Place Farm Primary Academy Achieves Flagship School Status

August 24, 2026

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Congratulations to Place Farm Primary Academy on their Achievement of the IQM Inclusive School Award with Flagship School status. Following 3 years as a Centre of Excellence, they have established a commitment to continually self-reflect, improve and share their expertise, fully encompassing all that it expected of an IQM Flagship School.  

Excellence From Arrival 

Place Farm Primary Academy is a school that makes a powerful impression from the moment you arrive. Classrooms are considered, purposeful and beautifully suited to learning. Children were settled, engaged and happy, and behaviour throughout the day was exemplary. This is a school that radiates warmth, ambition and a deep sense of care for every member of its community. 

Purposeful Learning Spaces 

The learning environment has been designed with real thought and intention. Display boards are purposeful rather than decorative, supporting learning directly by building subject vocabulary across the term in a way that pupils can access and build upon. Scaffolding was visible across classrooms, enabling teachers to support the full range of learners without making that support feel anything other than natural. All children are accessing the same material at the pace and through the methods that best suit their individual needs. 

Pupil Voices Shine 

Throughout the school, pupil leadership and voice are celebrated visibly. The student leadership board, reading displays and motivational speeches are laid out in a way that is welcoming and affirming, putting the achievements and contributions of pupils front and centre. Pupils speak about their school with genuine pride and affection. When asked to describe Place Farm in a single word, they offered: sensational, phenomenal, brilliant, awesome, optimistic and, perhaps most memorably, gargantuan. This spirit of pride and belonging is not accidental; it has been carefully cultivated by a school that understands deeply what it means to make every child feel that they matter. 

Opportunities Beyond Lessons 

The range of enrichment opportunities available to pupils is impressive and reflects the school’s wholehearted commitment to developing the whole child. The school goes out of its way to find ways for each child to be involved and integrated in the life of the school. Clubs and activities cater for a wide range of interests, from sports and science to eco warriors, the POD squad and the school choir. 

Technology Enhances Learning 

Technology is used thoughtfully and purposefully. Years 4, 5 and 6 have individual iPads to support bespoke learning, and cameras are used to show children examples of teacher modelling in real time. Importantly, the school maintains a healthy balance of methods and is not dependent on technology alone. The CUSP curriculum is a central feature of the school’s approach and Place Farm has developed such expertise in its implementation that it now serves as an example school for neighbouring settings, sharing its curriculum successes with the wider community.  

Expertise Shared Generously 

The IQM lead has developed a working party group focused on sharing expertise and creating practical guides for other practitioners, including guides on how to write EHCPs. This school is regularly an exemplar for others and has clearly earned that reputation through sustained effort, genuine reflection and a culture of generosity in sharing what works. 

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.