Hillborough Junior School Achieves IQM Centre of Excellence Status

August 24, 2026

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Hillborough Junior School has successfully achieved IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status in recognition of its inclusive practice, strong outcomes and commitment to meeting the needs of its diverse school community.

Aspiring to Excellence  

Aspiring to Excellence is the school’s motto. The values the school sets out are seen throughout school life. Inspired by Bill Lucas’ ‘Creative habits of minds,’ ‘Hillsborough Habits’ emphasise a holistic approach to development, encouraging individuals to be persistent by embracing challenge and uncertainty, inquisitive through questioning and exploration, and collaborative by working constructively with others, sharing ideas, and engaging in meaningful feedback. They also promote imagination, inviting creativity, connections, and intuitive thinking, alongside being disciplined, with a focus on refining skills and continually improving practice.  

An Inclusive Environment  

The school fosters a calm, purposeful and inclusive environment, supported by strong relationships and a culture of respect; this was evident in classrooms, corridors, outside and in the Learning Lounge. Pupils enjoy the multitude of enrichment opportunities available to them including cultural visits, learning musical instruments and a wealth of sports opportunities. They value the facilities at the school including the curling court layout, rock climbing wall, and generous outside space with wildlife areas.  

A welcoming and inclusive ethos is embedded across the school. Pupils are consistently greeted warmly by teachers and leaders, helping to establish a positive start to the day and fostering a strong sense of belonging, safety, and readiness to learn. For some pupils, sensory circuits form an important part of the start of the day, supporting regulation and readiness for learning.  

The Learning Lounge  

The Learning Lounge is a valuable resource at the centre of the school’s ethos for inclusion. The Learning Lounge is underpinned by thorough research, both in relation to its environment, the curriculum adaptations, and the support it offers. The space has been thoughtfully designed in a pared-back style, incorporating a range of furniture at different heights, alongside sensory rugs, and sofas, creating a calm, welcoming, and ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere. Resources have been carefully selected to meet the individual special educational needs of the pupils who access the provision.  

A clear expectation is established that all pupils, staff, and visitors engage with the space in a meaningful way, beginning with placing their photo tag in their ‘feelings home’ to support emotional awareness and regulation. Pupils were observed actively engaging in language activities that had been carefully selected to meet the needs of the pupils. Pupils attend the Learning Lounge as part of a flexible timetable, transitioning back to their mainstream classrooms for other elements of the day and curriculum, which supports both inclusion and reintegration. The Learning Lounge is an exceptional provision which meets the needs of the pupils with care.  

Leadership and Inclusion  

There is a large leadership team where leaders’ skillsets complement each other and passion for their roles is evident in their practise. Leaders create a culture where staff feel confident to take risks and feel trusted in their roles. The leadership structure includes an Inclusion Team, cementing the notion that inclusion is not confined to a single role but is embedded across all levels of leadership, with a shared moral purpose centred on the needs of the child. The ‘Hillborough Way,’ represented through the ‘onion’ model, places the individual at the centre of decision-making, ensuring that provision is tailored and responsive.  

The school housesh a SEMH provision that supports pupils from other schools in the Local Authority; this empowers pupils to be reintegrated into mainstream classrooms, with the pupils at the heart of the process. This provision, whilst separate from the school, provides pupils with a careful programme of working both within the school and outreach, supporting staff and pupils, to provide effective reintegration to mainstream provision. 

Learning Beyond the Classroom  

The curriculum is engaging and balanced, with a strong emphasis on developing positive relationships alongside a performance arts focus. Pupils were observed practising a puppet show which they had been working on all year, from designing the puppets, making the puppets, set design and story development. Pupils held post of office in relation to the puppet show; pupils talked excitedly about the upcoming shows and the roles they held. Within the classroom, a range of adaptive teaching strategies were evident, ensuring that learning was responsive to the diverse needs of pupils. Pupils were observed engaging in a variety of non-writing tasks, enabling staff to assess understanding through alternative approaches and reducing barriers linked to written output.  

Find Out More About IQM 

If your school is interested in achieving 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.