1.3. A reflective learning environment

Is there evidence that…

• A reflective learning environment is provided for all staff, children and young people (CYP).
• Staff and CYP reflect, discuss and evaluate practice in relationship to outcomes and well-being.

Discussion prompts / evidence of impact

• A range of strategies are used to promote positive and aspirational social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, which encourages CYP to engage in all activities and opportunities with confidence. Leaders check that CYP with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), additional needs and from other disadvantaged groups are participating in these activities. CYP talk confidently about the views and attitudes of different groups and about the school’s ability to successfully address prejudice.
• The school does everything possible to remove barriers to ensure all can participate in school life; this includes working with CYP who are at risk of underachieving. There is a variety of opportunities to participate in school life and a range of ways the voice of CYP can be captured, enabling them to contribute views and suggestions. CYP are genuinely involved in a wide range of decision-making processes that affect their lives, with involvement increasing as they age and mature. The school council is representative of the school community, including those with additional needs.
• Parents are supportive of one another and engage in their child’s learning and the wider life of the school, e.g. parent groups, curriculum and family learning workshops. 
• Parents from Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic (BAME) communities are actively encouraged and supported to give their views as to what family learning workshops, parent groups and curriculum aspects would be important and interesting for them. This should be based on what they have suggested, and not be tokenistic or what the school thinks would be appropriate. For example, this is not confined to “Black History Month” but blended naturally into the rich life of the school.
• Equalities training around all protected characteristics are part of the annual cycle of the staff continued professional development (CPD). Staff are encouraged to help each other grow by questioning practice and conversations they do not feel are in line with the essence of this training, and amplifying those that are truly inclusive. The training is not a 1-hour session repeated every year but an ongoing conversation between all members of the school community, and staff should be supported to question/challenge peers regardless of hierarchy.
• School should have an equalities policy that is regularly updated, and they could consider appointing a governor for equalities.
• The school supports parents to understand the range of needs of different children within their child’s peer group. They are aware that good behaviour might look different for individual children and they work together to minimise the development of ‘blame’ cultures.
• Using an analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, school leaders effectively develop a CPD cycle that pinpoints the exact areas of development needed. This would include consideration of the collective needs of the whole school and identifying individual needs.
• Professional learning and development in nurturing / attachment / trauma informed approaches is recognised to be a continuous process that involves initial training, collaborative enquiry, collegiate sessions, coaching and on-going discussion.
• All staff, including support staff, take responsibility for their own professional development, with support from their line manager (through performance management processes), and are encouraged to update their skills and knowledge as part of the school CPD cycle. Governors attend relevant training.
• Staff at all levels can identify clearly how they have benefited from professional development opportunities in relation to individual CYP, including liaison with outside agencies, and can describe the impact that this has had on the CYP.
• CYP and parents are involved in planning/attending/delivering staff professional development around the individual needs of their child.

Last updated 3 March 2022