Real Inclusion, Real Partnership, Real Purpose Celebrating the opening of a new classroom block at Birch Wood Special School got me thinking about the relationship between buildings and a culture of inclusion. Physical spaces are never neutral; they send powerful…
Author: Rosalind Hopkins
“This Is Going to Hurt”: Leadership Lessons for Trusts in the Hardest Moments
Prologue: On the Touchline It was one of those crisp, bright weekends, parents lined the rugby pitch, coffees steaming, conversations ebbing and flowing between phases of play, my firstborn was playing. He found space, cut inside, and then, feet pumping; shoulders set dived over the line.…
‘How do we define success in a world obsessed with performance?’
An Explanation with Help from Two Famous Dylan’s (Dylan Wiliam & Dylan Thomas) At our recent Golden Thread-Inclusion & SEND conference, keynote speaker Phil Leaney grappled with the topic of inclusive leadership in a meritocratic system, posing the question: ‘How…
Ask the ‘Expert’- The Parent Voice- Steph and Rob Hayden, Undiagnosed Children’s Day 2023
To raise awareness of Undiagnosed Children’s Day (28th April 2023), Hannah O’ Mara- Assistant Head from Birch Wood is joined by Rob and Steph Hayden for the second ‘Ask the Expert’ podcast. They candidly share the challenges and joys of…
Could special schools be problematic for real inclusion? – Q: What is real inclusion, how do we get there?
I often ask myself what is the role of special schools in supporting an inclusive education system, when by definition attendance at a special school means a child or young person is being separated from other children. In many ways…
The Fear
‘I’ve been worrying…’ (in the words of that great Ben Howard song) about many things in education, but the question of inclusion is the one that seems to run through most of the scenarios I come across as a special…