BURLEY Oaks Primary School has been re-accredited with the Inclusion Quality Mark Inclusive School Award and nominated as a national centre of excellence.

Inclusion promotes equal opportunities for all pupils, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, attainment and background. It pays particular attention to the provision made for, and the achievement of, different groups of pupils within a school.

The report for the Burley-in-Wharfedale School summarises: “Exceptional features of this school include the overall ethos of inclusion and inspirational leadership of the head teacher and School Leadership Team (SLT); the wonderful curricular and extra-curricular opportunities that are provided for children; the positive attitudes of children who are able to articulate their love of the school; the partnership with parents that helps build a supportive community; the excellent work of the deputy head/Inclusion Manager to support needy children and those with SEND; the open door policy, which ensures everyone feels valued and supported; the positive team-work of SLT, teaching and support staff to enable all children to develop self-confidence and achieve.

“Pupils are very happy, self-confident, friendly and enthusiastic and behave very well around the school, in their lessons and in the playground.

“They speak very highly of their school and its staff, for whom they have great respect and they know that they are listened to and cared for. Pupils enjoy learning and they explain how the teachers encourage them and make learning fun. They are challenged and supported to do their very best. Their emotional and mental health needs are very well supported in the school.

“The school also injected fun for families into lockdown through some of its online, whole school singing and light-hearted events. Parents feel that communication with the school is excellent: the head teacher, deputy and other staff are always available to speak with parents.”

Comments from parents included: “I can’t fault the school and can’t speak highly enough of them”; “The school is very proactive - they reach out to us.”

Head teacher Claire Lee said: “Inclusion underpins everything we want to achieve as a school to ensure that all of our community can ‘Belong, Believe and Achieve.’ We are delighted to have this externally recognised and to celebrate the hard work of all our team, especially at this time.”

Inclusion Quality Mark provides schools with a nationally recognised framework to guide their inclusion journey. The IQM team help schools evaluate and measure how they are performing. There are over 5,500 schools in the UK who have either received an IQM Inclusive School Award, or are actively working towards it.