Barrow Hedges Primary School Achieves IQM Centre of Excellence Status

August 24, 2026

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Barrow Hedges Primary School has achieved IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status in recognition of its deeply embedded culture of inclusion and its commitment to ensuring that every child is valued, supported and able to thrive. The assessment highlighted a school where belonging is matched by high expectations and where every child truly matters.  

A School Where Everyone Matters  

When asked to think about inclusion at Barrow Hedges and how the school has developed since the last review, the Headteacher explained, “the ethos is recognisable and has always been here. What has changed is the physical environment and the way that we make provision for our children.”  

One member of the Senior Leadership Team commented, “we all agree that everyone should belong, but this means more than belonging because of a uniform. Here it is also about mattering.” This extraordinary level of care is reflected across the school. Senior leaders work tirelessly to ensure that the sense of everyone mattering, along with high expectations for behaviour are understood by all pupils.  

Inclusion at the Heart of School Life  

Inclusion is a clear priority and central to the ethos of Barrow Hedges Primary School. Senior Leaders spoke with pride about the school’s vision of “Every child thriving every day”. The five values of inclusion, kindness, respect, honesty and ambition remain the central tenets to which they aspire in their leadership of the school. 

The school has been responsive to cohort differences identifying ways to expand the provision through careful bids for additional funding. The Headteacher noted that “our biggest change has been the addition of the Mainstream Plus cabin”. This has enabled pupils who may find aspects of the mainstream classroom challenging to continue accessing their learning alongside their peers, while being integrated into class for a significant proportion of the week.  

An Inclusive Environment for Learning  

During lessons, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and there is high engagement derived from close attention to making sure that the learning environment is adapted to support learners in all areas of the curriculum. 

Quality First Teaching is clearly visible in day-to-day practice and there is a clear intention across classes to develop resilience and foster learner independence. Pupils themselves spoke positively about learning. One Year 4 pupil commented, “we like them because the teachers challenge us, and we can get better in our learning.”  

The nurture room offers excellent respite for pupils who find lunch time a challenge. This area is well resourced and overseen by the Inclusion Lead who plans the week so that there is an appropriate structure to each session.  

Investing in Staff and Supporting Families  

Staff development and training is a key priority for the school, and it is rightly proud of its highly trained staff.  

Since the last review the Senior Leadership Team have completed further training to become accredited Nurture UK practitioners and Nurture training has been cascaded to all staff.  

Staff agree that Senior Leaders are readily available to them. “We feel listened to here at Barrow Hedges and we can always talk to one of the leadership team if we have a concern or worry.”  

Parents were unanimous in their opinion that Barrow Hedges is an exceptional school. One parent commented, “the diversity language used in the school is just brilliant.” Another added, “it is not just about getting great results here; it’s about getting your child to where they need to be with whatever support it takes.”  

A Community with Ambition  

As part of the CPAT, Barrow Hedges works effectively with other schools in the Trust. 

Inclusive practice is shared with other schools and the school has an outward facing attitude to exploring new opportunities and learning from best practice.  

Pupils benefit from assemblies delivered through Sutton Schools Work, educational visits, inter-school events, residential trips and a range of opportunities designed to broaden horizons and raise aspirations.  

The school also actively supports a number of charities including the local food bank. Pupils spoke with excitement about the recent Odd Socks Day held to raise money for the Down Syndrome charity.  

Find Out More About IQM  

If your school is interested in achieving 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.