Valley Invicta Academies Trust SEND Action Research Event Valley Invicta Teacher Training was delighted to host the Valley Invicta Academies Trust SEND Action Research Event with Dr Alison Ekins which took place on Thursday, 16 November.
Dr Ekins, Trust Director of SEND, wrote this about the event:
During the academic year 2022/23, all of the nine VIAT Trust schools engaged in a year-long SEND Action Research project. Each school identified their own focus for their Action Research project, and this produced a rich variety of different research projects that we are now able to share and disseminate to support the continued development of practices across our Trust schools.
Across the VIAT SEND Action Research projects, we prioritised embedding the Kent Mainstream Core Standards and the evidence-informed approaches built into the Education Endowment Fund (EEF) Guidance Reports. These have been instrumental to us in ensuring that the practitioner research that we have undertaken in each school is built on a foundation of evidence-informed knowledge and understanding about what works and practices which may be effective to support a range of different pupil and cohort needs.
16 November 2023 was the culmination of the work that had been undertaken, and I was delighted to be able to host a VIAT SEND Action Research Celebration event, which showcased and provided an opportunity to share the fantastic SEND Action Research projects that had been completed by all of our nine Trust schools.
The event was attended by SENCOs, senior leaders and headteachers from all nine schools, as well as governors, Trustees and senior colleagues from the Local Authority, including the Director of Education for Kent. The research presented by each school was of an extremely high quality, with clear links to wider evidence-bases and research and opportunities for further collaboration and learning across the Trust. A hard copy VIAT Action Research Evaluation Report booklet was also provided to give everyone with more details about exactly what had been undertaken and the findings, impact and implications for the future from each of the nine SEND Action Research projects.
Ofsted Outstanding! Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT) is thrilled to announce that Valley Invicta Primary School at Aylesford has been rated ‘Outstanding’ following an Ofsted inspection on 10 and 11 May 2023.
Headteacher, Billy Harrington, said: “We are absolutely overjoyed to have received an ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted, following our inspection a few weeks ago. This result reflects the ongoing hard work and commitment of all our pupils, parents, governors, and, of course, our fantastic team of staff. We are extremely proud of the way in which the report comments that: ‘Pupils thrive at this exciting, nurturing and inclusive school. There is a welcoming, friendly and purposeful atmosphere and a strong sense of community. Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. Parents appreciate this culture, with one saying, ‘Strong leadership from the top, coupled with excellent teaching and support staff, makes for a very happy environment. ‘The school’s values of respect, resilience, responsibility, cooperation and individuality are deeply embedded and very ably demonstrated by the pupils in all that they do.’ Our pupils are, and always will be, our absolute priority and we want the very best for each and every one of them. I’m so pleased this result gives them another huge positive to be really proud of.”
The report also states: ‘The headteacher is determined and uncompromising in his drive to ensure that all pupils, including the most disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the very best learning experiences. As a result, leaders have created an impressive and vibrant curriculum. Teachers build on pupils’ knowledge and skills exceptionally well.’
There is also praise, within the report, for reading, the personal development curriculum and the school’s safeguarding arrangements.
The report comes after ‘Good’ Ofsted ratings in November 2016 and January 2022.
Julie Derrick, CEO of Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT), said: “I am so proud of everyone at the school. It is an amazing outcome and testament to the hard work of Mr Harrington and the staff team. The pupils at the school are delightful and absolutely deserve to be proud of themselves. The report eloquently describes what a wonderful place Aylesford is to learn. As a Trust, we all work tirelessly to provide the very best for our pupils across every one of our schools. This Ofsted report shows that the hard work has paid off – to be deemed outstanding in every area is a huge achievement and a clear demonstration of the dedication and passion of our pupils, staff, parents and governors.”
You can read the full report here: https://www.aylesford.viat.org.uk/2209/information/category/30/ofsted
Why is school attendance so important? A blog *Taken from a Department for Education blog
Why is school attendance so important and what are the risks of missing a day?
Being around teachers and friends in a school or college environment is the best way for pupils/students to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral care.
That’s why school attendance is so important and why the Government is committed to tackling the issues that might cause some children to miss school unnecessarily.
