Intent

At Marwood Primary School, inclusion sits at the heart of our vision of Growing Learners. Shaping Futures. We believe that every child should feel valued, supported and able to succeed, regardless of their starting point, background, need or circumstance.

Our small school community enables us to know every child as an individual. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils can belong, participate and thrive within an environment where high expectations, strong relationships and a sense of community underpin everything we do.

Inclusion at Marwood is not simply about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It is about identifying and addressing any barrier that may prevent a child from achieving their potential, whether this relates to SEND, disadvantage, attendance, social, emotional or mental health needs, communication and language development, or other vulnerabilities.

Our inclusive philosophy is:

"Essential for some, useful for all."

This means that the strategies we use to support individual pupils often improve learning for everyone. Through high-quality teaching, carefully targeted support and a culture of belonging, we ensure all pupils can access, engage with and enjoy learning.

We are committed to delivering a curriculum and school experience that enables every child to be successful, confident and prepared for the next stage of their education.

We will...

• Make reasonable adjustments for pupils with disabilities to improve access to the curriculum, learning environment and information.
• Ensure pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life alongside their peers.
• Reduce barriers to learning by embedding the principles of the National Curriculum Inclusion Statement and Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice.
• Identify needs early and provide appropriate support through a graduated approach.
• Work closely with parents and carers to secure the right provision for pupils requiring support that is additional to and different from quality-first classroom teaching.
• Listen to and respond to the views of pupils and families, ensuring strong partnerships and shared decision-making.
• Maintain high levels of staff expertise through ongoing professional development and evidence-informed practice.
• Support pupils with medical conditions so they can participate fully in school life.
• Work collaboratively with outside agencies and The Harbour Schools Partnership to ensure pupils receive coordinated and effective support.
• Promote independence, participation and achievement for all pupils.

Implementation

At Marwood Primary School, we meet the needs of pupils through a graduated approach that responds to the four broad areas of SEND:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and/or Physical Needs

We follow the graduated cycle of:

Assess → Plan → Do → Review

All pupils receive high-quality adaptive teaching as their first and most important support. Teachers carefully assess pupils' needs and use scaffolds, adaptive strategies, resources and targeted support to ensure every child can access learning and make progress.

Our approach is rooted in the belief that support should, wherever possible, take place within the classroom alongside peers. Support staff work closely with teachers to promote participation, engagement and independence rather than creating unnecessary separation from classroom learning.

Where additional support is required, pupils may have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with personalised targets agreed with parents, pupils and staff. Progress towards these targets is reviewed regularly and provision is adapted accordingly.

We use a range of evidence-informed interventions and support strategies when appropriate. However, we continually evaluate whether support is best delivered through intervention or through strengthened classroom provision.

The SENDCo and school staff work closely with a range of external professionals and agencies, including:

• Educational Psychology
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services
• School Nursing Service
• CAMHS
• Advisory Teachers
• Hearing Impairment Service
• Visual Impairment Service
• Early Help and Family Support Teams
• Local Authority SEND Services

We value partnership working and recognise that the best outcomes are achieved when schools, families and professionals work together.

Impact

The effectiveness of our inclusive provision is monitored through a range of assessment, monitoring and review processes.

Children joining our Early Years provision are assessed through nationally recognised baseline assessments, ongoing observations and assessment of key foundational knowledge. Additional screening tools may be used where appropriate to identify needs early, particularly in speech, language and communication development.

Across the school, teachers use formative assessment, termly assessment information, pupil work and professional judgement to monitor attainment and progress. Pupil Progress Meetings are held regularly and involve teachers, senior leaders and the SENDCo reviewing the progress and provision of all pupils, particularly those who may be vulnerable to underachievement.

Individual Education Plans and personalised support plans are reviewed regularly with pupils and families to ensure targets remain appropriate and provision is having the intended impact.

We evaluate inclusion not only through attainment and progress, but also through wider indicators such as:

• Attendance and engagement
• Participation in lessons and wider school life (e.g. clubs and visits)
• Independence and confidence
• Behaviour and wellbeing
• Pupil and parent voice
• Access to enrichment opportunities and leadership roles

Most pupils with SEND make good progress within the school's inclusive provision. Where a pupil requires support beyond the resources ordinarily available, we work closely with families and external agencies to pursue further assessment and support, including requesting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment where appropriate.

At Marwood, inclusion is measured by more than outcomes. It is evident when every child feels safe, valued, respected and able to flourish as part of our school community. Pupils are supported to participate fully in school life, develop confidence in themselves and achieve success both academically and personally. This commitment reflects the school's inclusive ethos described in the SEF and improvement planning documentation