Bridge House School Achieves IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status

August 14, 2026

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Congratulations to everyone at Bridge House School on becoming an IQM Centre of Excellence. This recognition is a testament to the passion, dedication and teamwork that have helped create a culture where inclusion thrives, staff feel valued, and every pupil is empowered to succeed.

Empowering Every Learner

Bridge House aims to cultivate learning spaces that are nurturing, purposeful, and responsive to the diverse needs of its pupils. The school is committed to creating an environment that supports not only academic achievement but also behavioural development, emotional well-being, and the growth of self-esteem. Every aspect of school life is designed to ensure that learners feel safe, valued, and empowered to succeed.

Leading Positive Change

The school has undergone a transformation over the past six months with substantial support from Executive Team. Through a strong culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, they have adopted a direct approach and maintain a visible presence within the school, knowing all staff and pupils by name. They have fostered positive relationships built on trust and mutual respect and they work closely and collaboratively with staff at all levels of the organisation, ensuring that strategic decisions are informed by the day-to-day realities of the school.

A Team Inspired

The new Senior Leadership Team (SLT) have clearly changed the ethos within the school, and this has had massive impact on staff morale and job satisfaction. All staff speak passionately about their work at Bridge House and how they feel supported and listened to by leaders. An ECT and a recently appointed teacher enthused about the warm caring nature of the school and how they were welcomed to the staff team immediately on arrival. One established teacher expressed how changes in staffing have brought fresh ideas which have helped both staff and students, she also talked about how ‘everyone is able to help each other, and all staff are really supportive.’

Inclusion at the Heart

Inclusion is woven through every element of school life at Bridge House School and the school is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment in which every pupil feels valued, respected, and supported, regardless of background or individual need and this was tangible throughout the assessment. The values of bravery, resilience, inclusivity, diversity, generosity, and empathy are integrated into everyday activities, interactions, and the curriculum, so that everyone involved consistently experiences and embodies them.

Parents as Partners

Parents spoke with confidence about the school, showing that they are viewed as stakeholders with a voice. Parents expressed how they always feel welcomed and the ‘open door’ policy is transparent, they consistently praised the staff for the time and effort they put into supporting their children to achieve their full potential. Each parent talked unreservedly about their children’s positive experiences at the school and that they ‘can’t fault them in any way.’

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.