Suffolk school is inclusive ‘Centre of Excellence’

Poplars Community Primary School in Lowestoft has been named a “Centre of Excellence” by the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Award – one of only 240 schools in the UK to achieve this prestigious honour. 

Assessors for IQM visited the school in March, observed the school in action and spoke to a range of people including staff and pupils. They found that “The atmosphere outside the school gates before and after school is overwhelmingly positive, as smiling pupils enthusiastically recounted the events of the day to their parents.” 

In their final report, achievements in areas including attendance, educational attainment and provisions for including pupils with SEND in learning activities at the school were all noted: “School staff at Poplars assert that inclusion at Poplars means supporting everyone, and all differences, within the same classroom.” 

Senior leaders were praised for their inclusive approach: “The leadership of Poplars are passionate about pursuing a focus on ‘improving the life chances of pupils’ and ardently refuses to accept that children who are financially disadvantaged should achieve less than more affluent peers, which is also a core principle shared with the Trust.” 

Gemma Hurren, Headteacher of Poplars, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been awarded the Inclusive School Quality Mark, with Centre of Excellence status. This achievement has been a true collaborative effort, made possible through the dedication and involvement of our staff, children, families and wider community.” 

In order to achieve the IQM Centre of Excellence status, schools must demonstrate a range of features, including: 

• Committed to sustaining the Inclusion Quality Mark ethos through collaborative activities 
• Have demonstrable plans to sustain and develop internal inclusive practice 
• Have good mechanisms to disseminate and share good practice between the schools