Getting Started with Inclusive Education

What is inclusive education?

Inclusive education is when a school educates learners from differing backgrounds or various abilities in a way that not only incorporates but celebrates diversity.

Inclusion is not just about learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or based on individual differences – it makes sure that all learners are able to take part in learning which is meaningful, relevant and accessible. Inclusion is also about representation in teaching and learning materials. It is important that a range of cultures, races, genders and abilities are represented in lesson materials, across the curriculum and throughout the whole school. This video by UNESCO provides a clear explanation of Inclusion and Education:

An inclusive approach to teaching makes all learners feel welcome and accepted. It helps students learn that we live in a diverse world where we need to accept our differences and learn how to adapt according to needs and circumstances. The most effective approaches should benefit all students – not just those with specific learning difficulties.

In this guide we will:

explore the academic research and examples from schools about why inclusive education is effective for all learners;
give you an opportunity to reflect on how you can make your classroom inclusive; and
look at the benefits of inclusive education and offer some practical ways that you can incorporate this into your classroom.

The glossary explains some of the terms used in this guide.

You can also watch this video of experts answering the question, "What is inclusive education?"

Transcript

Reflection

How do you currently promote inclusion in your classroom or your school?
What does your school do to promote inclusivity for all learners?

Is inclusive education the same as special educational needs?

It is important to remember that an inclusive approach to education does not just benefit learners who have a ‘special educational need’ or disability.

In the UK, inclusive education initially focused on making sure that learners with diagnosed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) had access to ‘mainstream’ education (Runswick-Cole & Hodge, 2009). However, education that is truly inclusive should make sure that all learners can access learning and achieve their potential.

Models of disability

When thinking about inclusive education from the perspective of supporting learners with SEND, it is important to reflect on attitudes regarding disability.

The medical model of disability shaped how inclusive education was originally interpreted. In this model, the focus is on the individual and their ‘difficulties’. It aims to ‘fix’ these difficulties by identifying and labelling the learner with SEND. However, inclusive education is not simply about putting learners who may be diagnosed with SEND in a classroom. Inclusive education is about adapting learning so that all learners can achieve their potential.

The social model of disability has created a shift away from the medical model. Rather than focusing on the individual, the social model looks at disability in terms of the barriers created by society which affect a learner’s ability to succeed. This means that, instead of simply putting learners in a mainstream school, teaching practices and sometimes classrooms should be adapted to make sure that all learners can access them and make progress. As figure 1 shows, inclusive education nowadays is not only about giving access or allowing learners to take part, but also about making sure they make progress.

Diagram adapted from ‘The inclusive classroom’ image (Ellis, Kirby and Osborne, 2023. P84)

When we focus just on the ‘needs’ of learners, we sometimes see only what needs to change or be corrected (Rix et al, 2013). This can lead to misconceptions about ‘ability’ and can limit what we expect from learners. Some learners with SEND may need support from one-to-one tutoring, support classes or smaller group work. But remember not to limit this just to your learners with SEND – many learners may benefit from targeted support or being taught in a small group at different times. For example, learners with English as an Additional Language (EAL) who are learning challenging English vocabulary alongside complex subject content may benefit from targeted support in a small group. Because inclusive teaching is about creating opportunities for all learners, you can be more flexible when teaching.

Is inclusive education the same as special educational needs?

It is important to remember that an inclusive approach to education does not just benefit learners who have a ‘special educational need’ or disability.

Models of disability

When thinking about inclusive education from the perspective of supporting learners with SEND, it is important to reflect on attitudes regarding disability.

Diagram adapted from ‘The inclusive classroom’ image (Ellis, Kirby and Osborne, 2023. P84)

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy (2001) is one of the most important and influential learning theories to have shaped educational practice across the world. While taxonomy is invaluable, it can unintentionally undermine how we see our learners’ potential, particularly those learners with SEND.

The taxonomy in its most common form does not only identify different types of thinking, it places them in a hierarchy (see figure 2). This means that we often think of learning in terms of levels, and assume that if a learner cannot master the skills at the lower levels of the taxonomy, they are less likely to be able to make progress and master the skills at the top. Many learners, for example, may struggle to remember facts but can be excellent at evaluating information or creating something new from it.

