IQM | Inclusion Quality Mark

What IQM | Inclusion Quality Mark does

Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) is a UK-based private accreditation body, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, that provides assessment, accreditation, and improvement services to schools and education settings on inclusive practice. Its core offering is the IQM Evaluative Framework, an 8-element structured framework used to evaluate inclusive school values, leadership, environment, processes, policies, and outcomes. Schools progress through a three-tier award ladder — Inclusive School Award (entry), Centre of Excellence (intermediate), and Flagship School Status (advanced, requiring 3+ years of sustained Centre of Excellence) — with regional variants for Wales (aligned to Estyn) and an International Inclusive School Award adapted to non-UK curricula including UAE (KHDA) and European contexts.

The business sells predominantly through a direct, sales-led motion: schools register via iqmaward.com for a £299.50 + VAT registration fee (renewed every 3 years) and then progress through self-evaluation, pre-assessment support, and a formal assessment including a site visit by an IQM assessor. Revenue is therefore a blend of recurring registration fees and one-time assessment fees, with a separate international pricing schedule that includes travel/accommodation pass-throughs and a 100% cancellation penalty within 10 weeks of confirmed dates. Customer segments span UK mainstream, special, and independent schools (primary), Irish schools, international schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, Local Authorities, and Community Clubs.

IQM's go-to-market combines a content-heavy website and blog, organic social (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), webinars, in-person conferences (including an Inclusive Education Conference for the North of England and events across the South, Ireland, and the Middle East), and a post-sale CPD layer (IQM Cluster Groups) for Centre of Excellence and Flagship Schools. The company operates without disclosed funding, parent, or M&A activity, and is independently managed by a small team of professional assessors, ambassadors, and senior staff.

Name

IQM | Inclusion Quality Mark

Legal name

Inclusion Quality Mark

Website

https://iqmaward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) is a UK-based accreditation body that assesses and certifies schools for inclusive practice via its proprietary 8-element Evaluative Framework, serving UK, Irish, and international schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, Local Authorities, and community organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Accreditation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Psychometric Standards, Test Development & Validation Authorities (EDADAFAG)

Keywords

• Inclusion accreditation
• SEND school awards
• School quality mark
• Education inclusion audit
• Special educational needs

Headquarters

HQ city

Londonderry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. School Registration Fees: Schools pay a registration fee of £299.50 + VAT upon registration, which is renewed every 3 years. This covers initial access to the IQM process and pre-assessment support.
2. Assessment and Review Fees: Schools undergo formal assessment by IQM assessors including site visits. The assessment process generates fees, with separate pricing for Flagship and Centre of Excellence awards at UK prices.
3. International School Assessment: International schools pay assessment costs. If an International school cancels within 10 weeks of confirmed dates, 100% of assessment costs are payable plus travel and accommodation costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IQM provides inclusion-focused accreditation and quality marks for schools, assessing how well they include pupils with special educational needs, disabilities and additional needs. Schools progress through a tiered framework (Inclusive School Award, Centre of Excellence, Flagship School) using a three-step pathway of registration, audit and award, with assessor-led reviews and a multi-year renewal cycle. Variants exist for schools in England, Wales and international settings, with cluster group options for groups of three or more schools.

