IMPROVING INCLUSIVE PRACTICES

Networking and collaboration are identified as key strategies for strengthening the overall improvement capacity of a system – more specifically, frameworks and activities for sharing knowledge, sharing expertise and collectively developing effective practice.

Making Schools Effective For All: Rethinking the task (Ainsocw, M, Dyson, A, Goldrick, S and West, M (2012) School Leadership and Management

Through the self-evaluation process in the above paper, collecting evaluation data on the most vulnerable learners was found to lead to a re-focus on factors acting as barriers to participation and learning. All staff should proactively consider contextual factors that may be acting as barriers for learners. (Using environmental audits from CIRCLE, POLAAR for example) Research projects highlighted the importance of the attitude of staff and learners in enabling everyone to experience a fair, welcoming and inclusive learning community.

Belonging and Positive Relationships

Research has shown that pupils need to feel that they belong to their school and within their community.
Identification with the school predicts better mental health amongst high school students over time ( Miller, K, Wakefield, J and Sani, F (2018) Educational Psychology, Special Issue September 2018)

Restorative practice is a culture and approach that encourages positive and supportive relationships. Research in Scottish schools has shown that restorative practices can have a positive impact on reducing exclusions and conflict. This research suggested that when restorative practice is part of whole school culture, rather than limited to intervention for conflict, the approach leads to long term gains for the whole school.

Use of a Support and Development Group approach to aid schools in implementing Restorative Approaches (Graeme McLeary , Glasgow City Council)

In October 2018 John Swinney, Deputy First Minister, welcomed the establishment of the Scottish Learner Panel – the first step in Scotland’s journey towards building a new approach to formally incorporating the voice of learners in decision making processes.

The Scottish Learner Panel Report details the first year of the Scottish Learner Panel, the discussions of its participants and the key thinking points that those participants wished to convey to decision makers. It provides a very helpful insight in to how our current education system works and feels to those learners who it has been developed to serve. It helps us to understand what areas our learners see as key strengths and what areas they feel we must work to improve and develop further. It is a document which all decision makers in the Scottish education system should reflect on and take account when continuing to improve learning establishments.