Kent County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Beverley Fordham, has praised St Edmund's Catholic School in Dover following a recent visit to learn more about its inclusive approach to education and pupil support.
The visit follows the school's latest Ofsted inspection, which awarded St Edmund's a Strong Standard for Inclusion.
During the visit, Beverley met staff and pupils, toured the school's facilities and learned more about the approaches that contributed to the positive inspection outcome.
The secondary school, which serves pupils in Years 7 to 11, was recognised by inspectors for the way it supports children and young people to overcome barriers to learning and achieve their full potential.
The well-being room in the school which can be used by all pupils
Around 30% of pupils at St Edmund's have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school has developed an inclusive approach that runs through all aspects of school life, including adaptive teaching in the classroom, strong pastoral support and a wellbeing room available to all pupils.
St Edmund's is also only the second secondary school in the UK to achieve accreditation as a trauma-informed school, reflecting its commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of young people.
The former caretaker's house which the school is now being using as a Specialist Resource Provision
During her visit, Beverley viewed the school's recently established Specialist Resource Provision (SRP), which supports children and young people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) whose primary needs are autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The provision enables pupils to access specialist support while continuing to spend significant time learning alongside their peers in mainstream lessons, with the balance tailored to their individual needs. This provision has been commissioned by Kent County Council as part of its £20m programme to create 889 additional SRP places across Kent, via 36 new or expanded SRPs .
The therapy room in the Specialist Resource Provision (SRP)
The SRP at St Edmunds, which is the first in this part of Dover, is based in the former caretaker's house. Some rooms, including a therapy room, have already been developed, with further refurbishment planned to enable the provision to support more young people.
“What impressed me most was that inclusion is embedded throughout the school. From adaptive teaching in the classroom to pastoral support and specialist provision, there is a clear commitment to ensuring every child is supported to succeed and reach their full potential.”
Beverley Fordham, Kent County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said:
"It was a pleasure to visit St Edmund's and see first-hand the positive and inclusive culture that has been recognised by Ofsted. The school's Strong Standard for Inclusion is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work and dedication of staff, leaders and governors.
"What impressed me most was that inclusion is embedded throughout the school. From adaptive teaching in the classroom to pastoral support and specialist provision, there is a clear commitment to ensuring every child is supported to succeed and reach their full potential."
Reflecting on the recent Ofsted inspection, which recognised St Edmund's commitment to inclusion with a Strong Standard judgement and found the school was meeting the expected standard in all other areas, Headteacher Mrs Gráinne Parsons said:
"This report belongs to our pupils, staff, parents, governors and wider community. It is a wonderful reflection of the caring, inclusive, and aspirational culture we have built together.
“We are immensely proud of what has been achieved."
