Inclusion is often discussed in terms of classroom strategies and curriculum design, but what if inclusion could happen in a competitive arena? At Discovery Schools Trust, we’ve discovered a powerful way to unite pupils from primary, secondary, and special schools: Esports. This innovative programme has…
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Meeting Children at Their Point of Need
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…
“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.…
Discovery’s Journey towards Inclusion
After 30 years in education, I thought I had a good grasp on inclusion. I was wrong. A few years ago, our Trust (Discovery) made a deliberate decision to bring special schools into our fold. This move has transformed how we think…
‘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…
What is inclusion?
If you ask a room full of teachers ‘what is inclusion?’ you will undoubtedly get answers that follow a similar theme… ‘everyone included’. It’s not wrong. It’s just not accurate. It’s also not very helpful. When we test this definition…
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…
Inclusive Special Education: A Summary
This blog is a summary of some of the key points in Garry Hornby’s 2015 article ‘Inclusive Special Education: Development of a new theory for the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities’. I have not included everything…
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…
Inclusion: The Stockdale Paradox of Education
In Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great, he describes the story of a naval office, James Stockdale who was a Vietnam prisoner of war. Stockdale found a way to survive his imprisonment by embracing both the harshness of his situation…