Inclusive School Awards for Local Authorities

IQM works with LAs across the UK to build borough-wide consistency in inclusive practice and to recognise the exceptional work happening in schools.

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How can LAs get involved in IQM School Awards?

There are a few ways how Local Authorities can partner with IQM. Firstly, they can identify schools that are ready for recognition of their inclusive ethos and practices, encouraging them to become accredited. Or they can aim to have each school in the Local Authority complete their Inclusive School Award by supporting each school with the registration fees (following in Liverpool City Council's footsteps).

The IQM Award for Local Authorities recognises when all schools in a borough have either achieved or are actively working towards the Inclusive School Award. This demonstrates the Local Authority's strategic commitment to ensuring a consistent and high-quality inclusive ethos across every setting.

In many cases, Local Authorities also choose IQM to accredit specific schools that have shown outstanding progress in developing inclusive practice. By formally recognising these schools, LAs build a borough-wide resource of expertise that other schools can draw upon. This strengthens collaboration, drives improvement, and ensures inclusive practice benefits all pupils, not only those with SEND, but every child in the community.

With several LAs already working toward having all schools on the IQM pathway, this recognition signals a clear commitment to inclusion and provides an external benchmark against which progress can be measured.

Why do Local Authorities choose IQM?

Decision-makers Local Authority school improvement and SEND teams choose IQM because it enables them to:

  • Demonstrate the impact and quality of inclusive practice across the borough.
  • Recognise schools that go above and beyond for inclusion with formal accreditation.
  • Show inclusion is for all pupils, not only those with SEND.
  • Track progress over time for schools on the IQM pathway.
  • Access annual feedback for Centres of Excellence and Flagship Schools to maintain momentum.
  • Build a borough-wide support network where schools share expertise and resources.
  • Align with nationally recognised benchmarks to strengthen inspection readiness.
  • Provide evidence of success to parents, governors, and other stakeholders.

See IQM case studies

Liverpool City Council, driving inclusive practice forward for Merseyside

Liverpool City Council is committed to improving provision across the region.

One of our Executive Leads for School Improvement, Sarah Linari, met with council decision-makers to organise for each school within the Liverpool City Council region to have financial support with the registration for the IQM award.

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The IQM way

Promotes access and diversity

Raises achievement for all

Improves inclusive nature of all schools

Creates an environment for all to succeed

Promotes access and diversity

Raises achievement for all

Improves inclusive nature of all schools

Creates an environment for all to succeed

The IQM way

Process

The process for Local Authorities is tailored to each individual school, ensuring both Authority-wide priorities and school-specific contexts are considered.

Evaluative Framework

The IQM Evaluative Framework provides an external, nationally recognised standard for measuring inclusive practice across settings.

Pricing

Costs for registration and assessment follow the same structure as UK schools. You can find out more on our pricing page.

Hear from UK IQM Local Authorities

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Make Inclusion Matter

FAQs

A nationally and internationally recognised accreditation that celebrates and supports outstanding inclusive practice in schools.

The average time for schools to complete the award is two terms, though timescales vary depending on readiness and chosen award level.

Yes - we work with schools in the UAE, Europe, and beyond, adapting our assessments to different curricula and cultural contexts.

Pricing information can be found on each award page. The cost of a school's registration is £299.50 + VAT. This is renewed every 3 years. The cost for Flagship and Centre of Excellence are UK prices.

No - while SEND is a core focus, IQM covers all aspects of inclusion, from diversity and equity to staff culture and community engagement.

About IQM

The only national award for inclusion in the UK, IQM has been committed to recognising exemplary inclusive schools for over 20 years and in over 20 countries around the world. The three awards allow schools and organisations to dcelebrate their inclusive practice against nationally recognised framework.

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