Developing an aspirational and inclusive curriculum for all
Learners who have Down’s syndrome have the right to a broad and balanced curriculum, on an equal basis with others. This should not be based on our predictions about what the learner might achieve or be limited to skills that they might need in adulthood. Academic achievement should be expected for all learners with Down syndrome with provision of appropriate learning supports.
An essential feature of establishing an inclusive classroom is to begin with the assumption that all learners can learn, and that they are all welcome and belong. The learner who has Down’s syndrome should be included in all phases of the lesson, including whole class instruction and they should be supported in all activities through planned adjustments.
An important concept in inclusive practice is the teaching of year level curriculum with adjustments, also known as ‘age-appropriate’ curriculum, rather than moving the learner who has Down’s syndrome into younger year groups. Learners who have Down syndrome should move up with their chronological age group to maintain peer relationships and friendship groups, and to progress through the national curriculum with adaptations as required. The classroom should be the primary learning environment, where they should spend the majority of their time in class with their peers.
Following the DSi International Guidelines for the Education of Learners with Down Syndrome, we believe that there needs to be attention to provision of learning adjustments and curriculum differentiation that support the learning of everyone in the class, rather than just a focus on the pupil who has Down’s syndrome. The Guidelines cite Florian (2012:277) who describes:
‘[Effective inclusive education teachers] have changed the way they think about the concept of inclusive education. Rather than only accommodating learner differences, they focus on extending what is available to everybody. This focus on learning as a shared activity is a subtle but important shift in thinking about individual differences between learners that avoids the potentially negative effects of treating some students as different.’
It is therefore important that teachers have enough time to plan their curriculum, to ensure that it is inclusive of all learners in their classroom, including pupils who have Down’s syndrome. Where specific interventions might be beneficial for a learner who has Down’s syndrome (for instance Numicon to support learning numeracy), the interventions are also likely to benefit other learners in the classroom too. It is therefore important to make learning adjustments available to all learners rather than just the learner who has Down’s syndrome. This will also help the learner who has Down’s syndrome feel more included.
We are sharing a range of resources, below, to help you with your curriculum planning.
If you need further assistance, please remember that we offer a range of training and we would be delighted to discuss how we can help you. You can call DSA’s Helpline (Tel: 0333 1212 300, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm) or email using info@downs-syndrome.org.uk.