Figure 2: Bloom’s taxonomy (2001) presented as a hierarchy

When teaching inclusively, it can be useful to adjust the taxonomy to consider the negative assumptions we make about ‘levels’ of learning in relation to difficulty and progress. It can be common for a learner to develop skills, such as analysis, evaluation or synthesising (combining and summarising) new ideas, while demonstrating that they find other skills, such as describing, listing or labelling, more challenging. This may be different depending on the school, the classroom and the subject being studied. It may have nothing to do with a learner’s ‘ability’ but may reflect their interests, motivation, involvement, understanding at the time or other external factors. We will explore this more in the next section.

Reflection

How can you adapt your teaching to make sure all learners can master the skills at the top of the pyramid?
How can you avoid language that suggests hierarchy and ability in your classroom?

The Ecological Model

Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model (1979) explores the relationship between a person and their environment (see figure 3). The model shows that a person’s level of functioning is not fixed and can change over time. This means that we can think about ‘ability’ as a state that can change (or be changed) depending on our context and situation. The context and situation can, of course, also change over time.

The World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning (ICF) also identifies that a person's level of functioning is affected by a combination of factors, including their health, the environment and other personal factors (WHO, 2001).

Figure 3: Diagram by Joel Gibbs based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model.

Reflection

Consider how this model may affect your learners or your educational context, whether it be a school, a university, online or a particular age group
What influences on your learners can you recognise?

Neurodiversity

Another term associated with inclusive education is neurodiversity. Neurodiversity ‘describes the different ways that we all think, move, hear, see, understand, process information and communicate with each other’ (Ellis et al, 2023). The term applies to us all and was first used by Judy Singer (1997) in her study of autism in her family .

Neurodiversity includes those who are considered ‘neurotypical’ and those who are considered ‘neurodivergent’. What is considered ‘typical’ or ‘divergent’ will depend on contemporary and cultural norms and so relates closely to what is described in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model (Ellis et al, 2023).

Neurodivergent conditions include dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum condition (ASC), developmental language disorder and others. It is estimated that between 1 and 5 people may identify as having one or more neurodivergent conditions (The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2024). Some people need specialist support or medication but many, either on their own or with the help of others, find ways to manage their condition and the challenges it presents. Some people like being ‘labelled’ as having a condition, but others do not – it is a personal choice.

In this audio clip, Amanda Kirby discusses the various challenges and benefits of labelling and how this can affect different learners. She discusses how some learners may never be given a diagnosis but that they may still struggle to take part in learning because of an undiagnosed need.

Transcript

Neurodiversity is linked with the social model of disability because it states that differences in processing information, sociability, learning or attention simply show that there are many ways of being, working and approaching tasks – and that it is the wider context rather than the person that may need to change for someone to reach their potential.

This can be described using the following formula, taken from the work of sports and business coach Tim Gallwey.

Performance = potential minus interference

In education, we can understand ‘interference’ as barriers that get in the way of a learner understanding or completing a task. In the Practical Tips section, you will see that these barriers can include:

the way information is presented;

how instructions are given;

the ways in which a student can demonstrate what they have learnt;

the environment in which they are working; and

the other students they are sitting near or working with.

Neurodiversity takes into account those who:

have barriers to learning but do not meet the requirements for a traditional diagnosis of a special educational need, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia;

have many ‘needs’, that may or may not be diagnosed; and

find a particular task challenging – which could be any learner at any time.

Figure 4, adapted from the work of Amanda Kirby (2018), describes how some learners get diagnoses and others don’t, and how some learners have many needs. Often, learners who have not met the requirements for one or more diagnoses are seen as disruptive and the root cause of their behaviour is not identified. Unfortunately, this can lead to consequences later in life because of missed learning or opportunities, or because the learner feels misunderstood and so misbehaves to get attention and achieve what they want.

