Quality Marks and Awards

Quality Marks and Awards are presented to schools by national organisations to show they have reached a high standard in a particular area. Since new leadership were appointed in September 2018, Highfields staff have been working towards a variety of quality marks.

To date we have achieved the following quality marks:

NSPCC Independent Safeguarding Audit
In Autumn 2023 and Spring 2026, we commissioned the NSPCC to inspect our safeguarding processes and the wider culture at the school – beyond the paperwork and flow diagrams, we wanted to find out how our community members genuinely feel whilst here. We did this because we are aware that PRUs / APs can have a reputation as being hostile environments and we wanted a second view on that – we also wanted an honest view because, as much as we are confident we have a strong approach, we believe inviting honest second opinions helps us leave no stone unturned. The reports from these audits can be viewed here:

Highfields NSPCC Report – March 2026

Highfields NSPCC Report – Nov 2023

ADHD Friendly Award
This is awarded by the ADHD Foundation where schools have shown high standards around working with students with ADHD and other attention difficulties.

Inclusive Schools Awards
This award is part of a national initiative from the IQM association, made up of 5500 schools, which takes schools through a thorough self-evaluation and accreditation scheme around how they ensure young people and their individualities are recognised – and how barriers to inclusion are removed and differences celebrated. These are then rigorously peer-reviewed on an annual basis.

The report from the IQM visit in Jan 2023 can be viewed here: Highfields College – IQM Report – Jan 2023

The report from the IQM visit in Jan 2024 can be viewed here: Highfields College – IQM Report – Jan 2024

The report from the IQM visit in Jan 2025 can be viewed here: Highfields College – IQM Report – Jan 2025

The report from the IQM visit in Jan 2026 can be viewed here: Highfields College – IQM Report – Jan 2026

Rights Respecting School Award – Bronze
This is awarded by UNICEF to schools who show awareness of children’s rights and try to put them at the centre of all they do.

RHS School Gardening Awards – Level 5
These RHS School Gardening Awards celebrate the engagement and learning that takes place outside in our school allotment.

School of Character Quality Mark
This is awarded by the Association of Character Education for our work around personal development – ‘developing the whole person’. The 2022 report can be viewed here: School of Character Quality Mark Award – Report for Highfields.

The 2025 renewal report can be viewed here: Highfields College QM Renewal Report 2025

Trauma-Informed Educator and Employer – Silver
This is awarded by the Survivors Trust to organisations that are able to respond professionally and sensitively to trauma within their community. The report from their visit in 2021 can be viewed here: Survivor’s Trust Report for Highfields 2021

Communication Friendly School Status
This is awarded by Elklan / OCN London to schools that have trained all their staff in communication and language development strategies for the benefit of young people.

Quality Mark for English and Maths
An internationally acknowledged accreditation, coordinated by Tribal Group, supporting and recognising improving standards in the provision, practice and performance of English and mathematics, and providing evidence of high-quality education. The report from their visit in 2022 can be viewed here: Quality Mark for English and Maths – Highfields College – Report 05-2022