Inclusive Education for All #21
22 June 2022 by Chris Barnes, Inclusive Education Officer, Down Syndrome International
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is, ‘How can all children be included?’ I’ll attempt to begin by saying this isn’t something that can be answered in a 500-word blog, or indeed a 500-page book, in my opinion. Including all children, together, is an incredibly complex and multi-faceted notion and one which many people – myself included – can’t describe accurately, yet. I’ve interviewed dozens of people who say, ‘It’s easy!’ and I respect their commitment and positivity and agree with many of their points. I’ve also interviewed equally as many who say, ‘It’s not possible!’ and I respect their experience, and agree with some of their points too…
This blog post is written with school leadership (SENCOs – special educational needs & disabilities co-ordinators) in mind, i.e., the people who actually have to do the work, and physically make it happen, not necessarily for the people who are advocating for someone else to do the work. What I mean is, it’s easy to talk about including all children but the physical reality can sometimes (not always) be very challenging.
There are definitely some key points to consider when discussing the question, ‘How can all children be included?’ in the context of a school setting. Today let’s think about a mainstream school, working hard to include a small proportion of learners with intellectual disabilities.
I’m extremely lucky to have been given the chance to take a step back from the rigours, stress, and pressure of one particular school, and get a much wider perspective on inclusion. Before becoming consumed with the ins-and-outs of ‘how’ (as I was when I was a teacher & SENCO), take a brief step back, as a school, and consider the following:
- Establish a generally accepted definition of the term ‘inclusive education’ or ‘inclusion’ within your school, and across all staff and stakeholders. What experience are you hoping to provide for the children in your school? (At this point I’m tempted to say ‘including learners with disabilities’, but that’s a given right?) How do you want the kids to feel? Accepted, included, part of things, one of the class/cohort? What will it look like as you walk around the school? ‘Typical’ children being taught by the teacher, while ‘neuro-divergent’ children sit in a separate class, or at the back of the class, all of the time? What will your long-term aim(s) be?
- Listen to the opinions (positive and negative) from staff and value their inputs.
- Explain to your staff, and at an appropriate time – the children, what inclusive education means and why it should become an area to work on over the coming academic year as part of planning for whole-school improvement. Any head teacher worth their salt should support you in this endeavour.
If you can get to an agreed definition, as a starting point, and a timescale in which to develop the school’s offer, you will be doing something seriously right. What you won’t necessarily be able to do overnight is demonstrate something perfect, good, or even satisfactory. Nevertheless, you can have perfect, or good, intentions and a timeframe in which to implement these plans.
Of all the parents and learners I have interviewed, none expect perfection – they want acceptance.
I’m often asked for ‘practical’, quick-fix, examples of how children can be included in a school, or lesson. As I’ve said on many occasions, while these may work in one scenario, there is no guarantee they will be as successful in another, with a completely different set of circumstances, needs, individuals, and personalities.
Give your teachers time (if you can find any) and encouragement to reflect on possibilities, new ideas, and failures. Support with new, or re-worked ideas for e.g., lesson & activity planning, physical accommodation, and assessment of progress and share this with all staff. All staff will be up skilled, and all staff must buy into your vision for inclusion.
Fears, failures, and frustrations are inevitable. Just because no-one has succeeded fully in including Johnny in KS4 science (yet), it doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing, for Johnny’s sake (and everyone else’s!) It may be that you, and I, have not conceived the best way for inclusive education to be realised in your particular context, for a relatively small number of individuals but consider the words of Henry Ford – ‘Before the first car was invented, all people wanted were faster horses’.
I’m fully aware I haven’t even begun answering the question! Here are some initial thoughts, that as a school leader, you’ll be very aware of…
- Properly get to know the learner (their personality, likes, and dislikes) and encourage all staff to do the same.
- Listen to the parent(s) and share their instructions and ideas with all staff.
- Begin to understand the strengths and needs of the learner by considering the 4 broad areas of SEND – communication and interaction, cognition and learning, their social, emotional, and mental health, and their sensory and physical requirements.
- Record what works and what doesn’t and understand that this can be a fluctuating and changeable path throughout the learner’s school journey (as with many children).
As you begin to understand the child better, you can begin working on including them in the daily life of the school, sitting and playing /hanging out with their classmates, joining in with as much as possible, and monitoring how happy they are. Academic attainment can come later. Once more, if they are happy, with some friends, that’s a great start and hats off to you and your team.