Our Commitment to Inclusion and Equity

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child is unique, created in the image and likeness of God, and deserving of the opportunity to flourish academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.

Rooted in our Catholic mission, Fidelis in Servitio – Faithful in Service, we are committed to ensuring that every pupil experiences a genuine sense of belonging, receives an ambitious and inclusive education, and is supported to achieve their full potential.

We recognise that disadvantage extends far beyond eligibility for Pupil Premium funding. Barriers to learning can arise from a wide range of social, emotional, economic, educational and family circumstances, and these may change throughout a child's time at school.

We understand that disadvantage does not define a child, nor does it determine their potential to succeed. We therefore avoid generalisations, labels or assumptions about pupils based on their circumstances. Instead, we seek to understand each child as an individual, recognising their strengths, aspirations, experiences and the specific barriers they may face.

Our approach is founded on the principle of equity rather than simply equality: providing every child with the support, opportunities and resources they need to thrive.

We recognise that disadvantaged pupils can be disproportionately affected when educational provision is inconsistent or barriers are not identified early. Equally, they can benefit significantly from excellent teaching, strong relationships, high expectations and timely, targeted support.

Our responsibility is to ensure that disadvantage never becomes a barrier to ambition, achievement or participation in school life.

How We Identify Disadvantage

At St Joseph's, we recognise pupils experiencing disadvantage through a broad and inclusive understanding of vulnerability.

This includes, but is not limited to, children who:

• Are eligible for Pupil Premium funding, including those who have received free school meals within the previous six years.

• Are looked-after or previously looked-after children.

• Have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

• Are children in need or subject to child protection arrangements.

• Receive statutory support from children's social care.

• Experience financial hardship, including families who may not meet the eligibility criteria for Pupil Premium.

• Have English as an additional language and may require additional support to access learning.

• Are children of service personnel, particularly those experiencing frequent relocation, parental deployment or family separation.

• Have experienced significant disruption to their education, including high mobility or interrupted schooling.

• Are young carers or have significant responsibilities within their families.

• Experience social, emotional or mental health difficulties that affect their engagement with learning.

• Have long-term medical conditions or experience persistent absence.

• Experience family instability, bereavement, trauma or other adverse childhood experiences.

• Have limited access to wider educational, cultural or enrichment opportunities.

We recognise that these circumstances do not automatically mean a child is disadvantaged. Rather, they help us identify where additional consideration, support or provision may be necessary.

Understanding Disadvantage at St Joseph's

St Joseph's is a small Catholic primary school serving the community of Carterton and the surrounding area, including families connected to RAF Brize Norton.

Our school community is characterised by its diversity, strong relationships and distinctive circumstances.

Although our local area may appear relatively affluent, we recognise that this can mask significant pockets of disadvantage and vulnerability.

Our school context includes:

High pupil mobility

Our proximity to RAF Brize Norton means that some children experience frequent changes of school, relocation, parental deployment and disruption to established friendships and routines. Our school stability is significantly below the national average, making transition, belonging and continuity of learning particularly important.

Social and economic disadvantage

We recognise that financial hardship is not always visible. Some families experience difficulties accessing educational resources, enrichment activities or wider opportunities, even when they do not qualify for additional funding.

Special educational needs and disabilities

We support a significant proportion of pupils with additional needs, including children with complex SEND. Our commitment is to remove barriers through high-quality adaptive teaching, early identification and carefully planned provision.

Social, emotional and family vulnerability

Some children experience circumstances that affect their emotional security, attendance, readiness to learn or ability to participate fully in school life. We recognise the importance of strong relationships, nurturing environments and sensitive, coordinated support.

Limited access to wider experiences

We understand that opportunities beyond the classroom are not equally accessible to all families. We therefore place considerable importance on enriching the curriculum through educational visits, performance, cultural experiences, outdoor learning and community engagement.

Our small-school setting enables us to know our children and families exceptionally well. We use this knowledge proactively to identify barriers, build trusting relationships and respond to emerging needs.

Our Ambition for Disadvantaged Pupils

At St Joseph's, our ambition is not simply to narrow attainment gaps, but to ensure that every child experiences success, develops confidence and is prepared for the next stage of their education and life.

We aim to:

1. Maintain the highest expectations for every pupil, ensuring that disadvantage never limits ambition or access to our curriculum.

2. Deliver consistently high-quality, inclusive teaching, with adaptive strategies embedded in everyday classroom practice.

3. Identify and remove barriers to learning early, using assessment, professional dialogue and a robust graduated approach.

4. Develop confident, articulate and independent learners, with particular emphasis on language development, oracy, literacy and mathematical understanding.

