Reach Academy becomes one of only 100 schools to achieve the prestigious flagship status from IQM

The IQM Award provides UK schools with a nationally recognised validation of their inclusive practice and commitment to educational inclusion.

The system has three levels, awarding individual schools, to becoming a centre of excellence, and then being recognised as a flagship school.

Reach Academy has Flagship school status, which confirms that they have the skillset and capacity to play a strong leadership role in developing inclusion best practice through classroom-based research across a network of schools.

To qualify for this prestigious award, the school on Field Hill was recognised as a Centre of Excellence for over three years and inspired other schools with their inclusive practice and innovative approaches to ensure every pupil felt cared for and fully supported in their unique learning journey.

Their approaches and findings were then shared across a network of schools to ensure that their positive impact extended beyond Reach Academy and allowed other schools to go on their own inclusion journey.

The assessors were “left with the clear understanding that Reach Academy had a clear focus and vision to help the most vulnerable students” and when walking through the school they described it as a “bright and welcoming place”.

Assessors also noted that pupil’s’ emotional needs are well catered for and that there is a simple but effective visual system in place where students can indicate their need, with staff quickly making subtle adjustments to ensure their students get the support they need.

The school dog, Benji, “is a great source of emotional comfort and is understandably popular with the students”, added assessors.

Hannah Lord, headteacher of Reach Academy said: “We are proud of the stimulating and safe environment we have created for young people where the emphasis is placed upon growing, learning and fulfilling the potential of every child.

“Our dedication to inclusion is shown through a commitment to improving the life chances of our pupils by removing barriers to engagement and achievement, and being a source of support for other schools to do the same.

“Our aim is to create a secure and inspiring environment where every child is empowered to take ownership of their lives, their learning and their decisions.

“We’re always working on the next project and the next way to improve, so retaining our Flagship status will allow us to do this”

Reach Academy is part of the Ethos Academy Trust, which provides a wide range of support and educational opportunities for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs that can’t be met in mainstream schools.

Jayne Foster, CEO of Ethos Academy Trust added: “Here at Ethos, we believe passionately that education, at every stage of the pupil journey, is about the development and nurture of the whole child.

“We aspire for all our pupils to become confident, happy and caring individuals who achieve personal success and develop a love of learning and of life.

“We are committed to building upon our track record of excellence through the development of high performing academies that deliver the very best educational experiences for pupils from across the primary and secondary age ranges.

“We have a clear focus on raising standards, encouraging innovation and further strengthening the ethos, vision and values of the Trust to ensure that we have a positive impact on all our children and young people.

“I am so proud of Reach Academy for their continued dedication to this vision through their IQM Flagship status.”

To find out more about Reach Academy, visit https://www.reachacademy.uk.com/