Mayplace Primary School retains IQM Flagship School Status

September 10, 2026

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Mayplace Primary School has retained its IQM Flagship School Status, recognising its continued commitment to inclusive practice and its determination to ensure that every pupil is known, valued and supported to achieve more than their best.

Inclusion at the heart of school life

Inclusion continues to be at the very heart of Mayplace Primary School’s vision and is embedded throughout every aspect of school life. Mayplace is a school where every child is known, valued and is supported to achieve more than their best regardless of their starting point or additional needs. Leaders are reflective and outward-facing, consistently seeking opportunities to learn from others and refine their own practice. Therefore, the school has continued to build upon its already strong inclusive provision this past year through research-informed developments, collaboration with other schools and dedicated commitment to continuous improvement.

Strengthening teaching and learning

A focus this year has been to strengthen effective teaching and learning to support pupils to become increasingly resilient and independent rather than becoming overly reliant on adult support. The school’s Teaching and Learning Model is underpinned by metacognitive approaches, enabling pupils to activate prior learning and build secure schemas. The Gradual Release Model is now embedded across the school to chunk learning into small steps.

Professional development has been fundamental in embedding this approach. This programme has been driven by inclusion through high quality teaching, ensuring staff understand how adaptive practice benefits all learners. As the Assistant Head commented, “What is good for pupils with SEND is good for everyone.”

The school has developed guidance to support teachers in scaffolding writing at both sentence and whole-text level, including the introduction of writing frames and Widgit symbols. Teachers described how the consistent use of scaffolds for all has increased pupils’ independence, for example, Colourful Semantics, modelled examples, manipulatives and Widgit symbols.

Creating calm, purposeful environments

Leaders have made deliberate choices when designing SEND friendly classrooms with clear expectations regarding classroom environments to reduce cognitive overload and support attention, independence and emotional regulation.

Space around the interactive whiteboard is purposefully kept free of clutter and unnecessary distracting displays have been removed. Information displays such as handwriting and the visual timetable are on hessian backed boards with uniform lettering.

There has been the introduction of Welcome Slides used each morning to communicate expectations, routines and early morning activities, enabling pupils to settle quickly and independently while freeing teachers to support those requiring additional emotional support. This has all resulted in calm, purposeful learning environments that support all learners.

Teachers described classrooms as “a lot less busy” and noted that pupils are calmer and more settled. Consistent classroom organisation across the school has also supported transitions between year groups.

Supporting pupils, families and the wider community

The excellent support Mayplace offers their families and the wider community continues to develop, with the new Community Hub becoming a valuable resource. Here, families can access the food and clothing bank, financial advice, and support from the Wellbeing Team. The popular toddler group has continued, with plans to combine this resource into the new two-year-old provision from September.

A noteworthy development over the past year has been Mayplace’s successful journey towards being an accredited J9 Safe Space. Members of the Pastoral team, including the Mental Health Lead and SENDCo completed J9 training, equipping them with the knowledge to recognise signs of domestic abuse, respond safely to disclosures and signpost families to appropriate support.

Mayplace provides a range of enrichment opportunities that ensures every pupil can participate fully in school life. Pupils shared their highlights which included Forest School and sports activities. The school’s Diversity Evening celebrated the rich cultural backgrounds represented within the school community, bringing families together through food, music and shared experiences.

Developing specialist provision

The Rainbow Room, the school’s specialist provision for pupils with autism, has seen significant developments since the last IQM Review. The updated outdoor learning area incorporates sensory play, cycling, water and sand activities and has made a huge difference for pupils. There are now two sensory rooms adapted to meet the range of individual needs. One supports more active sensory needs and the other offers a calming, low-stimulation environment.

The increasing use of Makaton has strengthened communication and enabled pupils to express their needs and requests. The Life Skills curriculum provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop independence through activities such as monthly trips to the library and shopping in the local supermarket for their cooking ingredients. One pupil confidently and proudly listed all the meals he had prepared over the last couple of years which included sushi and vegetable biryani.

Speaking to parents whose children access the Rainbow Room provided strong evidence of how settled and happy pupils are and how much progress they have made. One parent reflected how in a year, her child can now communicate his needs at schools and develop friendships. Pupils feel very much part of the Mayplace community and have opportunities to participate alongside their peers wherever appropriate. A new screen in the corridor sharing photos of pupil activities and achievements ensures they are visible and celebrated.

Looking ahead

From September, the opening of the Oak Room, a new provision for two-year-olds, will operate for 48 weeks of the year including wrap around care. This will enable the school to begin supporting pupils and their families at the earliest possible stage. The provision has been carefully designed to include a dedicated kitchen and an additional SEND breakout space, allowing pupils awaiting diagnosis or an EHCP to benefit from targeted support alongside access to mainstream experiences.

Mayplace has also identified an ambitious and exciting new 3-year project across 3 strands, entitled Closing the Gap – A Whole-School Approach. The project reflects the school’s continued commitment to ensuring that every pupil, regardless of background or circumstance, has equitable opportunities to succeed.

Find Out More About IQM

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.