Tor Bank School Retains Flagship School Status

August 27, 2026

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Congratulations to everyone at Tor Bank School for retaining their IQM Inclusive School Award with Flagship School status for the 6th year. This award recognises how the school continues to be self-evaluative and is always looking at ways to develop and improve. The staff at Tor Bank demonstrate a deep and sustained commitment to ensuring that all pupils feel valued, supported, and able to thrive and its inclusive practice remains exemplary.  

Expert Individual Support 

Tor Bank School is situated in Belfast and caters for pupils who have a wide range of complex special educational needs. Given the complexity of pupils’ needs the school benefits from a large, highly skilled and highly dedicated staff team, with staff demonstrating a strong knowledge and understanding of each individual pupil. 

Joyful Family Connections  

The school is simply joyous. From the moment of arrival, there was a true sense that there are no barriers to what pupils can achieve at Tor Bank. The array and quality of opportunities available to all pupils was striking. A particularly strong feature of practice is the way in which communication with families is prioritised. Families receive daily updates from class staff, which are essential given that many pupils are unable to verbally share their experiences of the school day. 

Outdoor Learning Flourishes 

The extensive outdoor provision at Tor Bank includes an outdoor gym, mud kitchen, nature trail and a variety of attractive playground spaces. The Flagship Project for the preceding couple of years was around ensuring effective Forest School provision onsite and the level of progress made in this area was observed. Outdoor learning is seen as essential for promoting good mental health for pupils. Each area has been carefully designed with a clear purpose and a focus on accessibility and inclusion.   

Sustainability Worth Celebrating  

Celebration is woven throughout the culture of Tor Bank School. It was inspiring to hear about the school’s celebrations for Sir David Attenborough’s birthday, which culminated in pupils planting an oak tree in his honour. The Eco Committee, described by staff as “a force to be reckoned with”, takes its responsibilities extremely seriously and is actively involved in promoting sustainability across the school. The enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment demonstrated by pupils involved in this work was impressive and there was lots of evidence of the endeavours they are undertaking to make the school even more sustainable.  

Families Connect Here  

The school’s Family Centre plays a significant role in supporting families. It was delightful to be able to see this special space and it really is lovely. It offers a wide range of opportunities for families to connect, including monthly parent workshops, regular coffee mornings, and a pre-school provision operating twice weekly.  

Inclusion Beyond Expectations 

Staff consistently go above and beyond in their commitment to inclusion. Every member of staff encountered during the visit shared a clear and unified focus on securing the highest levels of inclusive practice. There is evident pride in the school community, and this was reflected in the way staff spoke about their roles and responsibilities.  

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.