Aurora Meldreth Manor School Achieves IQM Flagship Award

August 14, 2026

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Aurora Meldreth Manor School has achieved the IQM Inclusive School Award with Flagship status, celebrating its commitment to fostering a welcoming and aspirational environment in which every student is encouraged to grow, belong and achieve their best.

A School Where Every Learner Thrives

Aurora Meldreth Manor is a warm and welcoming school with a strong ethos of inclusion, wellbeing, and high-quality education. The staff are committed, creative, and collaborative, fostering an environment where every young person feels valued, supported, and inspired to achieve their potential. The school is structured to support a diverse range of learners, including students with ASD, PMLD, and non-verbal learners, with thoughtfully designed pathways and individualised provision. The school has a particularly strong focus on supporting non-verbal learners and pupils with additional communication needs, combining specialist expertise and staff training to ensure that communication is accessible for all.

Building Independence Through Life Skills

During the visit, the assessor observed the Tuck Shop in action, which gives students practical life skills such as queuing, turn-taking, handling money, and presentation. Life skills provision is further supported with practical equipment, including a washing machine and dryer, ensuring that learners develop independence in daily living. The sensory circuit is a standout feature, tailored to meet the individual needs of each learner. It includes a ball pit tunnel and other resources, enabling students to begin their day focused, regulated, and ready to engage in learning. The school also has gardening beds for the gardening club, offering hands-on learning opportunities and fostering responsibility, teamwork, and engagement with nature.

Students are encouraged to understand their own regulation needs and make choices about the support they access, helping them to develop independence, confidence and self-awareness.

Working Together for Every Pupil

Aurora Meldreth Manor’s clinical team and occupational therapist actively participate in learning walks alongside teaching staff, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of each learner’s needs. The Head of School emphasised, “they will see something I won’t,” highlighting the collaborative approach to monitoring and supporting students.

Parents are highly positive about the school’s ethos and the impact it has on their children. One parent commented, “We couldn’t ask for a better setting for him and are so grateful to all of the staff & members of the SLT for all that they do.” Another noted, “we have a happy, engaged daughter who repeatedly asks to go to school-can’t get much of a better sales pitch than that!” These statements reflect the strong relationships between families and staff, and the confidence parents have in the school’s ability to nurture, support, and challenge their children.

Students’ wellbeing and engagement are central to the school’s ethos. The school places a strong emphasis on pupil voice, embedding opportunities for students to make choices, reflect on their learning, and contribute meaningfully to their environment. Community projects, enrichment activities, and dedicated form time provide structured opportunities for decision-making, collaboration, and social responsibility. The school council ensures students have meaningful involvement in decision-making, with rotating class-led assemblies and termly theme days promoting engagement, collective responsibility, and personal accountability.

Aurora Meldreth Manor also takes a holistic view of student development. The school places high value on social, emotional, and practical skills alongside academic learning. Parental engagement is strong, with workshops, family days, and collaborative approaches ensuring consistency between home and school.

THRIVE principles are embedded throughout the school, supporting social-emotional development, resilience, and wellbeing for both students and staff.

Find Out More About IQM

The Inclusion Quality Mark provides schools with a nationally recognised framework for developing and celebrating inclusive practice.

If your school is interested in achieving the IQM Inclusive School Award, contact the IQM team on 028 7127 7857 or email admin@iqmaward.com.

To find out more about IQM and request a free information pack, visit www.iqmaward.com.