School leadership
How to be an empowering leader for every student
At the Down’s Syndrome Association we recognise the important role that education leaders play in developing inclusive settings.
They are responsible for developing the culture of the setting and can be particularly influential on the attitudes and practices of staff. We want to be able to support education leaders to promote inclusive cultures and practices in their setting, developing a strong community commitment to a common purpose of inclusion of all pupils.
It is important that inclusion is not something that is forced on people but that everyone is involved on the journey of becoming more inclusive. It is important that both those in the education setting and the wider community understand and support the setting’s commitment to welcoming all pupils and to delivering a meaningful education to them.
Changing a school culture is not easy.
It is not something that will happen overnight, but we know that effective school leaders can stimulate whole school reform towards inclusive practice, for the benefit of a diverse cohort of learners – including learners who have Down’s syndrome.
We share some useful resources below and more information can also be found in the DSi International Guidelines for the Education of Learners with Down Syndrome (pages 11-18).