Chadwell Heath Academy Achieves IQM Centre of Excellence Status

August 24, 2026

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Chadwell Heath Academy has achieved IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status in recognition of its unwavering commitment to inclusion and its determination to ensure that no child is left behind. The assessment highlighted a school where inclusion is embedded in every aspect of school life, creating a culture where pupils feel known, valued and supported to succeed.  

No Child Left Behind  

The school motto of No Child Left Behind is not a slogan. It is the organising principle around which every decision, every system and every relationship is built. Inclusion is clearly embedded within the culture and daily practice at Chadwell Heath Academy and is not viewed as an additional strand of school improvement but as an integral part of the school’s identity. 

Pupils and parents provided striking testimony to the quality of inclusive culture at the school. A student described “a sense of family in this school,” noting that it is “safe” and “welcoming,” and that “inclusion in general has really progressed,” adding “we have come such a long way.”  

Giving Students Opportunities  

The school’s determination to widen pupils’ experiences and life chances is a further hallmark of its inclusive values. 

Staff spoke movingly of “filling the gap” for pupils from the school’s relatively deprived local area and of “giving them those life chances that they may not get anywhere else.” Practical examples included ensuring every child received a book, offering at least one trip per year for all pupils and running extra badminton and chess clubs. 

An Ambitious and Inclusive Curriculum  

The curriculum at Chadwell Heath Academy is ambitious, inclusive and thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of a highly diverse school community.  

The Hub coordinates support, intervention, communication and provision for pupils with SEND and SEMH needs, and staff spoke of wanting “to promote access arrangements being the standard way of working, to increase access.”  

Teaching and Learning for All 

Teaching and learning at Chadwell Heath Academy are underpinned by a clear and well established whole school strategy focused on Embedding Formative Assessment, Adaptive Teaching and Talk for Learning.  

Adaptive teaching is clearly recognised as a priority across the school. Staff described having “implemented more ways to be able to scaffold more effectively,” with initiatives in classrooms allowing for support to be given whilst also challenging students who do not need that support. 

The approach is described as “high challenge for everyone, even if they are on different routes,” with Talk for Learning used “to support the learning for everyone.” Students described using planners with a traffic light system to show if they do not understand things, noting that it “helps students who are a bit shy to get help.”  

Behaviour, Belonging and Respect  

Behaviour, attitudes to learning and personal development at Chadwell Heath Academy present as strongly embedded within a clear, values driven culture.  

Restorative practice is at the core of the school’s approach and has “gone from strength to strength.” Staff spoke of wanting to ensure it is “fully embedded within practice” and described a system that tries to “look at behaviour beyond the action that is in front of you.”  

Community at the Core 

Community lies at the core of the school’s identity.  The range and quality of enrichment on offer is extraordinary. UK Parliament Week is “completely run by Year 12 pupils,” who also go into local primary schools to deliver politics sessions to Year 6 pupils. The school attends Model United Nations conferences at Oxford, with a staff member noting that the school is one of very few state schools to do so.  

Find Out More About IQM 

If your school is interested in achieving IQM Inclusive School Award, Centre of Excellence or Flagship Status, 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.