Rickmansworth School Achieves the IQM Inclusive School Award

September 2, 2026

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Rickmansworth School has achieved the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Inclusive School Award in recognition of its inclusive ethos, exceptional support for pupils and commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed. 

Transition That Creates a Sense of Belonging 

The inclusion values of the school are a clear strength at Rickmansworth. Starting with primary feeders, teachers visit and meet every child in Year 6 that will attend in Year 7. From this visit, transition is supported at great lengths. 

Academically pupils are reassessed to ensure targeted learning and appropriately planned provision; holistically pupils are invited to moving up days, but notably the school goes above and beyond to acknowledge both the child and their families in a ‘welcome day’ where they are awarded house badges and initiated into their community. From this point summer clubs welcome these, and all children. 

Pupils told the assessor that they feel that ‘Ricky’ is somewhere that they belong; it feels like family. 

The Ricky Way 

The ’Ricky Way’ was referred to consistently during the assessors visit – the ‘6R’s’ are clearly embedded as the foundation of this school’s ethos, and apply during clubs, lessons, break times and even outside of school, linking the school ethos to a wider community value. 

Pupils told the assessor that through difficult times such as the Covid pandemic, and celebratory times alike, the Ricky way offered a grounding and consistency that ensure high ambition, good choices, community, belonging and pride in both staff and students. The ‘R’s’ are for all pupils to be responsible, show respect, have positive relationships, be resourceful, be resilient and to be reflective. 

Staff told the assessor passionately that ‘no child is left behind’, and the assessor witnessed systems in practice here to really anchor this concept into the values and reality of the school. 

Exceptional Opportunities for Every Child 

The extra-curricular offer is a clear inclusive asset for which the school must be praised. The timetable has been deeply considered enabling all pupils to both access and excel in an area that may be initially out of their comfort zone. 

The school boasts an exceptional wider curriculum offer which includes subject specific trips and visits, sporting events across the consortium and feeder schools, aspirational careers focussed trips, international trips, Duke of Edinburgh, drama, arts and music provision. 

In addition the facilities at the school for drama, music, sport and fitness have received clear and focussed investment and include a performance area, a pool, gym and all-weather surfaces. This not only offers the pupils excellent access to high quality resources building aspiration, but the school also welcomes the wider community to facilitate these, again strengthening links with families and other local institutions. 

Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing 

All staff are trauma-informed and the school offers a significant CPD calendar which is heavily weighted toward effective adaptive teaching and inclusive reasonable adjustments. Students therefore feel safe and secure; and as such they feel equipped and inspired to learn and to be their best. 

One student shared their own mental health journey and how staff and fellow pupils alike showed nothing but support and made every effort to ensure they felt safe. The emphasis on high expectations here runs further than the academic; pupils are supported through pastoral programmes and with strong staff relationships to attain and retain personal goals around sense of self, self-worth, ambition and pride. 

The school’s commitment to inclusion is particularly evident in its approach to alternative provision. Successes include the weekly mentoring commissioned through the ‘Kick London’ programme, offering targeted support for students experiencing behavioural or emotional difficulties. 

Celebrating Culture, Language and Future Aspirations 

Approximately one third of students at the school speak English as an additional language, with around 70 home languages represented across the school community. 

The school told the assessor that it is committed to recognising and celebrating its rich linguistic and cultural diversity. Events such as the ‘European Day of Languages’ and the ‘International Day of Culture’ provide opportunities for students to celebrate and share their heritage through traditional dress, food, music, dance and other performances. 

Transition though is not reserved for KS2 to KS3, the Careers lead is unequivocal in her dedication to flight path awareness for every child at every phase and stage. The commitment to this from Year 6 and beyond Year 13 really is exceptional and not like the assessor has seen elsewhere. 

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.