Wellbeing Quality Mark
Mental health support, physical wellbeing, pupil voice and agency, staff wellbeing, and the conditions for genuine belonging — for every person in…
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School Quality Marks
Inclusion Quality Mark
Whole-school inclusion — from leadership and SEND support to family engagement and fairness for every pupil, regardless of background, disability, or identity.
Inclusion
This mark
Attendance
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Enrichment
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SEND
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Behaviour
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Governance
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Wellbeing
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6Areas assessed
36Standards
3Levels of award
3 yrAccreditation
The assessment areas
What this mark assesses
The Inclusion Quality Mark assesses 6 areas of school practice. Each is scored, and together they build a full picture of where your school is and where it can go next.
AREA 1
Leadership & Culture
AREA 2
Finding & Supporting Need
AREA 3
Teaching
AREA 4
Pupil Wellbeing
AREA 5
Families & Community
AREA 6
Fairness & Access
Whole-school inclusion — from leadership and SEND support to family engagement and fairness for every pupil, regardless of background, disability, or identity.
Six assessment areas
This quality mark assesses six areas of school practice. Each is scored, and together they build a full picture of where your school is and where it can go next.
About this quality mark
Inclusive Quality Mark is available at Established, Advanced and Leading level. Each level reflects a genuinely different standard of embedded practice — not just more paperwork, but a meaningfully higher threshold. Reviews are conducted by independent practitioners with direct experience in this area, and every report is quality-checked before it reaches you.
The Inclusive Quality Mark framework covers six areas of school life. It works for UK state schools, independent schools, international schools, and alternative provision settings. Where English-specific terms come up, your reviewer finds the right equivalent for your context.
How the scoring works
Every standard is rated red, amber or green against the level descriptors. Green means the practice meets the descriptor at that level. Your school completes an honest self-evaluation; your reviewer rates the same standards on the visit, and their ratings set the award.
The three levels
- Established — no reds, and at least 30 of the 36 standards green. Up to six ambers are allowed, with no more than two in any one area.
- Advanced — Established is met first, then at least 27 of 36 standards green against the Advanced descriptors, with no more than two ambers in any area.
- Leading — Advanced is met first, then at least 30 of 36 green against the Leading descriptors, with evidence of impact beyond your own school.
The assessment framework
Below is the detailed framework for the first areas, showing what Established, Advanced and Leading look like for each criterion. The full set of six areas with detailed criteria is provided once you register.
Leadership & Culture
| Criterion | Established | Advanced | Leading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision & Values | Inclusion is in the school’s plans. Leaders can say what it means in practice. | Inclusion shapes how the school plans and spends money. Leaders at all levels talk about it confidently. | Staff, families, and pupils have helped shape the school’s approach. Other schools come to learn from it. |
| Leadership | Someone in senior leadership is named as responsible for inclusion. That responsibility is visible. | Responsibility is shared across the team. Middle leaders take it seriously in their own areas. | Every level of leadership models inclusive practice. The school is growing the next generation of inclusive leaders. |
| Governance | Governors get regular updates. One governor has specific responsibility. | Governors look at inclusion data, ask hard questions, and hold leaders to account. | Inclusion is a standing item at board level with proper reporting. Governors have a deep understanding. |
| Staff Culture | Staff broadly believe inclusion is everyone’s job. The attitude is positive. | Inclusion is part of the fabric of the school. Staff challenge things that are not inclusive and are supported when they do. | The school is a genuinely inclusive workplace. Who you recruit and how you develop people reflects inclusive values. |
| Training | All staff get training at least once a year. New staff get it in their induction. | Training is regular, targeted, and tied to what the school is working on. Staff can point to things they have changed as a result. | Staff lead training for each other. Other schools come here for professional development on inclusion. |
| Policies & Accountability | Key policies are current and being used. Leaders can show the policy and practice match. | Policies are reviewed with input from staff, families, and pupils. There is clear accountability for making them happen. | Policies are shaped together with the school community. Impact is honestly evaluated and shared with others. |
Finding & Supporting Need
| Criterion | Established | Advanced | Leading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotting need early | There is a clear process for identifying children who need extra help, from the day they start. Everyone knows how to flag a concern. | The school uses attendance, assessment, and pastoral information together to catch things early rather than waiting for crises. | The school can point to specific children whose difficulties were caught and addressed before they got worse. |
| Plans & reviews | Support plans are current and the right people know what is in them. | Plans are high quality and actually change what happens for that child. Reviews involve the family and the child. | Plans are created with families and children. The school can show specifically how each plan has made a difference. |
| Provision mapping | There is a clear record of what support is in place for which children. | Provision mapping is used to check whether support is working and make decisions about resources. | The school can show the impact of every significant piece of support. Nothing is continued just because it has always been done. |
| Quality of support | Children with SEND get appropriate support. The inclusion lead or SENCO is qualified and accessible. | Support is working. Children make good progress. What is not working gets changed. | The inclusion lead drives inclusion across the whole school. Results for children with SEND are genuinely strong. |
| Transitions | When children move into or out of the school, important information travels with them. | Transitions are planned carefully with the child and family. The school works closely with wherever the child goes next. | The school has developed transition processes other schools use. Children with SEND move on without losing ground. |
| Working with services | Staff know how to get help from other agencies and use those routes when needed. | The school works well with external agencies. There is a clear record of what was arranged and what difference it made. | The school is an active, valued partner in its local network. It shapes the quality of services available to pupils. |
How the scoring works
Red, amber, green — against the level descriptors
Green
Meets the descriptor at this level — secure, consistent and evidenced across the school.
Amber
Developing — in place in parts, but not yet secure across the whole school.
Red
Not yet in place, or a significant gap to address.
We're here for youNot sure whether this is what you need? Talk it through with us first.
Register for the Inclusion Quality Mark
Schools, trusts and groups can register their interest today. We will get back to you to talk through the process.
Talk to us about the Inclusion Quality Mark
Tell us about your school and Shaun, our Founder and CEO, will get back to you. No pressure, no obligation, just a friendly chat about whether the Inclusion Quality Mark is right for you.
- A response within two working days, guaranteed
- You speak to our Founder and CEO, nobody else
- Initial conversations are always free
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Just a few details and Shaun will be in touch.
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