At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we are committed to eliminating prejudice and discrimination and creating an inclusive school community in which every child is welcomed, valued, safe and able to flourish. Rooted in our Catholic faith, we recognise and celebrate the unique, God-given gifts, strengths and contributions of every child. By valuing each child’s individuality, voice and best efforts, we aim to nurture a strong sense of belonging and ensure that every child is known, respected and supported to achieve and thrive in their own way.

At St. Mary’s, we believe that all children are entitled to an ambitious academic, spiritual and social curriculum. We recognise that children begin from different starting points and may experience different barriers to learning, participation or wellbeing. We are committed to identifying and removing these barriers so that every child, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, medical needs, learning difficulties, communication needs, sensory or physical impairments, or social and emotional needs, can participate fully in school life and achieve their fullest potential.

Through high-quality, inclusive teaching, appropriate adaptations and carefully planned support, we provide learning experiences that respond to each child’s strengths and individual needs while maintaining high expectations for all. Where additional or different provision is required, we follow the graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review, ensuring that support is timely, purposeful and regularly evaluated for its impact.

Meeting the needs of all children is central to teaching and learning at St. Mary’s. We believe that every teacher is a teacher of Special Educational Needs and that inclusion is a shared, whole-school responsibility. Through early and accurate identification, adaptive teaching and appropriate intervention, we seek to maximise each child’s progress, independence, wellbeing and opportunities for success.

Staff work collaboratively and in meaningful partnership with pupils and their parents and carers. Children are supported to express their views and contribute to decisions about their learning and support. Where appropriate, we also work closely with external agencies and education, health and social care professionals to strengthen our provision.

Our intention is that inclusion and belonging are threads running through every aspect of school life. We want every child to feel that they belong at St. Mary’s, to participate fully in the life of our school and to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and independence needed for their next stage of education and their future.