West Cork's Sudbury School receives Belong To quality mark for LGBTQ+ initiatives

A West Cork school has received the Belong To LGBTQ+ quality mark for the first time, recognising its work over an 18-month period to create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments.

West Cork Sudbury School, Bantry, received the honour at a ceremony in The Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.

It was among 39 post‑primary schools and Youthreach centres from across Ireland recognised at the event, in total representing over 2,300 staff and 22,000 students from across the country.

Also recognised at the event, being reaccredited with the Quality Mark having been initially awarded in 2023, were Cork schools Maria Immaculata Community College in Dunmanway, and Cork city’s North Monastery Secondary School and St. Aloysius’ School.

Key achievements of the accredited schools include the implementation of robust, LGBTQ+-inclusive anti-bullying policies, the establishment of ‘LGBTQ+ and Allies clubs’ to foster peer support and direct outreach to parents and the wider school community to build a culture of belonging.

Claire Supervie, a teacher at West Cork Sudbury School, said: “The LGBTQ+ Quality Mark has been a great opportunity to reflect on our school processes and policies and identify what we needed to create or change to make sure our school could become not only a safe space for LGBTQ+ students but a place that celebrates and supports them.

“At West Cork Sudbury School, students help the running of the school and craft their own learning. To bring the Quality Mark into that context was an interesting challenge and required a lot of direct conversation with our students.

“They've been at the centre of the changes we made. It's also been the occasion to connect and network with other schools. We visited each other, learned from each other and got to experience what allyship can mean in the education system in Ireland.” 

Belong To’s new CEO, Kieran O’Donovan said: “While we know from our 2022 School Climate Survey that 76% of LGBTQ+ youth still do not feel safe at school, the schools recognised today are taking meaningful action to change that.

“These schools and centres are leading the way. Their work shows what is possible when inclusion is prioritised, resourced, and embedded across school culture.” 

Applications to take part in the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark initiative for the 2026/2027 academic year are now open to schools and Youthreach centres. Full details and application forms are available on the Belong To website.