HERBERT

1. HERBERT THOMPSON Tackling deprivation and raising standards PRIMARY SCHOOL

2. School Context • Ely, West Cardiff. • 490 pupils aged between 3 and 11 years. • Serves families from 3 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOA)Ely 02, 03 and 04. • The areas are ranked 1st, 5th and 9th out of 203 LSOA in Cardiff for multiple deprivation and 23rd, 45th and 59th out of 1896 in Wales. • Income, employment, skills and community safety are ranked particularly high in the Wales Multiple Deprivation Indicator. • 48% of children living in the catchment area are living in poverty (Cardiff Research Centre), which is ranked 100 out of 9,434 areas in the United Kingdom.

3. School Context • 56% of pupils are entitled to Free School Meals (FSM). • 87% of our pupils are on the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) register. • 50% of our pupils are on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register which is significantly higher than the Local Authority and Wales. Many children on the register have a range of complex needs that the school categorises into first, second and third need. • 10% of our pupils are on the Child Protection Register with a further 16% on the School Concern register i.e. post-intervention. • 26% of pupils are from an ethnic minority backgrounds and 17% have a first language other than English.

4. POTENTIAL Challenges • Pupils • Significantly lower baselines than expected • Low levels of engagement and attendance • Low aspirations • Complex needs • Parents and community • Poor engagement • Mental health and wellbeing • Lack of basic parenting skills • Low levels of basic skills & unemployment • Staff • Low expectations and a blame culture • Skills to manage complex needs • Capacity to engage with large number • of agencies

5. Tackling deprivation and raising standards

6. Vision Tackling deprivation and raising standards

7. Vision What is a vision? A vision is what you hope for in the future. What do we (all stakeholders) hope for the pupils of Herbert Thompson in the future?

8. Vision • We hope for: • aworld where ex-Herbert Thompson pupils live their lives with positive values and behaviours. • aworld where ex-Herbert Thompson pupils are in employment.

9. Vision • Major obstacles: • A home and a peer group communitywhere our pupils grow up with few, if any, positive role models • A home and local communitywhere high levels of skills and qualification have not been the norm

10. Vision To achieve our vision we need to look beyond the school and address the barriers in the home and community. Our vision is for the Herbert Thompson communityto have the values, skills and aspirations to be successful in the next stage of their lives.

11. vision ‘All staff in the school, teaching and non-teaching and the school governors should believe that everyone can succeed to their full potential and that poverty should not be an excuse… this vision should be shared with students and their families’. Egan 2012

12. Vision Relationships Tackling deprivation and raising standards

13. Relationships • Successful organisations are built on positive relationships • Unsuccessful organisations are often as a result of broken relationships • To tackle deprivation and raise standards a network of positive relationships has to be at the core

14. Relationships • Pupils • Parents • Staff • Governors • Community • Cluster • Family of Schools • Local Authority • Consortium • Welsh Government • Estyn

15. Relationships ‘A particular strength across the school is the very tangible sense of co-operation between teachers and their assistants’. ‘Relationships between staff and pupils are exemplary and this contributes greatly to pupils’ self-worth, confidence and personal development.’ ‘We can learn from Herbert Thompson Primary school in Cardiff. They have worked to build relationships with parents so they play an active part in the life of the school and take a close interest in their children’s education.’

16. Vision Relationships Tackling deprivation and raising standards Staff

17. Staffing Structure • Head of Inclusion – To manage clear systems for working with outside agencies to support disadvantaged learners and track their progress • Family Link Senior Leader – To work with other agencies to engage disadvantaged families in school life and adult learning • Transition Teacher – To work closely with partner schools to develop a common approach to tackling poverty and support transition

18. Staff development • Up skilling staff is always a key focus • We ensure we develop the knowledge and skills of leaders, teachers and teacher assistants in working with disadvantaged pupils • Performance Management targets and activities focus on reducing the • impact of deprivation

19. Staff wellbeing • Place 2 Think • Staff Circle Time • Healthy eating and fitness • Open door policy • Coaching Triplets • SEEL Survey • Do staff feel: • Included • Safe • Accepted • Listened to • Capable? School Emotional Environment for Learning Survey (S.E.E.L.S)

20. Vision Relationships Tackling deprivation and raising standards Staff Parent & community engagement

21. Parental Involvement • “ At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” • Jane D. Hull

22. Relationships with Parents • Communication • Open door policy • Stay and Play • Parents meetings • Headteacher Briefing • Website • Newsletters • Meetings with SLT • Text system • Praise Postcards • Place for Parents – counselling service

23. Parent Council Initial Stages of Set up Communicating with parents and nominations from each year group Initial meeting to agree a constitution What do we want our organisation to be like? Agreeing on Chair of Council, Secretary and Treasurer Sharing aims and objectives What do we want to achieve? All year groups had representatives from Tiny Thompsons (Flying Start) to Year 6 and Transition Representatives for Year 7 Shared understanding Representing the views of parents and contributing to the School Improvement Cycle Roles established and support provided Fundraising Achieving Charity Status School Improvement Planning