5. Provide a rich, experiential and skills-based curriculum that develops knowledge, cultural capital, creativity and curiosity.

6. Promote emotional wellbeing, resilience and belonging, ensuring that children feel safe, valued and ready to learn.

7. Strengthen relationships with families, recognising parents and carers as essential partners in their children's education.

8. Ensure equitable access to enrichment, including educational visits, sporting opportunities, music, performance and wider school experiences.

9. Secure meaningful academic progress, ensuring that pupils who are disadvantaged receive the teaching and support necessary to achieve well.

10. Prepare children for future success, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, confidence and values needed to flourish beyond St Joseph's.

How We Support Disadvantaged Pupils

1. High-Quality Teaching and Adaptive Practice

We recognise that consistently excellent classroom teaching has the greatest potential to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

Our curriculum is ambitious, coherently sequenced and designed to be accessible to all learners.

Teachers maintain high expectations while adapting their teaching to respond to pupils' individual starting points and needs.

Our approach includes:

• Clear explanations, modelling and guided practice.

• Rosenshine-informed teaching approaches.

• Regular retrieval practice to secure and retain knowledge.

• Scaffolding that supports access to challenging learning without reducing ambition.

• Explicit vocabulary teaching and opportunities for purposeful talk.

• Carefully planned questioning and assessment for learning.

• Appropriate use of concrete resources, visual supports and practical experiences.

• Regular assessment to identify gaps and adapt subsequent teaching.

Our St Joseph's 6 core teaching expectations and peer coaching model support consistency and continuous improvement in classroom practice.

2. Early Identification and the Graduated Approach

We recognise that identifying barriers early is essential to preventing gaps in learning from widening.

Our SENDCO works closely with teachers, teaching assistants, families and external professionals to identify emerging needs and coordinate appropriate support.

We use Edukey Provision Tracker to strengthen the consistency and effectiveness of our graduated approach.

This includes:

• Individual Pupil Profiles that clearly identify strengths, needs and effective teaching strategies.

• Provision mapping to ensure that support is purposeful and appropriately targeted.

• Specific, measurable individual outcomes.

• Assess–Plan–Do–Review cycles to monitor progress and evaluate impact.

• Regular communication with parents and carers.

• Timely involvement of external professionals where additional expertise is required.

Our expectation is that adaptive classroom teaching remains the first response to identified needs, with additional interventions carefully selected to complement, rather than replace, high-quality teaching.

3. Targeted Academic Support

Where assessment identifies gaps in learning, we provide additional, evidence-informed support to help pupils secure essential knowledge and skills.

This may include:

• Targeted phonics and early reading support.

• Additional opportunities to practise reading fluency and comprehension.

• Focused support in writing, spelling and handwriting.

• Small-group or individual mathematics interventions.

• Pre-teaching and overlearning of key vocabulary and concepts.

• Additional adult support where appropriate.

Interventions are selected according to identified need, regularly reviewed and evaluated for their impact on pupils' learning.

We aim to ensure that additional support enables children to become increasingly independent and successful within their classroom.

4. Emotional Wellbeing, Nurture and Relationships

We recognise that children must feel safe, secure and valued in order to learn effectively.

Our approach to behaviour and relationships is rooted in our Catholic ethos, mutual respect, positive reinforcement and restorative practice.

We seek to understand the reasons behind behaviour and support children to develop the emotional and social skills necessary to succeed.

Our provision includes:

• Strong, trusting relationships with familiar adults.

• Nurture-based approaches and opportunities for emotional regulation.

• Individualised support for children experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

• Structured support during less predictable parts of the school day.

• Positive recognition and celebration of achievement.

• Close collaboration with families and external agencies.

Our Meadows Enhanced Pathway provides a carefully structured and nurturing environment for children requiring additional support to access learning, develop independence and strengthen emotional regulation.

Our aim is always to promote inclusion, participation and successful engagement with the wider school community.

5. Attendance, Punctuality and School Engagement

Regular attendance is essential to educational achievement, wellbeing and a sense of belonging.

We monitor attendance carefully and work proactively with families to identify and address barriers.

Our approach includes:

• Regular analysis of attendance and punctuality.

• Early communication with families when concerns emerge.

• Supportive conversations to understand the reasons for absence.

• Collaboration with external agencies where appropriate.

• Positive recognition of good attendance.

• Clear communication about the importance of attending school regularly.

Our Every Day Matters approach reinforces the importance of attendance, while recognising that some children and families require additional support to overcome complex barriers.

