Northbury Primary School awarded IQM Centre of Excellence Award

September 10, 2026

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Northbury Primary School has been awarded the IQM Centre of Excellence Award in recognition of its strong commitment to inclusion and its work to remove barriers and create an environment where all children can thrive alongside peers.

Bespoke Provision for Individual Needs

Their commitment to inclusion is demonstrated through the school’s development of two bespoke, non-statutory provisions, the Willow and Owl rooms. These are not tokenistic interventions but carefully considered, flexible environments designed to meet the individual needs of pupils.

Leaders practice ‘reversed inclusion’ where their non-neurodivergent children are integrated into the spaces that have been designed for children with neurodiverse needs. This gives peers the opportunity to genuinely engage with children with complex needs and also benefits mainstream children with emotional and sensory needs.

95% of their children who attend the Owl and Willow provision would be in a specialist provision, if places were available, such are their needs.

Removing Barriers to Learning

Northbury Primary School has developed a highly inclusive approach to teaching and learning that reflects the increasingly complex needs of its children, including those within its two additional SEND learning provisions.

Communication support is a particular strength across the school. All staff are trained in Communication in Print and visual supports are used consistently, reducing cognitive load.

The school has worked relentlessly to develop a learning environment that is responsive to the diverse and increasingly complex needs of its pupils. Fluid groupings are responsive to individual needs rather than fixed by ability, ensuring pupils receive support and challenge while retaining belonging.

Strong Partnerships With Families

The school has developed strong partnerships between home and school, with parents feeling informed and actively involved.

The Social Inclusion Officer and DSL provide ESOL, maths, oral health and healthy eating workshops, alongside a baby and toddler group, fitness club and themed coffee mornings.

Parents are extremely complimentary about the school, with staff described as going ‘above and beyond to be warm, friendly, helpful and valued’.

A Culture of Belonging

All stakeholders agreed that the school values all of its children, staff and families equally. The school celebrates everyone’s unique strengths, cultures and learning needs.

Children describe themselves as happy and well supported, with the school’s ‘3 Before Me’ approach encouraging independence through Think, Look, Ask.

The school is driven to remove barriers and to create an environment where all children can thrive alongside peers. As one governor described it, Northbury Primary School is ‘trailblazing’.

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.