How to achieve the Secondary Quality Mark

Who can apply?

The Secondary Quality Mark is available to all maintained secondary schools in England and Wales, including middle (deemed secondary) schools, special schools and pupil referral units with secondary phase pupils. Independent secondary and special schools can also be accredited.

Each Secondary Quality Mark is awarded for three years. At the end of that period the award can be renewed for a further three years (and subsequently every three years), providing the school or setting still meets the criteria for all 10 elements and provides evidence that holding a Secondary Quality Mark has had a positive impact on its provision and practice in basic skills.

Who undertakes the assessment?

In England, a school or setting, whether maintained or independent, must be assessed by an assessor accredited by a local authority that has joined the Secondary Quality Mark Partnership. In most cases this will be the school or setting's own local authority. Where the local authority is not in the Secondary Quality Mark Partnership, the school or setting can negotiate its assessment by another local authority that is in the partnership.

In Wales, all schools are assessed for the Secondary Quality Mark by their local education authorities.

The recommendation for a Secondary Quality Mark awad can only be made by an accredited assessor. There is no deadline for applications and most local authorities assess Secondary Quality Mark applications throughout the year.

Local Authorities have differing procedures for managing, promoting, supporting and assessing the Secondary Quality Mark. Schools and settings interested in seeking accreditation will need to contact their own local authority to find out how assessment is undertaken and what support is available.

The details of designated Secondary Quality Mark contacts can be found by searching under the name of the relevant local authority on www.qmdatabase.org or by sending an email enquiry to qualitymark@basic-skills.co.uk.

What has to be demonstrated?

A school or setting has to show that at the time of its assessment:

• it meets the criteria for all 10 elements of the Secondary Quality Mark;
• there is a whole school commitment to improving basic skills;
• the performance of learners in basic skills is improving

While schools or settings may spend varying amounts of time working towards accreditation, a Secondary Quality Mark cannot be gained merely through commitment to meet all the elements in the future. An improvement in basic skills has to have taken place because a school or setting has added value through the quality of its provision. Any improvement will also need to relate to a period longer than a single academic year, in order to show that there is an upward trend.

Evidence to demonstrate that a school or setting is meeting the criteria for each element may come from a range of sources, some of which are suggested in the guidance for each element may come from a range of sources, some of which are suggested in the guidance for each element.

Documentary evidence can be presented in any format that makes it easy for the assessor to identify planning, provision and evidence of impact in basic skills. Most of what will be needed to demonstrate that the criteria are met will already be available in the school, as it will have been gathered for other purposes. Core documentation may either be presented in a specific portfolio or made available by highlighting sections in existing school files.

An assessor will also seek evidence through discussion with key stakeholders, such as staff, parent/governor representatives or pupils. Additional evidence may also be gathered through the observation of teaching and learning in lessons or intervention groups, or from taking a 'learning walk' around the school.

How is achievement of a Secondary Quality Mark recognised?

The Secondary Quality Mark is a registered logo that can only be used by currently accredited award holders. Individual schools and settings are entitled to display this logo, which is supplied electronically, on information and publicity materials, such as letterhead prospectus or advertisement. Award holders also receive a Secondary Quality Mark plaque, whcih can be wall mounted, an award certificate and display posters.