6. An Ambitious, Experiential Curriculum

At St Joseph's, we believe that disadvantaged pupils should have access to the same ambitious curriculum and enriching experiences as their peers.

Our curriculum is designed to develop knowledge, skills, confidence and cultural capital through meaningful, memorable learning.

We place particular emphasis on:

• High-quality literature and a love of reading.

• Oracy, discussion, debate and performance.

• Practical and experiential learning.

• Educational visits and engagement with the local community.

• Music, art, sport and creative expression.

• Opportunities to develop independence, leadership and responsibility.

• Understanding the wider world and preparing for future opportunities.

Experiences such as Young Voices, community performances, educational visits, sporting competitions and opportunities to engage with local history and culture help broaden children's horizons.

We are committed to ensuring that financial circumstances or additional needs do not unnecessarily prevent children from participating in these experiences.

7. Strong Partnerships with Families

We recognise that positive relationships between home and school are essential to supporting children's development and achievement.

As a small school, we value the opportunity to know our families personally and develop trusting, supportive relationships.

We work to ensure that parents and carers feel welcomed, listened to and actively involved in their children's education.

This includes:

• Regular communication about learning, progress and wellbeing.

• Opportunities for parents to discuss concerns with school leaders and staff.

• Family Café sessions focused on relevant parenting, wellbeing and SEND themes.

• Collaborative planning for pupils requiring additional support.

• Signposting to local services and specialist organisations.

• Celebrations, liturgies and community events that strengthen family engagement.

We aim to create a school community in which families feel comfortable seeking support and confident that their concerns will be treated with sensitivity and respect.

8. Collaboration with External Professionals

We recognise that some children and families benefit from specialist support beyond what can be provided through school alone.

We work collaboratively with relevant services, including:

• Educational Psychology.

• Special Educational Needs Support Services (SENSS).

• Behaviour and Inclusion services.

• Children's Social Care and Early Help.

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

• Local authority SEND services.

• Relevant health professionals and specialist education providers.

These partnerships help us understand individual needs, strengthen our provision and coordinate appropriate support for children and families.

9. Professional Development and Accountability

We are committed to developing the knowledge, confidence and expertise of all staff so that inclusion is everyone's responsibility.

Professional development focuses on strengthening adaptive teaching, understanding SEND, effective assessment and evidence-informed approaches to improving outcomes.

Our approach includes:

• Targeted staff training.

• Peer coaching and professional dialogue.

• Regular monitoring of teaching and learning.

• Evaluation of interventions and provision.

• Collaborative assessment and moderation.

• Opportunities to share effective practice across the school and wider academy community.

School leaders and governors monitor the quality and impact of provision for disadvantaged pupils, ensuring that resources are used effectively and that improvement priorities remain focused on pupils' outcomes.

10. Equitable Access and Financial Support

We recognise that financial disadvantage can create barriers to participation, confidence and achievement.

Where possible, we work sensitively with families to reduce these barriers.

Support may include:

• Assistance with access to educational visits and enrichment opportunities.

• Support with essential learning resources and equipment.

• Signposting to financial assistance and community support.

• Access to appropriate learning materials.

• Ensuring that pupils can participate fully in school activities regardless of family circumstances.

We recognise that financial support alone cannot remove every barrier to learning. It must form part of a wider, coordinated approach that includes excellent teaching, pastoral care, family engagement and high expectations.

Monitoring the Impact of Our Provision

We are committed to ensuring that our support makes a measurable difference to children's experiences and outcomes.

We evaluate the effectiveness of our approach through:

• Pupil attainment and progress information.

• Phonics, reading, writing and mathematics assessments.

• Attendance and persistent absence monitoring.

• Review of SEND outcomes and provision through Edukey.

• Pupil voice and engagement.

• Parent and carer feedback.

• Monitoring of participation in enrichment opportunities.

• Reviews of teaching, learning and curriculum accessibility.

• Leadership and governor scrutiny.

We use this information to identify what is working well, where barriers remain and what further action is required.

Our success is measured not only through academic attainment, but also through pupils' confidence, independence, wellbeing, participation and readiness for the next stage of education.

Our Catholic Mission: Faithful in Service

Our commitment to disadvantaged pupils is inseparable from our Catholic identity.

Inspired by St Joseph's example of quiet service, compassion, dignity and responsibility, we believe that every child should be welcomed, valued and supported to flourish.

We seek to put our faith into action by recognising need, responding with compassion and working tirelessly to ensure that no child is overlooked or left behind.

At St Joseph's, inclusion is not an additional provision or a separate initiative. It is central to who we are, how we teach and how we serve our children and families.

Fidelis in Servitio – Faithful in Service.