Here’s what you need to know about school attendance.
What does the data tell us about school attendance?
The attendance rate across all schools in England was 92.6% in the week commencing 6 February 2023, up from the Autumn term average of 92.1%.
National teachers’ strikes that took place on 1st February 2023 had a negative effect on attendance rates. On this day, attendance dropped to 43%, despite 90% of schools remaining open in some capacity.
The latest data also shows the proportion of students who were persistently absent (those who missed 10% or more of their possible sessions). Across the year to date, 23.4% of students were persistently absent – this was driven by high rates of illness towards the end of the Autumn term.
How does attendance affect outcomes for pupils/students?
Being in school is important to your child’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Evidence shows that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results.
Research has found that pupils/students who performed better both at the end of primary and secondary school missed fewer days than those who didn’t perform as well.
The data also shows that in 2019, primary school children in Key Stage 2 who didn’t achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths missed, on average, four more days per school year than those whose performance exceeded the expected standard.
Similarly, in the same year, secondary school pupils/students who didn’t achieve grade 9 to 4 in English and maths missed on 10 more days on average over the key stage than those who achieved grade 9 to 5 in both English and maths.
What are the risks of missing a day of school?
Every moment in school counts, and days missed add up quickly. For example, a child in Year 10 who is absent for three days over a half term could miss 15 lessons in total.
The higher a pupil’s/student’s attendance, the more they are likely to learn, and the better they are likely to perform in exams and formal assessments.
Data from 2019 shows that 84% of Key Stage 2 pupils/students who had 100% attendance achieved the expected standard, compared to 40% of pupils/students who were persistently absent across the key stage.
What if my child needs to miss school?
Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure your child gets a full-time education. Usually, that means going in to school from the age of 5 to 16.
There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
Your child is too ill to attend.
You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances.
Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event.
Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it’s not available or has not been provided yet.
Your child does not have a permanent address and you are required to travel for work. This exception only applies if your child attends their usual school or another school where you are staying as often as possible. This must be 200 half days or more a year if they are aged 6 or older.
These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.
What counts as an exceptional circumstance?
School leaders are responsible for deciding what counts as an exceptional circumstance when it comes to a child missing school.
They should look at each application individually, considering the specific facts and background context. If a leave of absence is granted, the school will decide how long the pupil/student can be away from school.
Holidays are very rarely an acceptable reason for a school absence and are unlikely to be treated as an exceptional circumstance.
What is being done to improve school attendance?
New guidance has been published on how schools, trusts and local authorities should work together to provide better whole-family support to tackle the reasons for absence.
As of September 2022, schools, academy trusts, local authorities and the government now have access to a data visualisation tool to make it easier for teachers to analyse attendance, spot issues and intervene more quickly.
An alliance of national leaders from education, children’s social care and related services has also been established to work together to raise school attendance and reduce persistent absence.
This year, a 1-2-1 mentoring pilot has been launched in Middlesbrough, aimed at tackling the factors behind non-attendance. The pilot will expand to provide tailored support to over 1,600 persistently and severely absent pupils/students over a three-year period.
Where can I get support to help my child attend school?
If your child is struggling to go to school, both the school and your local authority have a responsibility to help you to support your child’s attendance.
In most cases, if your child’s attendance level is falling, the school will contact you to explore the reasons and discuss what help can be put in place. You can expect the school to meet with you and your child if they are old enough.â¯
If the barriers to your child’s attendance are in school, the school is responsible for working with you to help overcome the issues. Information on who in school you can contact for help, including the school’s senior leader responsible for attendance, can be found on the school’s website or should be available in hard copy from the school itself.
If the barriers to attendance you or your child are facing go beyond the remit of the school, both the school and local authority have a responsibility to help you. This includes helping you to access the wider support you might need, for example from the school nurse or from local housing or transport teams.
Further guidance on how to help your child to attend school is available here.
11 Dec 2023
@ValleyInvictaTT - 3 Jul 2023Another brilliant conference held by VITT! pic.twitter.com/0WBBl86vrW— Valley Invicta Teacher Training (VITT) (@ValleyInvictaTT) July 3, 2023
