AS The King’s Hospital School in Dublin became the first school in the Republic of Ireland to be exclusively awarded for its inclusivity, Roderic O’Gorman Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said he was “immensely proud” of his former school.
Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) has been assessing and recognising schools for their hard work on making inclusion matter since 2004. Every young person matters and making each one of them the best they can be is what inclusion is all about.
The King’s Hospital School, Dublin, received it’s IQM awards in May, and stands as a beacon of excellence in fostering a welcoming environment, where diversity is celebrated, and every individual is embraced as part of a cohesive community.
Through a combination of holistic education, proactive inclusion efforts and a nurturing Christian ethos, the school has created an environment where students flourish academically, socially and emotionally.
Speaking at the presentation, past pupil and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD presented The King’s Hospital School with the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Minister O’Gorman said: “As the first and only school in the Republic of Ireland to receive this prestigious award, The King’s Hospital School sets a powerful example for other schools across the country.
Dynamic, committed and supportive staff
“The comprehensive assessment conducted by the Inclusion Quality Mark organisation highlighted the numerous strengths of the school, which I am proud to share with you today.”
“I am immensely proud to announce that not only did we achieve the IQM Inclusive School Award, but we also became the first school in Ireland to be honoured with the prestigious IQM Centre of Excellence award.
“This accolade is a testament to our dynamic, committed and supportive staff, as well as our welcoming and inclusive student body.
“It emphasises the strong sense of community and showcases the diverse mosaic of cultures at The King’s Hospital School, which enriches our lives and brings a global perspective to each member of our school.”
An inclusive school provides a high-quality education for all removing any barriers to learning where they exist.
IQM provides schools with a nationally recognised framework to celebrate the efforts they are making to be inclusive. There are over 6,500 schools in the UK who have either received an IQM Inclusive School Award or are currently working towards it, now The King’s Hospital School in Dublin has become the first of its kind to be awarded in the Republic of Ireland.
IQM aspire to be at the forefront of developments to ensure the inclusive education of young people and believe that for future generations to be able to live in harmony, we all have a responsibility to ensure we provide an inclusive education for every child.
Thank you to IQM
Deputy Principal and IQM Coordinator, Cormac Ua Bruadair, expressed delight at the school being awarded IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
Mr Ua Bruadair said: “The King’s Hospital School is delighted to have received the IQM and to be further recognised as a Centre of Excellence for inclusive practices in our school.
“We were honoured to have past pupil and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, present The King’s Hospital School IQM Awards.
“A big thank you to Joe McCann and Eilish McCann from IQM for coming to King’s Hospital School to present the awards and speaking to our students in the chapel.
“These awards are a testament to the commitment and dedication of the staff, the collaboration which exists between all the stakeholders and our amazing students.
“We would like to thank the mentorship of the IQM team as we engaged in this process and the assessor Sarah Linari who offered thoughtful insights on our practices.
“We look forward to partaking in our cluster meetings with other schools over the coming year.”
