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

Abstract

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