We visit diverse Dudley school which works to equip its pupils for life and offers support to whole community

That community spirit is perhaps best showcased by the work of Wren’s Nest Primary School, a school which has been part of the area for more than 100 years and, since 2009, has been on the current site on Marigold Crescent.

Headteacher Sarah Parkes said the community had wanted the school, which caters for children aged between two and 11-years-old, built and spoke about the ethos of the school.

She said: “There was the rebuild in 2009 because it was valued by the community and it had that dynamic and status within the community about what education meant, so the previous head applied for lottery funding and that, as well as help from the Department for Education, helped the school to be rebuilt.

“I see the school as the lighthouse for our families as we are essential to the estate physically, but we are also that kind of beacon of when they need support and they need help, whether that’s for the child or families.

“They come to us and it’s up to us to support them in the best way that we can and we incorporate the whole family, never give up on a child and when we take on the child, we take on the whole family.”

Ms Parkes said the school supports a wide range of children through carefully developed specialist provision, early intervention and close partnership with families and said that, in her 18 years at the school, she had seen the work up close to build relationships in the school.

The school has also been awarded Centre of Excellence status by the Inclusive Quality Mark (IQM), a prestigious national recognition celebrating schools that demonstrate outstanding inclusive practice and unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of every child.

Following a detailed assessment involving classroom visits, meetings with children, parents, staff and governors, and a full review of school provision, the assessor confirmed that Wren’s Nest places equality, respect and high expectations at the heart of its ethos and ensures all children feel welcomed, valued and supported to achieve their full potential.

The report recognised the school’s exceptional inclusive culture, highlighting its specialist provisions, strong family partnerships, nurturing environment and the determination of leaders to prioritise children’s needs above all else.

Ms Parkes said: “Achieving Centre of Excellence status reflects the dedication of our staff, governors, children and families who work together every day to make inclusion real, not just a word.

“I am incredibly proud of what our whole school community has achieved.”

She also said that while the area was among the most deprived in the country, it didn’t deter from the work being done to make sure every student was included and welcomed.

She said: “We are in a high deprivation area, but our approach is to remove the barriers, rather than lower expectations, and what we’ve tried to do is put inclusion right the way through as the golden thread of our school.

“It underpins the teaching, the behaviour, the attendance and wellbeing and we refuse to let deprivation be a barrier or hurdle to overcome and we’re proud to be part of the school community.”

Ms Parkes said the hard work had been paying off, with the school oversubscribed for places, and said she held a lot of pride for what Wren’s Nest Primary School had done.

She said: “This school is my everything as I have been here my whole career and I’m exceptionally proud of that and of the school.

“There’s been a lot of challenges over the years, but we are probably one of the most sought after schools, with 74 children waiting for reception, which is 14 over our target.

“Reputationally, Wren’s Nest has not always had the best reputation, but I think we are trying and we are challenging that stereotype and we are moving and turning it around.”