4 Principles of Inclusive Education
What are the key principles of inclusive education?
Inclusive education stems from the fundamental right that all children should have access to education that caters to their needs. But how do we put that into practice?
When it comes to fostering an inclusive learning environment, small steps can have a big impact both in the classroom and throughout the entire school. We’ve broken down the concept of inclusive education into four principles:
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Make a school-wide commitment
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Engage and include your stakeholders
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Involve students in the process
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Focus on curriculum
1. Make a school-wide commitment
Every school is made up of a diverse cohort of students from different cultures, beliefs, values and life experiences. This uniqueness builds a rich environment for learning, where all students should feel included and empowered.
While diversity can pose challenges for students, teachers and their families, it creates space for children to grow and connect, both socially and academically. As such, school-wide inclusive practices are essential.
Whether it’s policy, school culture or daily practices and procedures, all must underpin inclusive education – and be reflected by the entire school, not just within the four walls of the classroom.
School leaders and staff should live and breathe the values of inclusive education and be able to differentiate their teaching to suit the diversity of students. Where professional development, training or mentoring is required, teachers should be supported by the school to upskill.
There are a variety of ways to help students feel supported to belong. These include social emotional learning, peer mentoring, and the celebration of school-wide events such as:
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International Day of People with Disability
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World Autism Awareness Day.
2. Engage and include your stakeholders
If you’re familiar with implementing education, health and care plans (EHCPs), you’ll know how valuable it is to keep key stakeholders, including the student’s family, involved and updated on their learning. This ensures everyone has visibility over their progress and the chance to contribute, to help achieve the best outcome for the child both in the classroom and at home.
As well as consulting the student’s family to establish the most suitable learning approach for their child, it’s important that all stakeholders are involved to equip students for key transitions.
All documentation and information about the student's learning progress should be accessible to their family, and easy to understand from a non-teacher’s perspective.
You might find that the student’s parents have a disability too, and they should have access to services provided by the school, such as by ensuring all information and documents are appropriate for parents with disabilities to understand.
Additional ways to keep families involved include inviting them to volunteer at events and for extracurricular activities, and holding review meetings and curriculum planning for the student.
3. Involve students in the process
To make a learning space truly inclusive and student-centred, students should be encouraged to voice their opinions and contribute to their educational experience.
Some students may not be as comfortable as others to express their feelings and views. It’s critical for teachers to build rapport with students to foster a nurturing and supportive environment.
Not only does this help students build a sense of agency and self-advocacy, but it also provides teachers and schools with insight to drive improvement and show the value of student engagement and participation.
You can get students involved by having them support or develop their own learning objectives according to the SMART goal framework. If an EHCP has been implemented, have the student attend meetings with other key stakeholders and encourage them to contribute to the planning and progress of the plan.
Where any changes or adjustments are made to a student’s learning plan, they should be consulted and given the opportunity to contribute to decisions about key transitions, such as moving from one year group to the next.
4. Focus on curriculum
We know that one size does not fit all when it comes to learning, but students with disabilities or special needs should be supported in accessing the same curriculum as their peers. That’s where differentiated teaching and student-centred education planning can go a long way in helping students to reach their learning objectives.
By using evidence-based teaching strategies, setting individualised goals and putting students’ specific strengths and needs at the core of their education, you can create a more inclusive and personalised learning experience.
Additionally, students should have access to external support such as therapists, paediatricians, psychologists and other professionals, if necessary, to help them achieve their learning goals in an inclusive environment. These key stakeholders should also be engaged and updated throughout a child’s progress against their goals.
Final words
By using these four principles in your everyday practice and decision-making, you can work towards creating an inclusive learning experience where all students feel supported and are equipped to reach their full potential.
Digital platforms such as Tes Provision Map help you streamline how you implement and monitor your efforts to create a more inclusive learning experience. With Provision Map, you can efficiently manage and engage key stakeholders, track progress against individual learning goals, and measure effectiveness of teaching strategies – all in one centralised location.