Figure 4: Adapted from Amanda Kirby’s ‘Balls in buckets’ 2018

Teaching with neurodiversity in mind means that we focus on providing learning for everyone, rather than just making adaptations based on specific diagnoses. This benefits other areas of diversity too – such as learners whose first language is not English, learners with varying levels of cultural capital, and learners with sociocultural or socio-economic barriers. An inclusive approach makes sure that any learner, whether they qualify for individual support or not, can still access teaching, learning and assessment which directly supports their needs and allows them to both take part and make progress.

Neurodiversity

Transcript

This can be described using the following formula, taken from the work of sports and business coach Tim Gallwey.

Performance = potential minus interference

the way information is presented;

how instructions are given;

the ways in which a student can demonstrate what they have learnt;

the environment in which they are working; and

the other students they are sitting near or working with.

Neurodiversity takes into account those who:

have barriers to learning but do not meet the requirements for a traditional diagnosis of a special educational need, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia;

have many ‘needs’, that may or may not be diagnosed; and

find a particular task challenging – which could be any learner at any time.

Figure 4: Adapted from Amanda Kirby’s ‘Balls in buckets’ 2018

What are the benefits of inclusive education?

Inclusive education helps all learners achieve their potential.

Inclusive education benefits all learners, not just some, because it can give them more choice and flexibility in how they learn. As a result, you can adapt and offer the most effective learning strategies to suit your learners. For example, there may be more than one way to solve a problem in mathematics, do a science experiment or write an essay.

Learners often get stuck if they are taught in one way and that way doesn’t work for them. To help them take part and support them in making progress, work with them to look at other ways to complete a task. Learners can often benefit from discussing different ways of approaching a task with their peers.

Inclusive education can help make sure no one learner or group of learners is singled out

By using lots of different strategies, no one is singled out and all learners can see the benefit of using different methods to learn. An inclusive classroom can provide a more positive learning environment for a wider range of learners. By including a wider range of learners in your classroom, you are promoting diversity and allowing more diverse friendships to happen. This is positive not just in school but in attitudes towards difference in society.

Inclusive education saves time in preparation, planning and adaptations

Using effective inclusive teaching means you shouldn’t need to adapt activities or resources for individual learners as often. However, you should continue to bear in mind the benefit of Assessment for Learning approaches and your skills as a teacher in recognising where any learners need extra support.

By using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) you can present content and demonstrate skills to your learners without having to make too many adaptations for individuals. UDL (Meyer et al, 2013) makes sure all learners can use both the learning content and the learning environment as much as possible. This approach makes teaching and learning more flexible by providing learners with many different ways of taking part (engagement), feeling included (representation) and action and expression (see figure 5).

Provide multiple means of

Engagement

Provide multiple means of Representation

Provide multiple means of Action and Expression

The WHY of learning

The WHAT of learning

The HOW of learning

Figure 5: Table adapted from the Universal Design for Learning guidelines

Watch this video of ideas about the benefits of inclusive education:

Transcript

Common misconceptions about inclusive education

1. Inclusive education is only for learners with special educational needs

Inclusive education is often associated with learners with SEND. However, by continuing to focus on these learners, you can continue to find differences, and this means they are not truly included.

As teachers, we must change our thinking and understand that inclusive education is about recognising and celebrating diversity rather than simply targeting support to certain groups, such as learners with SEND. For example, if we remember that every learner may have different economic, social, religious and linguistic needs, we can tailor the materials we use in class to be more representative. We can then create fewer barriers and begin to offer a much broader range of learning strategies for our learners to reach their potential.

2. Inclusive education is just differentiation

Differentiation – where you adapt your teaching to meet the individual needs of students – is a very important skill to understand and use. Making sure that there are several ways for learners to demonstrate what they know or how to access information makes your teaching more inclusive.

However, it is important to consider why and how you are differentiating. If you are only differentiating for learners who have SEND, for example dyslexia, you are not being inclusive. This is because what you are doing is based on how you see your learners’ barriers to learning. Instead, you need to consider the needs of all learners relative to the task you are asking them to do.

