SEND & Inclusion

A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for those seeking sanctuary.

It is a space for those whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a space they can feel safe.

It is a school that helps its students, staff and wider community understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal valued members of the school community. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.

We are a large primary school in the Tuebrook area of Liverpool. Our school community continues to grow and diversify, 60.8% of our pupils are children with English as an Additional Language.

With have highs level of transient community, as 10.9% of our school population joined us as mobility pupils in this academic year alone. There are 41 different languages in our school.

At St. Michael’s, we are deeply committed to embedding inclusive practices in every aspect of our school community. Our whole-school philosophy of inclusion is rooted in Gospel values, and this commitment extends from our leadership team to every member of staff, pupil and parent. We designed our “Explore Curriculum” to be inclusive and reflective of our diverse community, with a strong focus on equality, diversity, and aspiration.

Through high-quality teaching strategies like Quality First Teaching, trauma-informed practices, and extensive staff training, we ensure that every student, including those with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), receives the tailored support they need to succeed.

We also foster an environment of respect and personal development by actively involving our students in school governance and restorative practices. This holistic approach, combined with strong communication and collaborative partnerships with our families and the wider community, creates a culture where every child is valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

We recently underwent the Inclusion Quality Award and are currently working towards becoming a ‘Centre of Excellence’.

At Michael’s School we adopt a ‘whole school approach’ to special educational needs and disability (SEND). All staff work to ensure inclusion of all pupils. The school is committed to ensuring that pupils with special educational needs can fulfill their potential and achieve optimal educational outcomes.

As a Catholic School, everything we do is underpinned by Christian Values, our school mission statement and our vision to create a nurturing school community where children succeed and are proud of their achievements. High quality first teaching and additional interventions are defined through our person-centred planning approach across the school contributing to our provision management arrangements.

These processes help us to regularly review and record what we offer all children in our care and what we offer additionally. These discussions also serve to embed our high expectations amongststaff about quality first teaching and the application of a differentiated and personalised approach to teaching and learning.

At St. Michael’s, we are proud to be a vibrant and diverse community. While English is the primary language used for teaching and learning, we celebrate the wide range of languages spoken by our students and their families at home.

A remarkable 60.8% of our children speak English as an additional language, representing an amazing forty-one different languages. We are dedicated to supporting each of these children as they progress through their language journey, recognizing that their linguistic skills and cultural backgrounds are a wonderful asset that enriches our entire school community.

At St. Michael’s, we value every individual and encourage each child to achieve the highest possible standard. Our staff works closely together to ensure that children, regardless of what language they speak at home, make excellent progress.

We work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all children, parents, and carers, especially for newly arrived pupils from around the world. We believe that by celebrating their unique backgrounds and cultures, we enrich our entire school community.

At St. Michael’s, we are committed to ensuring our EAL (English as an Additional Language) children make excellent progress. We use the Flash Academy tool to carry out termly assessments, which allows us to carefully monitor each pupil’s progress in both their curriculum subjects and their acquisition of English. The targets we create from these assessments are used to support ensuring that high-quality, targeted teaching takes place within every classroom.

Just click a button below to View any document, you will then have the option to Download or Print the file. You can access all of our policies and reports on the website. Please contact the school if you would like any paper versions of our documents.