IQM Centre of Excellence Award for Inclusion
Chadwell Heath Academy Awarded IQM Inclusive School Award and Centre of Excellence Status
We are delighted to announce that Chadwell Heath Academy has achieved the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Inclusive School Award and has also been recognised as an IQM Centre of Excellence.
The award follows a two-day assessment in June 2026, during which the IQM assessor met with pupils, parents and carers, governors, teaching and support staff, middle and senior leaders and the Inclusion Team. The assessment also included learning walks and a detailed review of the Academy’s curriculum, teaching and learning, personal development, SEND provision, enrichment and wider inclusive practice. IQM is the only national inclusion award in the UK. For over 20 years and in over 20 countries, schools, MATs and Local Authorities use the Inclusion Quality Mark to recognise exemplary inclusive practice.
The final report was overwhelmingly positive, describing Chadwell Heath Academy as:
“An exceptional school that places inclusion at the very heart of everything it does.”
The assessor highlighted that inclusion at Chadwell Heath Academy is not simply a policy or an additional area of school improvement, but something that is embedded throughout everyday school life. Our commitment to No Child Left Behind was particularly recognised. The report noted that this is “not a slogan” but an organising principle which can be seen through the Academy’s systems, relationships and decision-making.
A strong sense of belonging
Pupil voice featured prominently throughout the assessment. Pupils described Chadwell Heath Academy using words including respect, opportunities, family, home, diverse, community and unified. One pupil described the Academy as having “a sense of family”, while others spoke about feeling safe, welcomed and supported.
Parents and carers also spoke positively about the care and opportunities provided for pupils, including those with additional needs, and highlighted the strong relationships that have developed between families and the school.
Ambition and opportunity for every pupil
The report praised the breadth and ambition of the Academy’s curriculum and the way academic achievement is combined with personal development, enrichment and aspiration.
The assessor highlighted the wide range of opportunities available to pupils, including enrichment activities, leadership opportunities, visits, performances and partnerships which help young people to broaden their experiences and consider future pathways.
Examples recognised within the report included pupils performing at the Royal Albert Hall, participating in Model United Nations at Oxford, supporting UK Parliament Week in local primary schools, contributing to the Chadwell Press, engaging in STEM initiatives, and Sports Leadership opportunities.
The Academy’s SEND and Inclusion provision was also highlighted as a significant strength, alongside the commitment of staff across the school to ensuring that pupils are known, supported and able to participate fully in school life.
Teaching, learning and personal development
The assessor described classrooms as calm, purposeful and well-structured and recognised the work taking place to adapt teaching to meet different pupils’ needs. The Academy’s work through the Embedding Formative Assessment programme, its restorative approach to behaviour and its focus on recognising effort and achievement were also identified as strengths.
Central to this is our RESPECT at Chadwell ethos and our belief that every member of our community has a role to play in inclusion.
Continuing to improve
Becoming an IQM Centre of Excellence is not the end of this work. It recognises the strength of current practice while also committing the Academy to continued development and annual review.
Our next steps include continuing to strengthen adaptive teaching, ensuring equitable access to enrichment and leadership opportunities, further developing parental engagement and using pupil voice to evaluate the impact of our work.
We are incredibly proud of this achievement and would like to thank our pupils, parents and carers, staff and governors for their contribution to creating a school community in which every pupil is encouraged to belong, participate and succeed.
As the IQM assessor concluded:
“The school is a worthy and outstanding Centre of Excellence, and its commitment to inclusion is an inspiration to all who encounter it.”
Ms A. Malik – IQM School Co-Ordinator
This page is awaiting content