Effective teachers change their approach according to the needs of the learners in their class. As we have already seen, this strongly links to Assessment for Learning strategies. For example, if we are asking learners to present information on a topic, we should offer a range of ways of doing so. These can include audio or visual presentations, graphics, or role play. These methods can help learners to use their strengths and access the information in order to learn. Similarly, adapting learning so that learners can use their own cultural or personal knowledge and interests encourages an inclusive classroom where learners’ voices are heard and respected.

3. Inclusive education can negatively affect other learners

This misconception again comes from the belief that inclusive education is just for learners with SEND. Parents of learners without SEND sometimes suggest that including learners who have SEND in mainstream classes disadvantages those who do not. Research has shown that this is not the case, both in terms of the positive academic value of inclusive classrooms and in relation to the emotional impact on all learners (Norwich & Lewis, 2007). Most learners will struggle with their learning at some point in their education and this may not result from who is in their class. Also, creating an environment where learners benefit from their peers is hugely beneficial, especially in a richly diverse classroom. So, an inclusive classroom can benefit from a range of diversity, not just that related to SEND.

Watch this video outling some of the misconceptions around inclusive education:

Transcript

Common misconceptions about inclusive education

1. Inclusive education is only for learners with special educational needs

Inclusive education is often associated with learners with SEND. However, by continuing to focus on these learners, you can continue to find differences, and this means they are not truly included.

2. Inclusive education is just differentiation

3. Inclusive education can negatively affect other learners

Watch this video outling some of the misconceptions around inclusive education:

Transcript

Practical tips

In this brief audio clip, Professor Amanda Kirby talks about the importance of identifying the different factors which may contribute to a learner’s challenges. She also demonstrates how identifying patterns in learner behaviour can help us to put in place interventions which will directly support the whole class.

Transcript

1. The physical, cultural and cognitive lenses

Exploring a barrier to learning through different lenses can help both teachers and learners look at challenging areas and consider effective ways to deal with them. As we discussed above, it is important to remember that barriers to learning may be a combination of physical, cognitive or cultural factors instead of (or as well as) a recognised condition.

Let’s take as an example a common barrier to learning: concentration.

The physical lens enables us to consider the space where learning takes place and the materials used for learning. For example, is the learning space very noisy? Is the lighting too bright or too dim? Is the room too hot or too cold? Is the learner comfortable with the feel of their chair or desk, the paper, implement or device they are using? Are other learners having a positive or a negative effect on their focus?

The cultural lens focuses on the relevance of the learning content. Is the content presented in the learner’s first language? Do they have appropriate cultural capital for the task? Is this a topic that they like or one that they find challenging? Are you making sure they are engaged, for example by using targeted questions and rewards?

The cognitive lens focuses on how learners process information and can demonstrate their learning. Does every child need to write an essay, or could they show their knowledge in a paragraph? Do your learners need a writing scaffold or prompts to get started? Would it be more effective to monitor progress if learners could choose their own way of presenting their knowledge?

These lenses encourage a comprehensive approach to inclusive teaching which makes sure that all learners can take part and thrive in the classroom.

The lenses model is designed to work flexibly and help you to identify common patterns linked to the challenges your learners may face. A small change can make a big difference. For example, many strategies for helping learners with SEND may also help learners with diverse sociocultural backgrounds and whose first language is not English. You can find further guidance in our Education brief and animation on Bilingual Learning. While using the patterns provided in this guidance as a starting point, it is also important to draw on your own knowledge and expertise of your colleagues and subject discipline so that the strategies you put in place are as relevant and effective as possible.

2. Using inclusive resources and spaces

Inclusive education is also about the content of what we teach and how we make sure that everyone we teach feels represented. This is important because it shifts the traditional focus of inclusion away from learners with barriers to learning and reminds us that inclusive education is for everybody. By making sure that we reflect on the diversity of our classroom or consider ways to promote diversity, we are not only modelling good practice in the classroom but encouraging strong links and interaction between learners.

Here are some examples.

Consider the linguistic backgrounds of your learners. Are you giving learners the opportunity to discuss ideas in their own language as well as English?

Are learners able to make connections with their local area? Can you make sure that learners can share news about where they live?

