Many schools in Suffolk are working towards the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM). Some are now Centres of Excellence. The IQM provides a useful framework to audit and develop inclusive practice in schools for the benefit of pupils.

It is clear that smaller primary schools sometimes lack funding and capacity to engage with initiatives like this, so the Suffolk Education Partnership’s Inclusion Task group has been working with Suffolk County Council to unlock some funding to remove some barriers to this.

The Partnership has secured limited Suffolk County Council funding and is currently supporting a handful of small schools to work towards the IQM.

In the last funding round, this support made the difference for Barningham CEVC Primary School, who gave the following testimonial:

We are an inclusive school and had always wanted to apply for the Inclusion Quality Mark; however, as a small school, the cost associated with the application meant this was not previously a possibility for us. When the Suffolk Educational Partnership and Suffolk County Council’s grant for small schools became available, we jumped at the opportunity as it enabled us to take part in the IQM journey.

The process has been both rigorous and extremely valuable. The self-evaluation was particularly useful, providing a clear structure to reflect honestly on our inclusive practice and helping us to identify both strengths and areas for development. The additional support from SES was excellent; their guidance supported us throughout the application process and helped us to understand how best to evidence our work.

The assessment day itself was very positive and genuinely captured how inclusive we are as a school — something that is often true of small schools but not always easy to articulate or capture. As a result, we gained a strong and detailed report outlining clear strengths and next steps, which will continue to inform our school development.

With the renewed focus on inclusion within Ofsted, the timing of this process has been perfect for us. We would highly recommend the IQM to other schools, particularly small settings, and strongly encourage others to take advantage of this grant opportunity.