Product overview

IQM offers a tiered accreditation system comprising three main awards—the Inclusive School Award (entry level), Centre of Excellence Award (intermediate), and Flagship School Award (advanced)—forming a progression pathway for schools committed to inclusive education. The awards are supported by the IQM Evaluative Framework, with participating schools also able to access IQM Cluster Groups for networking, IQM Webinars and Conferences for professional development, and Pre-Assessment Support during registration. Regional variants include the Inclusive School Award (Wales) and International Inclusive School Award, with an additional National Inclusion Champions recognition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inclusive School Award Entry-level inclusion accreditation for schools beginning their inclusion quality mark journey, awarded following registration, audit and assessment under IQM's three-step pathway.
• Centre of Excellence Higher-tier inclusion accreditation awarded to schools that demonstrate sustained inclusion practice, typically after a 3-year cycle, with renewal built into the multi-year award framework.
• Flagship School Top-tier inclusion quality mark awarded to schools after approximately 6 years of continuous inclusion accreditation, recognising long-term commitment and exemplary inclusion practice.
• IQM Wales Welsh variant of the IQM inclusion accreditation programme, tailored for schools in Wales seeking an inclusion quality mark.
• IQM International International variant of the IQM inclusion accreditation programme, offered to schools outside the UK seeking an internationally recognised inclusion quality mark.
• IQM Cluster Groups Group inclusion accreditation programme for clusters of 3 or more schools that want to work together on inclusion quality mark assessment, with shared activities and group identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,500+ schools have achieved or are working towards the Inclusive School Award
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Halton Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHalton Borough Council partnered with IQM through the Deliver Better Values initiative to support, celebrate, and grow inclusive excellence in Halton schools. Mike Stapleton-Chambers, Head of Service for Deliver Better Values program, worked with IQM's Executive Leads to bring the IQM framework to Halton schools, resulting in schools like The Brow Community Primary School becoming the first in the borough to achieve Centre of Excellence status.
• IQM Cluster Groups NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCluster Groups connect Centre of Excellence and Flagship Schools for ongoing professional development and networking. Schools share resources, exchange ideas, and collaborate on emerging challenges in education. Each cluster meeting is guided by an IQM expert.
• Communicate (Autism Service)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brow Community Primary School works with Communicate, the Autism Service, alongside Educational Psychologists and other external professionals to develop and enhance provision for learners with additional needs.
• Northern Guild Trainee Counselling ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutwood Academy Bishopsgarth works with the Northern Guild trainee counselling service as part of their support for pupils, alongside various external agencies to fully support student needs.
• EOS EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Denham Primary School is supported through links with EOS Education as they strive to ensure the curriculum places the child at the centre.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• British Council (International School Award): The British Council runs the International School Award, an accreditation scheme for schools demonstrating global/international work. It is the closest direct peer to IQM in operating a school-level quality mark with international reach, differentiated only by IQM's focus on inclusion vs. internationalism.
• Council of International Schools (CIS): CIS accredits international schools globally using evaluative frameworks and member visits. Like IQM, it operates a tiered accreditation/membership model for schools seeking external validation of quality standards across multiple jurisdictions.
• National Autistic Society (NAS) - Accreditation: NAS runs accreditation programmes for schools and services supporting autistic learners. It is a direct peer to IQM in delivering inclusion-related school accreditation with assessment and quality mark delivery.
• Stonewall School Champions: Stonewall's School Champions programme is an inclusion-focused accreditation for schools advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion. It is a direct peer to IQM in offering a UK school-level quality mark specifically for an inclusion domain.
• Eco-Schools: Eco-Schools runs a tiered award programme (Green Flag being highest) for schools evidencing sustainability practice. It is a direct peer in delivering a multi-level school accreditation with framework-based assessment and an international footprint.

Emerging players

• NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs): NASEN is the UK membership body for SEND professionals and increasingly develops resources and quality frameworks for schools. It is an emerging player in the same inclusion/quality space as IQM, with broader reach but less specialized accreditation delivery.
• Diana Award: The Diana Award runs anti-bullying and inclusion programmes accredited through schools. It is an emerging peer in school-level inclusion recognition, with a narrower thematic focus than IQM's whole-school inclusion framework.

Broad incumbents

• Investors in People: Investors in People accredits organizations (including schools) against a people/leadership framework with tiered awards. It is a broad incumbent in the school accreditation space, operating across many sectors rather than specializing in inclusion.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): IB accredits schools globally to deliver its programmes, with curriculum-specific frameworks and site visits. It is a broad incumbent in international school accreditation, overlapping with IQM on international schools but focused on curriculum delivery rather than inclusion.

Others

• UK Accreditation Service (UKAS): UKAS is the national accreditation body for certification bodies. It is an adjacent/ecosystem peer — not a direct competitor to IQM but a relevant reference point for accreditation infrastructure and standards authority in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Inclusion-Quality-Mark-IQM-102067395572441
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iqmaward
• Instagraminstagram.com/iqmaward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IQM | Inclusion Quality Mark