When you provide examples of famous explorers or authors or artists, are these as diverse as possible? This can be very important for learners who may not see themselves reflected in traditional images of ‘success’.

Making sure that religious holidays and celebrations are mentioned in the school calendar is incredibly powerful. While you do not have to celebrate each one, making learners aware of diverse holidays can spark curiosity and encourage learners to connect and interact with each other.

Showing positive images of people with disabilities in the examples you provide in class can be an excellent way of helping learners feel represented.

When discussing families, remember that there are many different ways to show this. Try to offer alternative examples of families to promote diversity. If you are celebrating a festival that is specifically for one parent (for example, Mother’s Day), make sure you have alternatives for learners who this may not apply to.

3. Using accessible resources

Accessibility and inclusion are often discussed together. While inclusive education is about a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning that covers much more than just how accessible resources in a classroom are, it is important to reflect on whether learners can engage easily with the learning materials we give them. This is not about ‘dumbing down’ learning or a resource, but about being aware of what it is we want learners to learn.

Break information and tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, could learners read paragraphs one by one and highlight the key vocabulary? This can help reduce feelings of being overwhelmed and support learners to see that they are moving forwards and achieving.

Use bullet points, blank space on the page and bold text to make information accessible and easier to navigate. When learners feel more comfortable, they can start to highlight the key information themselves, but having these visual reminders can build their confidence.

Make sure critical information or instructions for learning activities or assessments are clear and accurate so they don’t get missed or overlooked. You could do this by recording key information visually or giving important instructions several times and in more than one way. Involve your learners by asking them to tell their partner what is important from the lesson.

Include learning activities and assessments which are flexible and, if possible, give learners a choice of how to demonstrate their learning (for example, a group or individual task, or a poster, presentation or essay).

Balance interaction between listening and doing so that learners can use new knowledge, practise new skills and reinforce their learning.

It is important to recognise that not every learner has the same access to space or technology at home. If learners need to do work at home, consider flexible tasks and deadlines and whether they can complete the work at home or use the resources in school instead.

Support learners to differentiate their own learning process and encourage them to reflect on how they work. This approach uses metacognition as a vital tool to support learner-centred differentiation and encourages learners to believe they can improve their abilities and talents over time. This in turn makes them more independent and resilient.

Accessible language in teaching and learning materials benefits all learners, but especially those with EAL and learning difficulties such as dyslexia, which make it difficult to process language.

Consider the level of cultural capital of different learners when planning which contexts to use in teaching and learning materials. Try to make sure the contexts you use are relevant to both the subject and the learners.

4. Using metacognition for inclusion

One of the most powerful ways to make sure your classroom is inclusive is to encourage your learners to reflect on and regulate their own learning. This means that sometimes we must allow learners to choose how they learn, which can be very empowering. This does not mean that you cannot guide and support your learners, but using metacognitive strategies allows them to reflect on their own learning and make decisions about how they learn best.

The effect of this on their academic success and their emotional wellbeing can be very positive (Osborne et al, 2023).

Metacognition allows learners to recognise that they can learn from ‘mistakes’ and ‘failures’ and that inclusive teaching and learning shifts the focus away from just correcting areas of weakness to adding to learners’ strengths (Masataka, 2017). By allowing learners to reflect on areas where they feel confident or do well, they can use this in times of challenge.

Ask learners to reflect on the little things that we do every day which make a difference to how we learn. Focusing on how they are working rather than what they are working on can increase confidence, motivation and resilience as we teach our learners how to differentiate their own way towards a learning goal.

Encourage learners to reflect on factors such as whether they work better on paper, how they like to break up a blank page if they are having trouble getting started, if a coloured background or coloured pens help them to organise their ideas or if drawing helps them to make effective revision notes. The differentiation is in the detail!

Building a toolkit featuring a range of strategies can be a useful way of encouraging learners to understand that our needs keep changing and that we sometimes need more than one way of approaching a task.

