Fountains Primary School Achieves IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status

September 2, 2026

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Congratulations to everyone at Fountains Primary School on achieving the IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status. This remarkable recognition is a testament to the dedication, passion and unwavering commitment of leaders, staff, pupils and families who work together every day to create an environment where every child is valued, supported and empowered to succeed. 

Every Pupil Thrives 

Fountains Primary School is a highly inclusive and aspirational setting where there is a clear and unwavering commitment to ensure that every pupil is enabled to succeed and thrive. During the assessment, it was evident that inclusion is not an add-on, but is fully embedded within the vision, values and daily practice of the school. Leaders articulated a clear and ambitious vision, ensuring that all pupils are provided with meaningful opportunities to develop independence, confidence and a strong sense of belonging. 

Ambition Without Barriers 

The school serves a complex cohort of pupils, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans, with a significant proportion presenting with communication and interaction needs, including autism. Despite this, leaders and staff maintain a resolute belief that all pupils can achieve highly. This aspirational mindset underpins all aspects of provision, ensuring that barriers to learning are systematically identified and addressed. Leadership is strong, cohesive and purposeful. Senior and middle leaders, alongside specialist teams, work collaboratively to ensure that inclusive practice is consistently implemented. A clear emphasis on distributive leadership ensures that responsibility for inclusion is shared across the staff team. This is reflected in the coherent systems for self-evaluation, professional development and quality assurance which drive continuous improvement across the school. 

Communication Unlocks Learning 

A significant strength of the school is its highly effective focus on communication, which underpins all aspects of teaching and learning. This is driven strategically by leaders and implemented consistently across the school. Staff are highly skilled in a range of communication approaches, including Makaton, Attention Autism, the Curiosity Programme, and the use of visuals, symbols and assistive technology such as iPads with Grid Player. Further innovation is evident through the development of communication stations, created in partnership with the in-house Speech and Language Therapist. These are already embedded across the school, and in the process of being extended into the wider community, promoting inclusion beyond the school environment. 

Partnerships Power Progress 

Strong partnerships with external agencies and local organisations provide meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop independence and life skills, and the work with families, in particular its support of siblings, are a key strength. Effective systems are in place to ensure regular communication, support and collaboration. Parents, and siblings are actively engaged through workshops, forums and daily communication systems, ensuring consistency and shared understanding. The use of digital platforms further strengthens this partnership, enabling parents to remain fully informed and involved in their child’s learning journey. 

Belonging Builds Confidence 

Across the school, there is a deeply embedded culture of belonging, underpinned by strong relationships and a shared commitment to ensuring that every pupil feels valued and supported. The ethos that “everyone helps each other” is consistently evident. Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong belief that there should be no barriers to learning, supported by the principle that “if we are going to do something, we do it for everyone.” 

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.