New Inclusion Centre

In September, Cirencester Deer Park School opened its new Inclusion Centre. Headteacher, Chiquita Henson explained, "The centre extends the repertoire of our Pupil Services Team and the provision we make to ensure our pupils’ personal development and wellbeing, which was judged to be outstanding in our last Ofsted inspection. It is designed to meet the needs of a range of learners and complements our existing strategies. It reflects our commitment to ensuring all pupils can achieve more than they first think they can."

Since opening at the beginning of term, pupils from all year groups have benefited from additional support for their coursework, personalised induction and reintegration programmes and mediation. Chris Francis, Deputy Head praised the work of his team:

"Keeping pupils safe and positive in school is a core priority. The Inclusion Centre team are working with individual pupils to help them develop their confidence, enabling them to play a full part in the school’s further progress. Not all pupils have a smooth journey through school, but the Inclusion Centre gets them back on track and equips them with the skills and motivation they need to succeed."

The Centre was created from a reclaimed temporary building with support from the Powells’ Educational Enhancement Grant, and has been refurbished to a high specification. Within its remit is the school’s new alternative to exclusion, which provides a place and structured programme for pupils in breach of the school’s standards, but the centre also retains a welcoming and productive learning atmosphere.

Liz McPherson, an experienced Pastoral Manager, has been appointed to the role of Inclusion Centre Manager and she and her team have a clear vision for its development: "We are delighted with our new building, which now gives us the opportunity to work with pupils with a variety of needs and to develop our strategies to provide support when and where necessary. Our core aim is to create an environment in which pupils can progress with their learning and feel confident to deal with the choices and decisions they make in their school life and for their future."

Already pupils referred to the centre are feeling the difference:

"I feel the help we received in Inclusion was really useful. Mr Cooper was extremely helpful. He sat all three of us down and gave us all a job to do and sent us away to get on with it. He spent around 10 minutes with each person giving us ideas on ways in which we can improve our project. We went to inclusion for help and that is exactly what we got! Mr Cooper didn’t give us answers because that wouldn’t help us learn but he gave us as much information without doing that. I feel that Mr Cooper played a massive part in helping us succeed." Jordan, Year 11

"I found the time we spent in the Inclusion Centre very helpful and we got a lot a more work done than we would have in the lesson because there were fewer distractions." Josh, Year 11

"The Inclusion unit is great. It’s full of lots of friendly staff who have helped me a great deal with my work. It has helped me to catch up and give me the added confidence of what this year will bring." Lucy, Year 11

In just the last two weeks, staff in the inclusion centre have worked with over 80 pupils on short, medium and long term interventions. These have included coursework support and ‘catch up’, mentoring, respite, reintegration following hospitalisation and the induction of new pupils. Significantly 84% of those going to sessions in the centre did so willingly to seek or receive help and support for their learning, while only 16% were being sanctioned in there for poor behaviour.

For more information, contact Chris Francis, Deputy Head