These strategies can range from basic support we provide to encourage good, individual working habits, to those that may help us when we are finding it harder to make progress with learning. Encourage learners to be creative with their ideas and share their strategies with one another. Ask them to reflect on times when they have had to move away from one strategy to another. This will reinforce the idea that learning should be flexible. An effective toolkit depends on our ability to reflect, ‘step away’ from one strategy and move on to another, depending on the context and how we feel in order to overcome barriers to learning.

You can also watch this video of ideas for making schools and classrooms inclusive:

Transcript

Checklist

Embrace diversity – Recognise and celebrate the different backgrounds, abilities and learning styles of your students.
Adapt for all – Design teaching practices and resources to be accessible and inclusive for a wide range of learners.
Move beyond labels – Focus on understanding the individual needs of all learners, not just on specific diagnoses such as SEND.
Rethink Bloom's Taxonomy – Avoid thinking of learning as hierarchical and focus on individual strengths and development.
Consider the environment – Acknowledge how external factors like the classroom layout and how people interact can influence learning.
Embrace neurodiversity – Understand that different ways of thinking and processing information are valid.
Focus on potential – Identify and address barriers that hinder learning for any student.
Benefit all learners – Use inclusive approaches to improve the learning experience for everyone in the classroom.
Differentiate effectively – Tailor instructions to meet the different needs of the learners in your class.
Promote self-regulation and awareness – Encourage students to reflect on their own learning process and develop metacognitive skills.

Checklist

Embrace diversity – Recognise and celebrate the different backgrounds, abilities and learning styles of your students.
Adapt for all – Design teaching practices and resources to be accessible and inclusive for a wide range of learners.
Move beyond labels – Focus on understanding the individual needs of all learners, not just on specific diagnoses such as SEND.
Rethink Bloom's Taxonomy – Avoid thinking of learning as hierarchical and focus on individual strengths and development.
Consider the environment – Acknowledge how external factors like the classroom layout and how people interact can influence learning.
Embrace neurodiversity – Understand that different ways of thinking and processing information are valid.
Focus on potential – Identify and address barriers that hinder learning for any student.
Benefit all learners – Use inclusive approaches to improve the learning experience for everyone in the classroom.
Differentiate effectively – Tailor instructions to meet the different needs of the learners in your class.
Promote self-regulation and awareness – Encourage students to reflect on their own learning process and develop metacognitive skills.

Next steps

1. Build an inclusive policy

Think about your school's approach to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. If there isn't a written policy for inclusive education, consider creating one with your colleagues. This policy should answer the following key questions.

Who benefits from inclusive education in our school?

How will we make everyone – learners, staff and families – feel welcome and valued?

What are the expectations for teachers and staff in promoting inclusion?

How can we make inclusion part of our daily practices, both in classrooms and throughout the school?

2. Check your inclusive practices

Involving the entire school community is key to reviewing how inclusive our practices are. Here are some ways to do this.

Ask learners – How included and represented do they feel? How do they learn best?

Observe your colleagues – Watch each other teach in a supportive way, focusing on how you include students and what you can learn from each other’s methods.

Consider professional development – Are there opportunities to learn more about inclusive practices as a team from courses, resources or research?

3. Celebrate and share successes

Different teachers and departments might already be using effective inclusive approaches.

What can you learn from departments that are already strong on inclusion?

How can you provide different ways for learners to develop their knowledge and understanding and complete tasks?

Can you adapt how you present materials, give instructions and offer feedback?

How can you encourage learners to share what works best for them and support each other in their learning?

4. Continuously improve

Making our practices more inclusive is a journey, not a destination. Start by focusing on small changes, reflecting on your progress and adapting based on what works best for you and your learners.

Ask colleagues to observe your teaching specifically with inclusion in mind.

Look for professional development opportunities such as courses, resources or collaborative research projects.

Next steps

1. Build an inclusive policy

Who benefits from inclusive education in our school?

How will we make everyone – learners, staff and families – feel welcome and valued?

What are the expectations for teachers and staff in promoting inclusion?

How can we make inclusion part of our daily practices, both in classrooms and throughout the school?

2. Check your inclusive practices

Involving the entire school community is key to reviewing how inclusive our practices are. Here are some ways to do this.

Ask learners – How included and represented do they feel? How do they learn best?

