Every Child Belongs and achieves

Every child is known.

Every child is valued.

Every child has the opportunity to flourish.

At Mugginton Church of England Primary School, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.

Our Christian vision, “Love Your Neighbour as You Love Yourself,” (known to the children as ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’) guides our commitment to ensuring that every child feels welcomed, valued, supported and able to succeed.

We believe that every child has unique, intrinsic value. We celebrate individuality, recognise different starting points and understand that children learn and develop in different ways.

Inclusion at Mugginton is not simply about providing additional support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It is about creating a school community in which every child belongs, participates, achieves and flourishes.

Our values of Character, Commitment and Excellence underpin this ambition. We encourage children to develop the confidence to overcome challenges, the determination to persevere and the aspiration to achieve their personal best.

1. High Expectations for Every Child

We are ambitious for all our pupils, including children with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who may experience additional barriers to learning or wellbeing.

We believe that inclusion and high expectations go hand in hand.

Our carefully planned, broad and balanced curriculum is designed to provide every child with access to rich knowledge, meaningful experiences and opportunities to develop their talents.

Teachers maintain responsibility for the learning and progress of every child in their class. They work closely with teaching assistants, our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), families and external professionals to ensure that appropriate support is provided.

We recognise that equality does not always mean giving every child exactly the same support. Instead, we aim to provide each child with what they need to access learning, develop independence and achieve success.

2. High-Quality Inclusive Teaching

We believe that high-quality teaching is the foundation of effective inclusion.

Our teachers carefully sequence learning so that children build knowledge and understanding over time. Our distinctive Mugginton curriculum is organised around our Big Ideas, helping pupils make meaningful connections between subjects and understand how their learning fits together.

Staff use a range of strategies to remove barriers to learning, including:

• Adaptive teaching: Adjusting explanations, activities and support in response to pupils' needs while maintaining ambitious learning expectations.

• Pre-teaching: Introducing important vocabulary and concepts before lessons so that children can participate confidently alongside their peers.

• Knowledge organisers: Making essential knowledge, vocabulary and concepts accessible and supporting pupils to retrieve previous learning.

• Scaffolding: Providing carefully chosen prompts, models and resources that enable pupils to succeed and become increasingly independent.

• Practical resources: Using concrete mathematical apparatus, visual supports, whiteboards and other learning aids to make new concepts more accessible.

• Assessment for learning: Using questioning, observation and feedback to identify misconceptions and adapt subsequent teaching.

We want children to become confident, independent learners rather than dependent on adult assistance.

Our teaching assistants play a valuable role in supporting this ambition. Working alongside teachers, they help pupils access learning, develop confidence, practise essential skills and gradually take greater responsibility for their own learning.

3. Identifying Needs Early and Responding Effectively

We recognise that early identification is essential if children are to flourish.

Staff develop a detailed understanding of each child through regular assessment, observation, conversations with families and close collaboration with colleagues.

When a child experiences difficulties with learning, communication, emotional regulation, relationships or attendance, we aim to identify the barriers promptly and respond appropriately.

Our approach follows the graduated cycle of:

Assess → Plan → Do → Review

This enables us to understand a child's needs, agree appropriate support, implement strategies and evaluate their effectiveness.

Where necessary, we work with external professionals and Derbyshire's Inclusion Support Service to strengthen our understanding and provide more specialist advice.

We are particularly focused on identifying emerging needs in Reception and Key Stage 1, where timely support in communication, language, early reading, phonics, writing and mathematics can make a significant difference.

Our ambition is simple: no child should have to experience prolonged difficulty before the right support is considered.

4. Personalised Support and SEND Provision

Our SENCO, Mrs Emma Dennis, works closely with teachers, teaching assistants, families and external professionals to coordinate provision for pupils with SEND.

Support is tailored to individual needs and may include:

• Adaptations within everyday classroom teaching.

• Individual or small-group intervention.

• Additional reading, phonics, writing or mathematics support.

• Pre-teaching of important vocabulary and concepts.

• Personalised learning resources and visual prompts.

• Support for communication, social interaction and emotional regulation.

• Carefully planned provision linked to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), where applicable.

We recognise that successful intervention is not simply about providing additional adult time. It is about making sure that support is purposeful, carefully planned and evaluated for its impact.

Teachers and support staff work together to review progress and adapt provision when necessary.

Our ultimate aim is to ensure that children with SEND are able to participate meaningfully in school life, experience success and develop the knowledge, confidence and independence they need for the future.

5. Belonging, Relationships and Emotional Wellbeing

At Mugginton, we understand that children learn best when they feel safe, happy and valued.

Our small-school environment enables staff to develop strong relationships with pupils and their families. We pride ourselves on knowing our children as individuals and understanding their personalities, interests, strengths and needs.

Positive relationships are central to our approach to behaviour and wellbeing.

