School Improvement

7

Quality of Education and Teaching & Learning

Across the St John Paul II MAC there is a clear MAC wide expectation that teaching learning and curriculum implementation are explicitly aligned to the MAC themes of belonging equity and achievement and are focused on securing strong outcomes for all pupils. All schools share a common understanding that every pupil should feel welcomed valued and included within their learning community. This is reflected in consistent classroom practice high expectations for behaviour and learning and a curriculum that is accessible and ambitious for all learners. The MAC is inclusive for all pupils including those with special educational needs and disabilities and places a high value on adaptive teaching to ensure that learning is effectively matched to individual needs without lowering expectations. The use of Rosenshine’s Principles and a shared Walk Thru model supports equity by ensuring that effective teaching strategies are used consistently so that all pupils including those with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds can succeed.

Leaders across the MAC monitor the quality of education closely to ensure that these expectations are being met in every school and every classroom. Through learning walks work scrutiny curriculum reviews and analysis of pupil outcomes leaders evaluate how well pupils are progressing and whether gaps in attainment are being addressed. This detailed and regular monitoring supports continuous improvement and ensures that teaching remains strong and consistent. As a result pupils experience a well sequenced broad and balanced curriculum that supports a sense of belonging promotes fairness and inclusion and enables all pupils to achieve well and leave each school well prepared for the next stage of their education.

At St John Paul II Multi-Academy, our mission places inclusion and belonging at the centre of all we do. Our collaboratively developed Inclusion Principles guide each school in nurturing a visible, understood, and sustainable culture of inclusion, ensuring every child can thrive and reach their full potential.

This strategic priority is led by the Multi-Academy’s Inclusion School Improvement Lead, who has shaped our vision for inclusion, introduced evidence-informed professional learning on adaptive teaching and ensured the effective development of enhanced learning provisions to meet the needs of learners with complex needs.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a fundamental priority across St John Paul II Multi-Academy, underpinned by a strong culture of vigilance, care and shared responsibility. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils feel safe, are protected from harm and know that their voices are heard. Through robust policies, regular training and clear reporting systems, staff are empowered to identify concerns early and act swiftly in the best interests of the child. Strong partnerships with families and external agencies further ensure that safeguarding practice is effective, responsive and rooted in the wellbeing of every learner.

Attendance

We recognise that strong attendance is fundamental to pupils’ learning, wellbeing and long-term outcomes. By fostering a positive, inclusive school culture where pupils feel safe, valued and connected, we actively remove barriers to attendance and promote regular engagement in school life. Our approach prioritises early identification of need, strong relationships with families and consistent, supportive expectations, ensuring that every child is encouraged and enabled to attend, participate and succeed.

Inclusion

Inclusive, adaptive teaching within the classroom remains central to this approach, ensuring that all learners are supported to access high-quality teaching alongside their peers. Through careful curriculum design, responsive pedagogy and the use of appropriate scaffolds and adjustments, teachers are empowered to meet a wide range of needs without lowering expectations. This commitment strengthens pupil engagement, promotes positive outcomes and reinforces a shared sense of belonging across our schools.

Inclusion Principles

St John Paul II Multi Academy schools are committed to ensuring a culture of inclusion that is clearly understood, felt and is sustainable for the future.
This is demonstrated through:

All children will benefit from an equitable, proactive and positive approach to identifying needs that allows early intervention and ensures they have the best chance to succeed and remain included in mainstream education in their local community.

Adopt a holistic approach to the child and family, identifying needs and strengths while coordinating timely multi-service support to remove barriers to inclusion. Build positive parent partnerships that set realistic expectations, improve understanding of systems, and strengthen communication.
Upskill and train staff to be able to offer bespoke, complementary support on inclusion that enables all pupils, including those who are vulnerable, to achieve better outcomes than they would have achieved without this additional support.
Support effective planning for high quality provision, transition and progression. Specifically, into EYFS, EYFS to KS1, KS2 to KS3 and after Key Stage 4,. Where appropriate and available, provide a blended offer to enable transition and progression between mainstream and enhanced provision.
When an alternative curriculum or enhanced learning provision is used, it should be a positive choice made in the best interests of the young person—supporting their continued engagement in mainstream education or where appropriate, preparing them for future pathways.
Download our Inclusion Principles