Observe your colleagues – Watch each other teach in a supportive way, focusing on how you include students and what you can learn from each other’s methods.

Consider professional development – Are there opportunities to learn more about inclusive practices as a team from courses, resources or research?

3. Celebrate and share successes

Different teachers and departments might already be using effective inclusive approaches.

What can you learn from departments that are already strong on inclusion?

How can you provide different ways for learners to develop their knowledge and understanding and complete tasks?

Can you adapt how you present materials, give instructions and offer feedback?

How can you encourage learners to share what works best for them and support each other in their learning?

4. Continuously improve

Making our practices more inclusive is a journey, not a destination. Start by focusing on small changes, reflecting on your progress and adapting based on what works best for you and your learners.

Ask colleagues to observe your teaching specifically with inclusion in mind.

Look for professional development opportunities such as courses, resources or collaborative research projects.

References

Booth, T., & Ainscow, M. (2016). The Index for Inclusion: A Guide to School Development Led by Inclusive Values. 4^th edition. Index for
Inclusion Network.

British Dyslexia Association. (2018). Teaching for neurodiversity. Every Child Journal, 6(6).

Chapleau, N. and Beaupré-Boivin, K. (2019). Interventions to support the development of spelling knowledge and strategies for children with dyslexia, Education, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 1-8.

Eaton, R. and Osborne, A. (2018). Patterns beyond labels model of inclusive practice. Bath, Centre for Learning and Teaching, University of Bath.

Ellis, P., Kirby, A., & Osborne, A. (2023). Neurodiversity and Education. Corwin.

Grandin, T. (2020). Empowering autistic individuals to be successful webinar. Cork Autism Conference.

Hagiwara, M., Shogren, K. A., Thompson, J. R., Burke, K. M., Uyanik, H., Amor, A. M., Aguayo, V. (2019). International trends in inclusive education intervention research: a literature review. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 54(1), 3-17.

Haug, P. (2017). Understanding inclusive education: ideals and reality. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 19(3), pp.206–217.

Hockings, C. (2010). Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. London, Higher Education Academy.

Kirby, A. (2018). Workshop presentation for Cambridge Assessment International Education.

Kirby, A. (2020). Neurodevelopmental disorders across the ages: more than ‘just’ health conditions! London, Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Masataka, N. (2017). Implications of the idea of neurodiversity for understanding the origins of developmental disorders. Physics of Life Review, 20, 85-108.

Meyer, A., Rose, D, Gordon, D. (2013). Universal Design for Learning: theory and practice. Wakefield MA, CAST.

Naraian, S. (2019). Precarious, debilitated and ordinary: Rethinking (in) capacity for inclusion. Curriculum Inquiry, 49:4, 464-484.

Osborne, A., Angus-Cole, K. & Venables, L. (2023). From wellbeing to welldoing: How to think, learn and be well. Corwin.

Ross, H. (2017). An exploration of teachers’ agency and social relationships within dyslexia-support provision in an English secondary school. British Journal of Special Education, Volume 44.

Shibli, D, & West R. (2018). Cognitive Load Theory and its application in the classroom. Impact: The Science of Learning. Chartered College of Teaching p.18-20.

Singer, J. (1997). Neurodiversity: The birth of an idea. Sociology honours thesis presented to the University of Technology, Sydney.

The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) acts as the Secretariat for the SDGs, providing essential support and capacity-building for the goals and their related issues, including water, energy, climate, oceans, urbanization, transport, science and technology, the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), partnerships and Small Island Developing States. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4

UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report – Inclusion and education: all means all. Paris: UNESCO.

University of Bath. (2018). Supporting students with Autistic Spectrum Conditions. https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/supporting-students-with-autistic-spectrum-conditions/attachments/supporting-students-with-autistic-spectrum-conditions.pdf

World Health Organization. (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Geneva, World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health

Remember to explore our Leading, learning and teaching with Cambridge section, which includes an education brief and animation on Inclusive education.

Cambridge Schools also have access to Resource Plus on the School Support Hub, which includes a range of resources and videos to support the teaching and learning of the Cambridge curriculum.