Cronk-y-Berry Primary School will become the first in the Island to be awarded a major benchmark for inclusion.
 
The Douglas school will receive the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) award for its commitment to ensuring its 360 pupils are included and valued regardless of their needs and backgrounds.
 
Around 1,000 schools in the UK hold the award.
 
IQM is also awarding Cronk-y-Berry ‘centre of excellence’ status in recognition of work it does to support neighbouring schools. Just 55 schools have this.
 
Founded 10 years ago, IQM is run by experienced educationalists who help schools to evolve their inclusive practices.
 
Schools’ regulator Ofsted says: ‘An educationally inclusive school is one in which the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every young person matters.’
 
In its assessment, IQM praises Cronk-y-Berry’s ‘energy and aspiration’ and the ‘visionary leadership’ of Headteacher Rob Sellors and says the school ‘embraces differences as the central glue of life’.
 
It adds: ‘Children succeed at Cronk-y-Berry because there is an investment in building and not in outcome alone. The relevance of learning is three-dimensional and each child is visible and their journey unique and celebrated.’
 
Mr Sellors said: ‘IQM is a development tool and, while it celebrates and promotes the school’s success, it also provides us with realistic feedback on areas where we could develop, so it fits very well with the Department of Education and Children’s School Self-Review and Evaluation process.’
 
IQM Director Joe McCann and lead assessor Dr Wendy Daley will present the school with the award on Thursday 27th November.
 
Two other primary schools, Bunscoill Rhumsaa and Dhoon, are working towards the IQM award and Mr McCann and Dr Daley will visit them during their trip to the Island.