St James’ Church of England Infant and Nursery School Achieves IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status

August 17, 2026

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Congratulations to St James’ Church of England Infant and Nursery School on achieving the IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status. This recognition is a well-deserved celebration of a school where inclusion, compassion and high expectations are woven into every aspect of daily life. 

Growing Together 

St James’ Church of England Infant and Nursery School is small & compact, located in the heart of inner-city Derby. Its four school values are “GROW” – be Grateful and well mannered, show Respect to yourself and others, try Our best in all that you do, Welcome everyone and new opportunities. The staff and children work together throughout the day GROWing. These values underpin everything that is done in this very child-centred school.   

Autism Advocacy in Action 

St James’ are proud to be Autism Advocates and were invited to be part of the Project for the Inclusion of Neurodivergent Pupils in School (PINS) which will be completed after 2 years at the end of this academic year. As a faith school, its’ mission is based upon St Matthews Gospel (Chapter 25), ‘I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.’  

Supporting Every Child  

One key thing that particularly helps children thrive at the school is staff sharing what is expected of them and pupils: the clear routines of the day, the consistent approaches to learning, and the calmness and self-awareness of children moving from one area to another to continue their learning journeys.  The staff totally immerse all the children in well-structured communication – whether it is verbal, reinforced with written or diagrammatical Widgits, or using technology and dedicated programmes to support improved and clearer communication.    

Care, Connection and Joy  

The staff take every opportunity to reinforce speech & language skills and develop them at each child’s pace.  It is a haven of activity, and the children enjoy being surrounded by professional care and love – knowing that they are always safe and secure.  The staff bring an air of joy and encouragement to everything that they do.  They make strong connections and positive relationships with the children that they teach, and their families.  

Inclusion Without Limits  

It is a clear testament to St James’ Infants and Nursery School that all their children can access fulltime provision, and at normal transition age some move into a SEND provider having been successful in mainstream. It is truly a fully inclusive school and should be fully recognised.  The staff work as a united team and their hard work, commitment, compassion and drive to enable each child to succeed is amazing.  The Headteacher and her staff are truly inspirational, valuing everyone who works at, attends, or visits the school.    

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.