excellence for pupils with SEND is achieved through excellent teaching for all.
We are guided by the principles outlined in The Scaffolding Effect, recognising that effective scaffolding provides pupils with the support required to access learning whilst gradually building independence. We use scaffolds to remove barriers, not challenge. Support is carefully planned, purposeful and temporary, enabling pupils to develop confidence, resilience and increasingly independent learning behaviours over time. Our aim is not to create dependence on adult support but to develop learners who can successfully apply strategies independently and advocate for their own needs.
Our practice is also informed by the Inclusive Teaching principles advocated through Steplab. We understand that predictable routines, explicit instruction, strong relationships, high expectations and proactive adaptations create classrooms where all pupils are able to engage successfully with learning. The Simple Model of Teaching underpins this approach, guiding teachers to design lessons that are accessible by design and reduce barriers to learning from the outset. We are committed to ensuring that lessons are accessible by design, being perceivable, understandable and achievable for every learner.
At Corngreaves Academy, inclusion extends beyond academic achievement. Research consistently demonstrates the importance of belonging, wellbeing and positive relationships in enabling children to learn and flourish. We know that children are more likely to engage, persevere and succeed when they feel understood, valued and connected to the school community. We therefore place equal importance on social, emotional and mental wellbeing, ensuring that every child has trusted adults, positive relationships and a genuine sense of belonging within our school.
We believe that early identification is key to securing the best outcomes for children. Through assessment, observation, collaboration with families and engagement with external professionals, we work to identify needs as early as possible and provide the right support at the right time. We recognise parents and carers as partners and value their knowledge, experiences and aspirations for their children. By working together, we can ensure that support is meaningful, personalised and effective.
Our classrooms and learning environments are designed with inclusion in mind. We carefully consider how the physical environment can reduce barriers and promote engagement. Through the use of visual supports, dual coding, Colourful Semantics, structured routines, calm and organised learning spaces and purposeful adaptations, we create environments where all pupils can access learning and experience success. We believe that inclusive environments should support learning, reduce cognitive overload and enable every child to feel safe, confident and ready to learn.
In response to the increasing complexity of need within our school community, we have established two dedicated Inclusion Hub spaces. These hubs provide targeted support for pupils who require additional assistance to access learning, develop communication skills, regulate their emotions, improve attendance, build positive relationships or successfully participate in school life. The hubs are not separate provisions that remove pupils from the wider school community. Instead, they form part of our graduated approach to inclusion and are designed to enable pupils to access, engage with and succeed within mainstream education.
Our Inclusion Hubs closely align with the Department for Education's vision for Inclusion Bases in Schools, recognising that some pupils require additional support within a mainstream setting in order to fully participate, achieve and thrive. The hubs provide targeted provision whilst ensuring that pupils remain connected to their peers, classrooms and the wider life of the school. They support children with SEND, social, emotional and mental health needs and other barriers to learning through personalised, flexible and responsive provision.
We view our Inclusion Hubs as an extension of our whole-school inclusive practice. They provide opportunities for targeted intervention, emotional regulation support, communication and interaction development, pre-teaching, overlearning, pastoral support and personalised scaffolding where required. For some pupils, the hubs provide short-term support to overcome a specific barrier to learning. For others, they provide more sustained provision that enables them to access an ambitious curriculum and experience success. Our aim is always to maximise participation, build independence and ensure that every child remains a valued and active member of the Corngreaves community.
Ultimately, our intent is that every child leaves Corngreaves Academy with the knowledge, skills, confidence and independence needed to succeed in the next phase of their education and beyond. We hold the highest expectations for every learner, every day, because we believe that potential should never be limited by labels or barriers. Through high-quality teaching, strong relationships, early identification, purposeful adaptations, effective use of our Inclusion Hubs and a culture built upon belonging, we ensure that every child is supported to thrive. Inclusion at Corngreaves means removing barriers, not lowering expectations; providing scaffolds, not substitutes; ensuring access, not separation; building independence, not dependence; and creating a culture where every child knows they belong.
At Corngreaves Academy, inclusion means:
- Every child is valued, respected and belongs.
- High expectations for every learner, every day.
- Removing barriers, not lowering expectations.
- High-quality adaptive teaching as the foundation of inclusion.
- Early identification and timely support.
- Providing scaffolds and adapting learning so that it builds independence.
- Working in partnership with families and external agencies.
- Creating environments where children feel safe, understood and successful.
- Ensuring every child can access, participate and achieve.