The Barlow RC High School Achieves Centre of Excellence Status

September 3, 2026

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Congratulations to The Barlow RC High School on securing the IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status. This recognition acknowledges the school’s dedication to building a nurturing and ambitious learning community in which every pupil is encouraged to reach their full potential. 

Rise Up, Take Courage and Do It 

Students say, ‘this is the place to be, we always find a welcoming smile’. It is a school with a powerful vision to strive for excellence, a place which strongly builds outstanding relationships and believes that all their students, ‘can and will’, succeed. The school motto is ‘Rise up, take courage and do it.’  

SPAR Values in Action 

The school’s values are foremost in everyone’s mind and there are eye catching displays of them throughout the school. Staff work tirelessly to ensure that all learn the importance of fairness, in which dignity is upheld and respected and students are nurtured to be proud of promoting the school’s core values of serve, pray, achieve and respect.  

Professionals speak of how inclusion is strategically led and their students are at the `heart of everything they do’, how their approach to inclusion is delivered through the whole school team working closely together to ensure the needs of each pupil are understood in a holistic way. The knowledge gained by the pastoral, SEND and safeguarding team ensures critical examination of all barriers students may have to learning are addressed.  

A School of Hope and Opportunity

As you learn more about the day-to-day experiences and opportunities offered in The Barlow RC High School you find that all professionals are pushing their limits to innovate the best academic practice and realise their vision for educational excellence.  The school was described by one stakeholder as; `a school of hope and opportunity where everyone aspires for excellence and has a part to play in doing so.’  

Students know that they are being inspired to lead remarkable lives and can clearly share how the values learnt here will support them throughout their life-long learning journey. It is not surprising to see that several staff are regularly nominated for national awards recognising their contributions to education, it is also fantastic how students are also nominated regularly for outside recognition, such as a pupil winning the Manchester Achievement Award for self-management that recognises courage, commitment and character. More recently the school celebrated the achievement of the ‘Wellbeing Award for Schools’, an accredited recognition for schools who prioritise mental health and emotional welfare. 

Inclusion Through Learning and Leadership 

Diversity and uniqueness is celebrated and focused attention is paid to the needs of specific groups of students with no one being left out. This ensures that there is a broad and meaningful bespoke curriculum on offer, one that understands students have different interests, dreams, abilities and experiences of the world. They understand that it is important to celebrate their individuality so the curriculum has been designed with recognition of this, it is one that constantly encourages all to be independent and take ownership of their own learning.  

Students shared how learning and teaching at school is ‘amazing, challenging and fun,’ how the teachers are helpful, and always there for them. They discussed how they are encouraged to be ‘big-hearted.’ One pupil commented that: ‘Everyone is included here, how all are kind and caring, how if anyone needs help, if they can they will help them or tell a teacher, we believe in everyone.’ They spoke of the wide variety of opportunities on offer, visits to theatres, international trips and the many sporting opportunities both competitive and non-competitive.  

The assessor met with the Chaplaincy Ambassadors who spoke on how they take the lead in raising awareness of faiths, equality and discrimination. They plan and deliver assemblies to highlight what the schools values are and how important it is to develop the skills and morals needed to follow them.  

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.