School belonging among young adolescents with SEMH and MLD: the link with their social relations and school inclusivity

Despite the considerable institutional changes schools have made to accommodate the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as underpinned by key principles of inclusion, there is still international concern about the mainstream experiences pupils with SEND have in school settings. This study helps us understand the schooling experiences of pupils with behavioural difficulties and learning difficulties by investigating whether they have a sense of belonging and positive social relations and whether these vary according to the level of inclusiveness of the school ethos at the institution they attend. Perceived social relations and feelings of belonging of 1,440 (282 SEND) young adolescents from three secondary mainstream settings that differ in inclusivity, were analysed using a self-reporting questionnaire. Findings demonstrated that pupils with SEND are not a homogeneous group, as pupils with behavioural difficulties were found to have less of a sense of belonging, and social relations than those with learning difficulties. It was also found that the sense of belonging of both groups is associated with their positive perceived relations with teachers and their inclusiveness of school ethos. These findings contribute as they offer ways of enhancing the sense of belonging of pupils with behavioural and learning difficulties in schools.N/

Does an inclusive ethos enhance the sense of school belonging and encourage the social relations of young adolescents identified as having social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) and moderate learning difficulties (MLD)?

BACKGROUND: Empirical evidence has shown that the inclusion of pupils identified as having social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) and moderate learning difficulties (MLD) can be challenging. There is limited research investigating the relationship between the inclusivity of a school and the reported schooling experiences of pupils with SEMH and MLD. This study addresses the question as to whether a school with an inclusive ethos enhances the sense of belonging and encourages the social relations of these groups of SEN. METHOD: Three secondary mainstream schools from a metropolitan area participated in the study. Data collection employed a mixed methods approach utilising semi-structured interviews and self-completed questionnaires from pupils (SEMH, MLD, typical) and educational staff. RESULTS: The inclusive ethos of a school was found to be positively associated with the perceived sense of school belonging as well as the social relations of pupils identified as having SEN. Comparison of the schooling experiences between groups revealed that pupils identified as having SEMH reported having different needs and were found to have less of a sense of belonging and more negative social relations than those identified as having MLD. CONCLUSIONS: A school with an inclusive ethos appears to promote feelings of belonging and positive social relations of pupils identified as having SEMH and MLD. It is proposed that differentiation of inclusive practices within mainstream settings is important for the successful inclusion of pupils identified as having SEMH and MLD, as the different SEN groups are not homogenous. It is also proposed that active participation of pupils with SEN in school decision making and listening to pupils’ voices can be a powerful tool in informing differentiation and engendering an inclusive ethos

Assessing the inclusivity of three mainstream secondary schools in England: challenges and dilemmas

The notion of inclusion has gained momentum worldwide, with most countries around the world embracing inclusive policies in their educational systems. However, there is still an ongoing debate as to what is inclusion and hence, the consequent challenge of coming up with an agreed definition, which could then be used to plan for and subsequently, evaluate, inclusion. This study adds to our understanding of inclusion by contrasting objective (i.e. School Census Statistics) and subjective (i.e. self- report questionnaire) measures of inclusivity in three mainstream secondary schools in England and by comparing the perceptions of school inclusivity of different groups of educational practitioners and pupils. The results of this study indicate that inclusion is a ‘slippery’ construct as the perception of inclusion of educational practitioners was found to be affected by their role at school while pupil perception on this matter depended upon their SEND category. However, despite these subjective differences in the way inclusion is perceived, there was also substantial agreement across the different categories of participants with regard to the relative ranking of inclusivity across the three schools suggesting that coming up with overarching themes on what is inclusion is achievable. The article ends with explaining the benefits of reaching an agreed definition at a national level.N/

Evaluating the impact of the Team Programme on the outcomes for student-alumni

This research explored the medium and long term impacts of thr Young Entreprise Programme 'Team' on young people who experience special educational needs and disabilities. It found that the programme is effective in helping students boost their confidence and enhance several enterprising skills such as communication skills, self-confidence, teamwork, monetary skills, self-improvement, and employability skills. Further, TP is successful in enabling students to improve other competences such as independent living skills, effective citizenship, the management of change and transitions, their understanding the world of work and media and digital literacy.Young Enterpris

Careers coaching for social justice: the case of school leadership and inclusive education for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities

