This week we are delighted to welcome 5 more stars to the IQM Family. Can we give a big shout out to Montem Academy, Ash Hill Academy, Stanton Community Primary School and Nursery, Redwood Primary School, and Parkside Middle School.
‘Everyone to Excel Through Pride and Ambition’
First to achieve Centre of Excellence status this week is Montem Academy.
Our Assessor explained the Slough school’s vison that, ‘Everyone to excel through pride and ambition’ underpins its work.
They continued, “Pupils use draft books to begin their writing and then write up in their exercise books. Good presentation and good handwriting are celebrated as is good content in the work. The pupils walk around the school with their hands behind their backs meaning that they hold themselves well and are unable to run in the corridors.
“In assembly, the Principal asked KS2 to show her ‘outstanding’ and they pulled themselves up to sit up straight and our Assessor could see how proud they were feeling when she congratulated them. The behaviour in the assembly was exemplary.”
• Read more – Montem Academy Achieves Centre of Excellence Status
Reading Strategy
Next it was over to Doncaster where Ash Hill Academy also secured Centre of Excellence status.
Our Assessor explained, “Ash Hill Academy has started to introduce and embed a reading strategy across the curriculum. This is an academy Trust-wide strategy with 4 parts, to encourage and embed a common language to tackle texts across all curriculum areas, through framing the text to better understand its purpose, removing barriers through understanding of the vocabulary and context, layered reads to enable students to understand what they are reading, and stop and jot to allow students to make their thinking permanent.
“The Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning described that the strategy is being implemented at regular points through the year and Heads of Department are mapping literacy and extended writing across their subject areas. Assessment and data are used effectively to identify students whose reading ability is ‘not secondary ready’. This allows identification of appropriate staged interventions and track progress effectively.”
• Read more – Ash Hill Academy Achieves Centre of Excellence
Welcoming, Warm, and Supportive Setting
Next up to achieve Centre of Excellence this week was Stanton Community Primary School and Nurseryin Suffolk.
Our Assessor explained, “Stanton Community Primary School is a very welcoming, warm, and supportive setting, which prides itself on being a professional learning community with inclusion at its heart. There is a culture of mutual respect and positive relationships where everyone in the school community is valued and diversity is actively taught, promoted and celebrated.
“Given the school’s context, staff are very aware that children in the school may not be exposed to as much diversity as others nationally and so they work especially hard to provide them with opportunities to learn about and discuss the difficulties some groups of people may experience around inclusion.”
• Read more – Stanton Community PS Achieves Centre of Excellence
Staff are Very Happy and Appreciative
Securing the Inclusive School Award this week is Redwood PS.
Parents had high praise for the Derby school. Our Assessor explained, “The parents shared their delight that their child/children had Redwood as their primary school. They felt that there is clear communication for parents to help their child to succeed in education and develop into being independent, inquisitive learners.
“Some were extremely thankful to the staff, especially the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) who has helped and guided them through Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Others wanted their child to complete their secondary education at Redwood. It was emphasised “it has helped my child be who they are and has certainly helped shape me too, I don’t ever want to leave.”
“Staff are very happy and appreciative of working in a school where they feel highly valued, wanted, and listened to and have ownership in the place that they work. “
• Read more – Redwood PS Achieves Inclusive School Award
High Standards and Expectations are Visible
Also achieving the Inclusive School Award this week is Parkside Middle School.
When visiting the Bromsgrove school our Assessor picked up on the ‘Parkside Standard’.
They explained, “Remarkably high standards and expectations are visible throughout Parkside for pupils, staff, and parents and within everyday learning and life. The pupils engage positively in all aspects of learning and respect is very much a 2-way process. This is often referred to as the ‘Parkside Standard.’
“This is a truly inclusive school, and you leave feeling inspired by the energy levels of all staff. Leadership and organisation of inclusion at Parkside is highly effective. Safeguarding processes and procedures are thorough and clearly communicated and all meetings triangulate to ensure there are no gaps in the Safeguarding Provision.”
• Read more – Parkside Middle School Achieves Inclusive School Award
Find out more about the IQM Inclusive School Award
If your school is interested in obtaining the IQM Inclusive School Award or you wish to talk to a member of the IQM team please telephone:
028 7127 7857 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm)
or email: [email protected] for further details.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack.