Inclusion in school : a policy, ideology or lived experience? Similar findings in diverse school cultures

This article summarises three case studies examining the implementation of inclusive practices, which evidence the exclusionary pressures acting in school settings that put the needs, rights and entitlements of vulnerable children and young people at risk. It examines how three very culturally different secondary schools in England interpreted inclusive policies and illuminates the various constraints to the implementation of inclusive practices as experienced by senior leaders, teachers, parents and pupils in these schools. Conceptual unpreparedness towards inclusion versus integration, knowledge and false conceptualisations of special educational needs and difficulties associated with differentiation and time limitations were the main barriers presented. The implications for initial and professional teacher education are posited; it is suggested that inclusion can work by removing the diagnostic paradigm associated with special educational needs and by creating a framework for teachers' lifelong learning focusing on a social justice oriented pedagogy that will empower teachers conceptually and practically

Fighting for our rights : perceived gains from transforming the curriculum through a narrative of activism

This paper will analyse the gains from ‘Fighting for our Rights’ project (2016-2018) focusing on the use of real-life experiences in HE teaching and beyond. This was a Heritage Lottery funded project that entailed collecting and sharing stories from people involved in the Disability Rights Movement (DRM) from 1960s to 1990s within Kingston in order to inspire future generations of care professionals and teachers in working with people with disabilities. It was the outcome of a collaboration between two university departments (Schools of Nursing and Education), a centre for independent living (CIL), two social enterprises, oral history consultants, and a local school for children with severe learning difficulties. It captured 30 years of local history (1960-1990) in a permanent digital record of the DRM and produced a school resource pack to enhance public engagement and inform university and school curricula

Fighting for our rights : resource pack for schools

Inspired by the oral history interviews captured as part of this project, a resource pack consisting of 13 lesson plans has been created and are available to download on this website. Aimed at key stage 2 (year 5 and 6) teachers and their students, the resources cover an array of subjects and themes, from understanding disability and empathy, through to campaign writing and building resilience. The resources have been created by Dr Paty Paliokosta and Y2 Student teachers (BA Hons Primary with QTS) at Kingston University

‘Reasonable adjustments’ in relation to disability and social justice: Discourses of inclusive ethos in an inter-professional context

In line with a recurring theme in literature about teachers’ positive attitudes being seen as key factor to implementing inclusive education (Hegarty, 1994; Avramides and Norwich, 2002; Batsiou et al, 2008; de Boer et al, 2011), this paper is exploring another parameter in school settings that could be related to stakeholders’ attitudes in various ways, namely the notion of ‘reasonable adjustments’. This is a term primarily associated with Disability Equality and Human Rights agenda that carries potential legal, educational (systemic) as well as pedagogical discourses. Drawing on findings from a small-scale project (Paliokosta and Kindness, 2011) that investigated the discourses and practices relating to ‘reasonable adjustments’ as used and understood by different stakeholders in an inner-city mainstream primary setting, the aim is to critically discuss whether and in what ways shared values, beliefs and preparedness for inclusion in a setting are relating to the notion of reasonable adjustments. Dilemmas stemmed from an emerging interplay of legal, educational and pedagogical discourses and their prioritization in the context of inclusive practices. Discussion will take place on the relationship between given discourses and their implications on the sustainability of inclusive ethos within a multi-professional context

Drama, process and story-making : multi-lingual children's self expression creation and imagination

This presentation will share insights on the way bilingual children’s language skills can be supported by experiential play and learning through participation in drama activities. The speakers will demonstrate how the integration of different functions (physical, emotional and cognitive) that is found on children’s spontaneous play can support language development and wider learning, using a combination of story-telling, story making, group activities and enactment

'Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties' im kontext inklusiver bildung in England - eine komplexe kategorie im wandel ['Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties' in the context of inclusive education in England - a complex category in transition]

This chapter aims to elaborate on the way political and ideological changes impact on the development and interpretation of policies and discourses in the context of special educational needs in England. More specifically it looks at how policies affect the ways children’s needs are addressed, especially in their transition to secondary school. The chapter focuses on issues relating to emotional and behavioural difficulties and the way inclusive provision operates for them. In this context, policy and practice will be explored in relation to changes in a special educational needs category; a recent shift in the English Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy from Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) to Social Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMHD)

Training and Professional Development for Safeguarding; ‘Voices from the Field’

This paper will discuss issues surrounding safeguarding training and professional development for all professionals working with children. It draws on data from a DfE funded research project that focused on identifying barriers and enablers to embedding learning from Serious Case Reviews (SCRs). Different voices (operational and strategic) of multi-disciplinary professionals were approached to gain an insight of current understanding of and attitudes to safeguarding processes and systems. Recommendations will be made about the development of training at various levels based on these voices, in an attempt to influence education, policy and practice from bottom up. Issue Addressed The complexity of revealing new learning for different disciplines is acknowledged and depends on building a picture of how combinations of the varying contexts, sustainable relationships and infrastructures amalgamate to create new and smarter ways of working. It is anticipated that the evidence collated will illuminate barriers and enablers to embeding policy into practice in light of recent and significant structural changes in different disciplines, agencies and sectors. Results Implications will be discussed in the context of CPD as well as initial training for all practitioners in relation to the following recommendations: • Supporting Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes for all practitioners by developing and consolidating ‘hidden’ interpersonal skills as well as legal and work based requirements in all forms of learning environments, supervision and professional development. • Cross disciplinary course development from initial training for all practitioners in the future to include reflection on the drivers that impact on different professional groups for example, health, education, social care and the private, voluntary, independent and third sectors

The power of peers

This is a success story about a boy who, for the purposes of this article, will be called Peter. The article discusses the development and evaluation of a Circle of Friends approach to peer support in a mainstream school, which produced significant gains for Peter and for his peers, who also proved to be very influential in promoting positive behaviour and reducing isolation