At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, inclusion means that every child is known, valued and supported to belong, participate, learn and thrive. Rooted in our Catholic ethos, we believe that every child is unique and has God-given gifts and potential. Relative to their individual starting points, we have high expectations for all pupils and aim for every child to strive for excellence, make strong personal progress and develop the confidence, independence and resilience needed for the next stage of their lives.

We recognise that children may experience barriers to learning, wellbeing, attendance, participation or achievement for many different reasons. This includes pupils who experience socio-economic disadvantage, SEND, medical needs or vulnerability, alongside those whose language, family circumstances or other individual experiences may create additional barriers. We recognise that needs can overlap, emerge or change over time, and that not every child requiring additional support will have a statutory label or formal funding entitlement.

Our Inclusion Strategy is underpinned by the DfE's seven principles of inclusion. Our approach is to identify, understand and reduce the impact of barriers as early as possible, building an inclusive universal offer in which high-quality teaching and whole-school practice enable all children to achieve and thrive. Where the universal offer alone is not sufficient, we provide appropriate adaptations, targeted support and access to specialist expertise. 

Children and families are central to the development of our Inclusion Strategy. We use our knowledge of individual children alongside pupil voice and engagement with parents and carers to understand the barriers they experience and, importantly, the support they feel would be most beneficial to them. We recognise that families themselves may experience barriers to engaging with school and therefore adapt communication and opportunities for engagement to ensure that their voices can be heard.

We also work collaboratively with governors, staff, our wider school community and external professionals and services to develop our understanding of need and strengthen our response. Through these partnerships, we aim to ensure that support is not simply provided for children and families, but is developed with them, is responsive to changing need and makes a meaningful difference to their experience of school. 

Inclusion is a whole-school responsibility. Leaders, governors, and all staff use their collective knowledge to identify emerging needs and evaluate the effectiveness of provision. Where additional expertise is required, we work closely with external professionals and wider services. Through this approach, we aim to ensure that no child's circumstances become a barrier, and that every child is given the support and opportunity to thrive at St. Mary’s.