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Swansea’s Bishopston Comprehensive School has attained NACE Challenge Award accreditation and reaccreditation, and is now working towards its third accreditation and NACE Challenge Ambassador status. One of the highest achieving schools in Wales, it is regularly asked to share its excellent practice with external bodies, and is a valued member of the NACE community – including a key contributor to our research.

At the heart of the school’s success is its emphasis on learner agency, developing learner voice and providing access to real-world, authentic contexts for learning. It not only provides students with a toolkit to plan, manage and discuss their learning within school, but helps them develop skills and participate in initiatives which extend beyond the school. This includes working in partnership with a range of organisations and creating opportunities to have learners’ voices heard in local political forums.

As NACE Research and Development Director Dr Ann McCarthy comments, “The skills Bishopston’s students acquire through these opportunities will stay with them through life, raise their self-esteem and aspirations, open up new opportunities and provide them with a social commitment to continue to contribute to their communities as they move into adult life.”

You can read more in this blog post which outlines the school’s approach to developing pupil voice, and hear more from Bishopston at the NACE Conference 2025.