Inclusive Schooling: Enhancing Policy and Practice

'Inclusive Schooling: Enhancing Policy and Practice' is an interactive professional development resource, the development of which was funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). It will support educational establishments and councils in the ongoing development of consistent and coherent policies for inclusive practice. It will also enable them to reflect critically on those structures and arrangements which ensure appropriate educational experiences for all learners.

The resource makes use of illustrative material, collected over a two year period in Scottish schools, representing a range of contexts: urban, rural, island and city.

It is organised in three main sections:

Section 1: Discussion paper

PDF file: Inclusive Schooling discussion paper (77 KB)

The purpose of the discussion paper is to explore the deeper meaning of inclusion, setting it within the context of current thinking and research, and the national and international legislative framework. It considers a number of key issues in relation to:

• Ethos and culture
• Leadership, management and co-ordination
• Collaborative practice and empowering others
• Developing a Curriculum for All

The discussion has also been informed by work undertaken in schools.

Section 2: Scenarios from schools

PDF file: Inclusive Schooling scenarios from schools (226 KB)

This section takes the form of interactive scenarios - short case studies followed by activity tasks/ questions. These are designed to stimulate in-depth and, perhaps at times, challenging discussion. The scenarios are also organised around the key themes:

• Ethos and culture
• Leadership, management and co-ordination
• Collaborative practice and empowering others
• Developing a Curriculum for All

These themes articulate with the audit tool published as part of the Success for All Handbook (Target setting within IEPs: A Handbook for Schools and Education Authorities) (SEED, 2001-2003).

This section also includes a set of tutor's notes which provide a structure and framework for the use of the scenarios to support professional development.

Section 3: Video sequences

The material presented in this section represents current thinking and practice in seven Scottish schools. For each school background information is provided together with an index of the specific issues and points for discussion emerging from work in that school.

Schools sequences and discussion points
Audio versions of the original video sequences with full transcripts.

Please note that due to child protection considerations the material in this section is presented online in a series of audio sequences with accompanying transcripts illustrated with still images from the original video files.

This section also includes a set of tutor's notes which provide detailed guidance, including a further set of generic questions. These are designed to move discussion beyond a particular video sequence in order to consider implications for the development of policy and practice in participants' own contexts.

PDF file: Inclusive Schooling video clip sequences and discussion points (49 KB)

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Target Audience

It is envisaged that the resource will be used by groups representative of a range of interests and experience. These may include school staff, education authority personnel, parent groups and voluntary agencies, health and social services personnel etc. The material lends itself to use by individual schools, clusters or area networks and interagency groups including, for example, children's services development groups.

The Role Of The Tutor/Facilitator

It is essential that any tutor leading a professional development session using the materials contained in this resource is thoroughly familiar with the concepts, issues and principles explored in the discussion paper and with related literature and legislation.

In order to feel secure in managing discussion, the tutor will also need to be sufficiently well informed in the area of inclusion and additional support needs. This will enable her/him to tease out complex concepts and ideas, to elaborate on emerging dilemmas and issues, to act as 'devil's advocate' and, at times, to inform the discussion.

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'Inclusive Schooling: Enhancing Policy and Practice' was developed by Donnie M. MacLeod, Brenda J. Frier and Barbara E. Hookey and was funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED).

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