About Us

IncludEd Learning is an Independent Specialist School. We are an alternative to mainstream education and work with secondary aged young people who have struggled to manage in a mainstream environment and for young people with very high Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) needs. IncludEd aims to provide a safe, stimulating and comfortable environment for students to increase their opportunities, as well as exploring new and interesting activities.

We work with students as a whole and build on their educational attainment as well as their social and emotional well-being. IncludEd offers students advice on Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance, as well as offering individual advice on future choices and opportunities.

We recognise that our pupils have experienced difficulties in responding to the day-to-day challenges of a mainstream school and that they require personalised support in extending their range of emotional, social and behavioural skills and achieving appropriate learning outcomes.

Our Ethos

IncludEd is a Trauma Informed School and builds on its success by working in close partnership with referrers, multi agencies and parents/carers. We deliver a holistic approach to cater for the educational and emotional well-being of every young person in our care using the ‘Thrive Approach.’

All of our pupils have a common need for a sensitive and nurturing approach to their education so that they can begin to address some of the issues that have created difficulties for them in mainstream education.

We offer a fresh start for all pupils. We aim to provide an environment where all views are valued and where young people feel enabled to make positive choices regarding their learning and their interactions with others.

Our core values of Enjoyment of learning, Progress, Responsibility, Respect and Tolerance are at the heart of what we do, ensuring we promote a nurturing learning community with the welfare of our pupils, staff and community at its centre.

Our Approach

We aim to provide a nurturing and safe environment, our ethos is to make pupils feel part of a school community that respects one another's differences and diverse backgrounds. Pupils are able to express themselves freely and are encouraged to make positive contributions to the day-to-day running of the school.

We believe that all young people have a right to high quality education whatever their needs. Some young people need more individual support than others and Fundamental to this principle is the right of teachers to teach and the right of children and young people to learn.

Our aim is to help remove barriers to learning through using individualised responses to our pupil’s needs. We passionately believe in giving young people every opportunity to learn and succeed in our friendly, supportive school.

Growth Mindset

Our Philosophy

At IncludEd Learning, we know that pupils who have a positive attitude towards their learning will make good progress and be successful. Consequently, instilling all our pupils with 'growth mindsets' has become a key priority for the school. We have introduced the theories of Dr Carol Dweck to staff and pupils and are determined to embed its ideas within our school ethos.

We want all our pupils to relish challenges, embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process, value the importance of effort, respond carefully to feedback and take inspiration from others. This will help them to achieve, not only with us, but also in their future lives as adults.

We are very excited about the prospect of nurturing a growth mindset culture at IncludEd Learning. Please see the Growth Mindset presentation below.

The following video explains the concept in more detail:

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

Becoming Confident and Resilient Learners

Learn, explore and grow together. This is what we embed in all of our pupils here at includEd Learning. We know that in order to fulfil the potential of our pupils and encourage them to become confident and resilient learners we, as a team of parents and staff, need to be modelling the mindset of a learner who is not afraid of making mistakes but who thrives upon them, knowing that this is all part of the learning process. The way in which we encourage children to learn and explore is vital to their success, not only at school but at home as well.

We consistently endeavour to challenge and develop the attitudes of all pupils and staff towards learning by considering what makes a successful learner. We positively approach challenges inside and outside the classroom.

Central to this attitude and approach to learning, are the theories and proven evidence of Growth Mindset. This is a term coined by psychologist Carol Dweck and her research has identified the characteristics of learners with a fixed and a growth mindset:

Our Key Aspects of Growth Mindset

We celebrate making mistakes – we can learn from them;
We never give up – perseverance is the key if we are to succeed;
We learn from each other;
We don’t compare ourselves with others;
We challenge ourselves and take risks;
We remember that our brains are making new connections and growing all the time.