Kingswood Secondary Academy, part of Greenwood Academies Trust, has been awarded the prestigious Global Inclusion Award at the IFIB and UNESCO Global Inclusion Awards 2024. This international recognition highlights the school’s exceptional commitment to fostering inclusivity. They achieved the award alongside other academic institutions from 36 countries across the world.

Judges at the IFIB Global Inclusion Awards said this award was given as a mark of ‘sincere respect, admiration, and high praise’ for Kingswood Secondary Academy’s efforts, attainment and leadership in this changing world to be more inclusive. This accolade acknowledges the school’s unwavering dedication to creating an environment where every student feels values and supported.

The IFIB Global Inclusion Awards, co-organised by UNESCO and the International Forums of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP), represents a significant leap forward in promoting inclusion on an international scale. These awards serve as a unifying platform, showcasing the finest inclusion strategies across the education sector, while drawing inspiration from diverse sectors worldwide.

Kingswood Secondary Academy’s core vision is to provide the very best education for all their students to enable them to achieve their full potential to take the appropriate next steps in their lives as valued and confident members of society.  They implemented a specialised programme focussed on building their key RISE values of Respect, Independence, Service to Community and Empathy. This initiative was met with great acclaim by the judges at the IFIB Global Inclusion Awards.

Principal, Matt Gamble, represented Kingswood Secondary Academy at a special award ceremony called ‘Celebrating Inclusion in Education: 30^th Anniversary of the Salamanca Declaration’, held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This event brought together representatives from across the global education sector to discuss policies and initiatives for prioritising and promoting inclusion in education.

At the event, participants reflected on the Salamanca Statement, which established the fundamental principle of inclusion in education, emphasising that “all children should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have.” This statement underscores the importance of recognising and responding to the diverse needs of pupils within inclusive schools which is a fundamental belief shared by Kingswood.

Matt Gamble, Principal at Kingswood Secondary Academy, said: “Receiving the Global Inclusion Award is a tremendous honour and a testament to the dedication of our entire school community to create an inclusive environment where every student can thrive. We are blessed to have such a wonderful body of staff at Kingswood who go above and beyond on a daily basis to support our students to be successful. It is a privilege to receive this award on behalf of everyone at Kingswood.”

Kingswood Secondary Academy remains committed to championing education for all and looks forward to continuing its efforts in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all.