Great Sankey High School and Barrow Hall College have been recognised for their commitment to inclusivity after earning the nationally accredited Rainbow Flag Award. 

The award marks the school’s work to promote positive LGBTQ+ inclusion and their wider aim of improving the lives of young people both within the school community and beyond.

The achievement follows several months of work by staff and students towards meeting the accreditation criteria. 

The Rainbow Flag Award is a national quality assurance framework open to all schools and colleges, designed to help organisations review their approach to equality and to develop strategies that challenge transphobic, homophobic and biphobic bullying. It encourages settings to embed inclusive practice across the curriculum, pastoral support and wider school life.

Earning the award is a year-long process. It begins with starter training that introduces the standards required and includes LGBTQ+ awareness sessions for staff. Following the initial training, schools are expected to reflect on their current provision, submit evidence of progress and engage with ongoing monitoring and feedback.

Great Sankey High School and Barrow Hall College began this process in the first term, before sharing examples of inclusive work developed across the year. 

In the final term, representatives from the Rainbow Flag Award visited the site to review the schools’ progress before confirming accreditation. The award will remain valid for two years, after which school can reapply to retain the status.

The recognition reflects the commitment of the staff and students who contributed to the programme to improve the lives of young people.