Inclusion in action: an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive secondary school in the south-west of England

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Inclusion

What the study found

The research found that in Hunfley school:

participants expressed positive attitudes towards inclusion to the extent that the overall school ethos could be characterised as inclusive. For example:

students with SEN were not excluded from any activity in their class;
withdrawal from lessons was minimal, with most support provided in the classroom;
all students participated in the mainstream life of the school;
special attention was given to the use of language and terminology – for example 'curriculum and learning support' was used rather than SEN;
parents felt that communication with teaching staff was 'outstanding.'

participants’ views, however, still reflected integration rather than inclusion. For example they did not believe that all SEN students should automatically be included in mainstream schools- rather, the placement of a child in mainstream education should depend on 'feasibility'. The staff and head were agreed that widening participation, in particular for students with emotional and behavioural problems or students with severe learning difficulties, could only be achieved with appropriate resourcing;
the school, parents, and the students themselves agreed that students with SEN who had been integrated into the school benefited academically. Hunfley has a 98% success in grades A-G at GCSE;
it was not clear whether students with SEN who had been integrated into the school benefited socially. Although parents were happy with the progress of their child at the school, they were disappointed about social outcomes. This was in part due to the fact that many children with disabilities came by bus from out of catchment: they had to make a new friendship base, and had less opportunity for carrying it on out of school hours;
there was some evidence of bullying at the school (was this targeted at pupils with disabilities?);
school participants highlighted the restructuring of the physical environment, adequate resources, organisational changes, instructional adaptations and ongoing professional development as essential for the successful implementation of inclusion;
participants felt personal and professional satisfaction in implementing inclusive practice. However they felt that the policy should be LEA-wide rather than confined to a few designated schools. As the deputy head commented "because we have a very good reputation for including students with additional needs, we have got the label that the school is good for SEN, and that is not the label that we want because we are losing the brightest of the students locally."

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Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction Inclusion and school organisation: is this equity vs excellence? What did the researchers set out to do? The case study school How was the study designed? What the study found Conclusions drawn from the research Implications Where can I find out more? Send us your feedback Collated digests To view/remove/add notes and save your collated digests click here Get Word Reader Inclusion in action: an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive secondary school in the south-west of England This digest found in Inclusion Send to a friend Word doc 60KB Printer friendly Collate for later What the study found The research found that in Hunfley school: participants expressed positive attitudes towards inclusion to the extent that the overall school ethos could be characterised as inclusive. For example: students with SEN were not excluded from any activity in their class; withdrawal from lessons was minimal, with most support provided in the classroom; all students participated in the mainstream life of the school; special attention was given to the use of language and terminology – for example 'curriculum and learning support' was used rather than SEN; parents felt that communication with teaching staff was 'outstanding.' participants’ views, however, still reflected integration rather than inclusion. For example they did not believe that all SEN students should automatically be included in mainstream schools- rather, the placement of a child in mainstream education should depend on 'feasibility'. The staff and head were agreed that widening participation, in particular for students with emotional and behavioural problems or students with severe learning difficulties, could only be achieved with appropriate resourcing; the school, parents, and the students themselves agreed that students with SEN who had been integrated into the school benefited academically. Hunfley has a 98% success in grades A-G at GCSE; it was not clear whether students with SEN who had been integrated into the school benefited socially. Although parents were happy with the progress of their child at the school, they were disappointed about social outcomes. This was in part due to the fact that many children with disabilities came by bus from out of catchment: they had to make a new friendship base, and had less opportunity for carrying it on out of school hours; there was some evidence of bullying at the school (was this targeted at pupils with disabilities?); school participants highlighted the restructuring of the physical environment, adequate resources, organisational changes, instructional adaptations and ongoing professional development as essential for the successful implementation of inclusion; participants felt personal and professional satisfaction in implementing inclusive practice. However they felt that the policy should be LEA-wide rather than confined to a few designated schools. As the deputy head commented "because we have a very good reputation for including students with additional needs, we have got the label that the school is good for SEN, and that is not the label that we want because we are losing the brightest of the students locally."