This paper focusses on emancipatory careers coaching for social justice and proposes a practical tool for use with school leaders who are working to improve the inclusiveness of their schools. It draws on a study of 75 school leaders working on a programme of peer review in a city in England. The programme was named the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Peer Challenge Programme and through it, participants worked collaboratively to evaluate and improve the quality of inclusive practice in the City’s mainstream (ordinary) schools. The study used inductive qualitative content analysis (QCA) to form a coding agenda which was then applied to a deductive analysis of 24 SEND Peer Challenge school reports. These reports were collaboratively produced by leaders engaged in the SEND Peer Challenge Programme to summarise the outcomes of the process. Following final QCA reduction, the research identified six value constructs that were live and relevant for school leaders in the City related to collectivism, collaboration and mutuality. These value constructs are also live in the field of inclusive education more widely. Drawing on the six value constructs, we propose practical strategies for emancipatory careers coaching. These strategies can be applied by individuals who provide careers coaching for school leaders engaged in the process of school improvement for SEND and inclusion.Acknowledgements The paper draws on a study of peer review among school leaders working in a City in England (Derby) on the SEND Peer Challenge Programme. This programme was part of a city-wide project of school improvement known as ‘Whole School SEND and Inclusion’ (henceforth referred to as the City Project). We acknowledge the support given to this project by the Department for Education and the Derby OA Executive Board who funded the City Project as the basis for this study. We also acknowledge the support of participating stakeholders in the city, including schools and their communities. To further acknowledge our funder and participants, we preface the paper with the following account of the City Project’s impact to date. At the end of the City Project’s first year there were indications of positive impact. There was an overall decrease from 2017/2018 to 2018/2019 in permanent exclusions in the city. Permanent exclusions describe the process by which schools remove pupils from the school role with follow up funding for alternative school placements or alternative education. This decrease was larger amongst schools who engaged in a peer challenge and there was evidence of an association between SEND exclusions and engagement in the SEND peer challenge. The reasons for this are yet to be confirmed. Lead peer challengers were also reporting that recommendations were being implemented in schools to improve schools for SEND. Full reporting on these impacts is beyond the scope of this paper

Developing more inclusive schools for pupils with special educational needs: key messages for school leaders and communities

This paper will provide an outline of a unique local area project of school improvement for inclusion and special educational needs called the ‘SEND Peer Challenger programme’ so that its principles might be understood and/or emulated by school leaders who are looking for new ways to improve provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDs) in general classrooms. Its aims are to: Provide an example of how researchers in universities, front line educationalists and local governors can collaborate to deepen the reach of school improvement initiatives for SEND and inclusion in mainstream schools. Share the findings of a research study that cast light on the character of effective leadership and management for high quality SEND provision in mainstream education. Explore the implications of these findings for researchers, local governors, and school leaders through understanding the elements of high-quality SEND provision in general classrooms. Operationalising leadership and management approaches to improve SEND provision in general classrooms.Funded by Derby Opportunities Area and Department for Educatio

Understanding what makes a positive school experience for pupils with SEND: Can their voices inform inclusive practice?

Since the advent of the ideology of inclusion, several concerns have been raised worldwide regarding the effectiveness of its implementation. In the UK, governmental evidence suggests that maintaining pupils with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) within mainstream school settings, is one of the greatest challenges (DfE, 2018). There is now, more than ever, the need to explore pupils with SENDs’ mainstream experiences and understand the challenges they encounter. This study explores the voices of secondary‐aged pupils with social emotional mental health difficulties and moderate learning difficulties as a way of understanding their needs and thus, facilitating their inclusion. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse data from semi‐structured interviews with 43 pupils with SEND and 8 typical pupils as a comparable group. The findings indicate that the school experiences of pupils differ based on their type of need. Yet, despite the differences, all the pupils expressed similar views on what makes a positive school experience. The four emerged themes were interesting lessons, effective control of challenging behaviour, equal allocation of teachers’ support and positive relations. The study concludes by proposing that listening to the voices of pupils with SEND can be a powerful tool to inform inclusive practice.N/

Education as a catalyst for the social inclusion of people with learning disabilities

Our editorial for this special issue on ‘Education as a catalyst for social inclusion’ is divided into two sections. The first section focuses on the gaps in applied research in learning disability that this issue attempts to address. The second section outlines how each of the articles in this issue broadens our understanding of how education may catalyse (or sometimes restrict) social inclusion. These articles combine to enrich the data and debate available to people with learning disabilities, their families and advocates, policy makers and professional leaders about how to strengthen education’s capacity to enrich social inclusion.N/