24. Parent Council Feeding into school improvement cycle Feeding into school improvement planning Where are we as a school? Where do we need to go next? Agreeing Priorities Sharing with SLT Liaising with School Council Communicating with other parents Taking Actions • Key Actions • Re-launching the Coffee Shop as a Parent Hub • Workshops and courses • Parent Council Newsletter • Friday Support Surgeries • Aims • To engage more parent participation in school life • To encourage participation in adult learning opportunities Engaging more parents in school life Linking with School Council

25. Parent Hub • A central place for parents to meet where there is always a friendly welcome, creative learning and a buzz of activity

26. Parent Hub • Parent run Coffee Shop • Parent Council Meetings • Engagement Workshops • Accredited Courses • School Support Surgeries • Food Co-op • Time Credits

27. Parent Workshops • Christmas Willow • Healthy Cookery on a Budget • Arts and Crafts • Communication • Pottery • Nutrition • Jewellery and Bead Making • Woodwork • Plumbing • Parent Counselling • Working with children under 5 • Families Learning Together • Families and Schools Together (FAST)

28. Families and Schools Together (FAST) “FAST makes a huge difference to the families that take part. By bringing together those key elements in determining a child’s success, their school, their family and the community, FAST ensures they are given the support they need to thrive.” Mary Powell-Chandler Head of Save the Children in Wales

29. FAST Aims • Helping children improve their skills in reading, writing and maths • Encouraging good behaviour and a positive attitude to school and learning • Helping parents get more involved in their child’s education, so they can support learning and development at home • Encouraging stronger bonds between parents and their child, their child’s school, other parents and the wider community

30. FAST Outcomes • Parent difficulty with their children decreased by 75% • Emotional symptoms decreased by 35% • Total family relationships increased by 65% • Family conflict decreased by 45% • Support received by others increased by 47%

31. FAST Parent Response “ My daughter’s speech is better and she is happier in herself.” “ …He is now more independent and considerate to other people’s feelings.” “ FAST has helped me bond with my children.” “ Since FAST I have realised to trust again and we are now strong, stable and happy.” “ I feel I have more confidence to approach staff which has made communicating a lot easier.” “ Teachers have inspired me to sign up to other courses.”

32. Support Surgeries • Reading at home • Big Maths - Written Calculations • Welsh • Restorative Approach • UN Rights of the Child • Behaviour Management • ADHD Workshop • Financial Management • Using a Credit Union • Barnardo’sEleri Project • Best Deals on Energy Suppliers • Adult Learning Opportunities

33. Community • Emergency Services • Visitor Assemblies • Fundraisers/whole school events • Community First • Families First • Community Events e.g. Ely Festival • Business in the community • Business Lunch • Rural Regeneration • Neighbourhood Learning

34. Community • ‘Despite being in a socially challenging area with its share of problems, the school is filled with joy and laughter and external provides give generously of their time, not because they have to but because they want to.’ • National Quality Award

35. Vision Relationships Tackling deprivation and raising standards Staff Learning & teaching/ provision Parent and community engagement

36. provision We have no control over the ‘state’ in which children arrive at school. But…we have total control over our response. ‘Children develop only as the environment demands that they develop’. (Sherman & Key 1932)

37. provision Mental and Emotional Environment Food and Fitness Hygiene Healthy School Curriculum Safety Substance use and misuse Personal Development and Relationships Pupils who are disadvantaged are less healthy.

38. Break/lunchtimes • Free healthy snacks • Wake and Shake • Playground friends • Healthy Lunchbox Awards • Health mentors • Healthy Schools Festival • Friendship Stop • Peer Mediators Pupils who are disadvantaged are less healthy.

39. PLACE 2 BE Pupils who are disadvantaged are more likely to have emotional needs .

40. Emotional and social Literacy lessons

41. RESTORATIVE approach Pupils who are disadvantaged are more likely to have behavioural difficulties.

42. Pupil voice School Cleanliness Action Group Young Ambassadors School Council Fairtrade Committee SCAG School Nutrition Action Group Learning Squad Eco committee Learning Friends Bronze Sporting Ambassadors Pupils who are disadvantaged often perceive education as irrelevant and resist school culture .

43. Inspire programme Pupils who are disadvantaged are more likely not to move into training or employment.

44. Vision Relationships Monitoring and evaluating Tackling deprivation and raising standards Staff Learning & Teaching/ Provision Parent & community engagement

45. Monitoring cycle • Pupil Outcomes • Learning Reviews • Mini Learning Reviews • Coaching Triplets/Lesson Observations • Book Scrutiny/Random Sampling • Listening to Learners • Questionnaires • Parents and the Community • Questionnaires • Headteacher Briefing and parent meeting • Parent Council • Investors in Families

46. Vision Relationships Monitoring and evaluating Tackling deprivation and raising standards Staff Learning & Teaching/ Provision Parent & community engagement

47. impact Increase in pupil numbers at the school

48. impact Improved Attendance

49. impact Reduced number of exclusions

50. Outcomes Improved Standards in English