Shadsworth Junior School retains IQM Flagship status

August 26, 2026

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The retention of IQM Flagship status highlights Shadsworth Junior School’s enduring commitment to inclusion. Having held the IQM Inclusive School Award consecutively since 2013, the school continues to lead through innovation and the development of outstanding inclusive practice.   

Supporting Communication and Learning 

The school is continuing to strengthen and expand its Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) provision and plans are in place to reintroduce universal screening for all pupils entering Year 3 to identify speech and language needs at the earliest possible stage.   

It is testament to the commitment of leaders that from next year, the Local Authority speech and language therapist has been commissioned to work in school on a weekly basis. This will enable the school to continue and enhance the valuable support for individual pupils as well as provide advice and guidance for staff who are becoming increasingly confident in supporting pupils with communication needs.   

The school benefits from the expertise of a highly skilled ELKLAN-trained teaching assistant who works closely with the speech therapist and school staff. She can carry out ELKLAN assessments independently, enabling more focused and responsive interventions for pupils. During discussions, she shared examples of how vocabulary development strategies, such as word trees and vocabulary sheets, are helping pupils develop their own self-help strategies and improve independence.  

Engaging Pupils Through Meaningful Learning  

Pupils are increasingly independent and resilient in lessons and confidently make suggestions about how activities can be adapted to support learning. Leaders highlighted that pupil voice feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with all pupils surveyed reporting that they enjoy the new ways of learning.  

Staff have engaged fully with ‘Botheredness’ training, which encourages teachers to use meaningful scenarios and purposeful contexts to increase engagement and deepen learning.   

Promoting Wellbeing and Belonging  

Relationships across the school are exceptionally strong and underpin the highly inclusive ethos. Leaders and staff consistently emphasised the importance of belonging, nurture and emotional wellbeing.   

Throughout the visit, pupils were observed to be polite, articulate and confident. They engaged enthusiastically in discussions about their learning and spoke positively about the support, opportunities and relationships that characterise life within the Shadsworth community. They were confident describing the support available to them and highlighted opportunities such as mindfulness club, Eco Warriors, sports activities and outdoor learning.   

The recently appointed Thrive practitioner has become a highly visible and trusted presence throughout the school day, particularly during break and lunchtime. He acts as an immediate point of support for pupils experiencing difficulties and leads targeted intervention groups focused on social skills, relationships and emotional regulation. Leaders reported that these interventions are having a significant impact on pupils’ confidence, communication and behaviour.    

Creative Approaches to Attendance  

Staff work creatively and persistently to improve attendance, and this is having impact. Leaders utilise detailed attendance analysis and work closely with families to identify and address barriers to attendance. Breakfast provision supports pupils to settle positively at the start of the day and contributes to improved punctuality and attendance. Reward systems are used effectively to motivate and engage pupils and this impacts on their wanting to be in school.  

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.