Gallions Primary School Achieves IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status

August 17, 2026

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Gallions Primary School is in the Borough of Newham and for the last eight years has been part of The New Vision Trust. In October 2023 Ofsted graded the school “outstanding” and praised its ambition for vulnerable children. The school is ambitious but also wants all of the children to have happy memories of school and so value is put on happiness, communication and readiness for adulthood. 

Every Child Thrives 

The school’s vision is centred on the vision that every child must have a chance to thrive, particularly those with SEND. However, inclusion is understood and practised in the widest possible sense and so attention is given to absolutely all children being included no matter what their background, ability, culture or religion. The school has an ARC provision (Additionally Resourced Centre) which consists of four classrooms, a sensory area and a large soft play provision. Pupils go to a Cubbie area where they can select via ICT the sensory circuit they would like to complete.  

Learning Without Barriers 

Whilst children in the ARC provision have a specialist offer, they are not separated from the rest of the school. Children are educated and have experiences both within their classrooms and surrounding areas and also, when appropriate, are integrated into the mainstream school. Some children in the semi-formal pathways attend their mainstream classes for some teaching and learning and children and staff have a shared understanding of why this is and what works well. 

Preparing Future Citizens 

Gallions School has done a huge amount of work on curriculum development and on making it relevant to the children. It is built on the vision that all must thrive and takes into account the school’s values and on preparing children for their futures. The school benefits from collaborating with subject specialists and other schools in The New Vision Trust. The curriculum is progressive and there are strong cross-curricular and enrichment links. Each term the whole school follows a theme – “We are Scientists” for discovery, “We are Historians” for time travel and “We are Geographers” for exploration.  

Celebrating Community Diversity 

Parents explained that one of the reasons for the school’s success is how open they are with families and how available all staff including leaders are every single day. School staff hold the parents and families in high regard and consistently talk about how the school is made by their support. Gallions School prioritises celebrating culture and diversity. A highlight is the annual “Proud to Be Day” where families can wear traditional costumes and share their culture with others. There are giant sized photos of this event with celebratory captions in the entrance area of the school. Families are also invited to assemblies and “Grand Finale” Curriculum events and attendance is high. 

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.