The school in Ealing, London, joins a group of fewer than 700 organisations in the country that have gained the Gold award.
The core Investors in People Standard provides a solid foundation for further growth and development and is awarded to well-run organisations which meet 39 set requirements, including learning and development, leadership skills and recognition and reward of staff amongst others. There are further Bronze, Silver and Gold awards which celebrate those that perform considerably beyond the basic criteria. For the Gold standard, St Benedict’s School had to meet a minimum of a further 126 evidence requirements.
St Benedict’s School had achieved Bronze status at its previous review in January 2011 and the same team of Norman Hull (director of professional development in the Senior School) and Monica McCarthy (deputy head in the Junior School) was responsible for steering the school to the Gold award this time round.
The summary of the report to the school said: “This is a superb result for everyone connected with St Benedict’s School. The school is going from strength to strength and, although there are challenges to be faced in the future, the commitment from everyone at the school is absolute.”
John Telfer, managing director of Investors in People South, said: “The current economic climate makes it even more important that an organisation adapts to survive. St Benedict’s School is a shining example that proves organisations can achieve great things during challenging times. Being recognised as an Investor in People is becoming increasingly more important, and the higher the level of accreditation, the better it reflects on your organisation to potential employees, investors and customers. St Benedict’s School should be extremely proud of their achievement.”