We teach and model our values of Character, Commitment and Excellence, encouraging children to show kindness, respect, resilience and responsibility.

For children who need additional help with friendships and social relationships, our SENCO provides targeted opportunities such as Friendship Club, supporting pupils to develop confidence and navigate social situations successfully.

We recognise that behaviour can communicate an unmet need. Our approach combines clear expectations with understanding, consistency and appropriate support.

We want every child to feel that they have trusted adults to turn to, that their voice matters and that they are a valued member of our school family.

6. Inclusion Beyond the Classroom

We believe that every child should have opportunities to discover talents, develop interests and experience the wider world.

Inclusion at Mugginton extends beyond academic lessons into sport, music, outdoor learning, educational visits, performances and the wider life of our Church school.

Our enrichment programme includes opportunities such as:

• Individual instrumental music lessons.

• Weekly sporting events and competitions.

• Weekly Forest Friday outdoor learning.

• Educational visits and cultural experiences.

• Drama, music and school performances.

• A wide range of after-school clubs.

• Collective worship and Church services.

• Japanese language teaching (KS2).

• Activities designed to develop confidence, teamwork and personal responsibility.

We actively seek to remove barriers that might prevent pupils from taking part.

For example, Pupil Premium funding helps eligible children access additional opportunities, including music lessons, educational experiences and targeted support.

Our commitment is not simply that activities are available, but that every child has a genuine opportunity to participate, belong and succeed.

We are particularly proud that every pupil participated in a sporting event during the 25-26 academic year, including children in Reception.

This reflects our belief that personal development, confidence and belonging are essential parts of a successful education.

7. Working in Partnership with Families

Parents and carers know their children exceptionally well, and we value their knowledge, experience and perspectives.

We believe that effective inclusion depends on open communication, mutual respect and strong partnerships.

We aim to work collaboratively with families to understand children's strengths and needs, agree appropriate support and celebrate achievements.

Where additional provision is required, we seek to ensure that families understand the support being offered and have opportunities to contribute to discussions about their child's progress.

We also work with external professionals and support services where their expertise can help us better understand and meet individual needs.

Our approach is rooted in partnership: working together to help every child thrive.

8. How We Know Our Approach Is Making a Difference

We believe that inclusion must be evaluated through its impact on children's experiences, participation, independence and achievement.

We use a range of evidence to understand how effectively we are meeting pupils' needs, including:

• Pupil progress and assessment information.

• Reviews of targeted interventions.

• Attendance and behaviour information.

• Pupil voice and children's views about school.

• Participation in enrichment activities.

• Feedback from parents and carers.

• Discussions with teachers, teaching assistants and external professionals.

• Monitoring of teaching, learning and curriculum access.

Our 2025–2026 evaluation identified a number of encouraging outcomes.

Whole-school attendance reached 97.2%, with attendance for pupils identified as having SEND at 97.4%. The school reported no exclusions or recorded bullying incidents during the academic year.

Our school evaluation also identifies positive pupil attitudes, strong participation in wider opportunities and an inclusive culture in which children feel safe and valued.

We recognise that no single statistic demonstrates successful inclusion. We therefore consider a broad range of evidence and remain committed to listening carefully to children and families.

9. Our Priorities for 2026–2027

We are proud of our inclusive school culture, but we recognise that effective inclusion requires continual reflection and improvement.

Our School Improvement Plan identifies inclusion as a central priority for 2026–2027.

During this academic year, we are focusing on:

Developing a shared understanding of inclusion

Working with Derbyshire's Inclusion Support Service to strengthen staff expertise and establish a clear, Mugginton-specific understanding of inclusive practice.

Strengthening adaptive teaching

Ensuring that teachers and teaching assistants confidently use appropriate scaffolding, pre-teaching, visual resources, knowledge organisers and practical learning materials.

Identifying needs at the earliest opportunity

Further developing assessment and communication systems, particularly in Reception and Key Stage 1, so that emerging barriers are recognised and addressed promptly.

Evaluating the impact of support

Using assessment, pupil voice, intervention reviews and wider participation information to understand what is working well and what needs to improve.

Promoting independence and aspiration

Ensuring that additional support helps pupils develop confidence, resilience and the ability to participate successfully in learning alongside their peers.

These priorities reflect our determination to ensure that inclusive practice is consistent, ambitious and effective throughout the school.

Our Inclusion Promise

At Mugginton Church of England Primary School, we want every child to be able to say:

I belong here.

I am valued for who I am.

I am listened to and understood.

I am supported when things are difficult.

I am challenged to do my best.

I have opportunities to discover my talents.

I am proud of what I achieve.

Guided by our Christian vision, ‘Love Your Neighbour as You Love Yourself,’ we are committed to building a school where differences are respected, barriers are addressed and every child has the opportunity to flourish.

Every child belongs. Every child matters. Every child can achieve.