Inclusive Curriculum (VI)
Presented in February 2006
Janis Sugden
Promoting Inclusion and Equality
"An inclusive school has a positive view of difference and promotes
equality.
Diversity is seen as a resource to be celebrated, the individual talents of pupils
are supported in achieving their full potential."
www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation (will open in new window)
What do we mean by inclusion?
Identification of inclusion
"We need to know just what underlies or inheres in the idea…..
Often it is connected with the ideas of equality, fraternity, human rights
or even democracy."
(Wilson, Eur. J. of Spec.Ed.Needs Vol.15 No3 (2000).
Inclusive Education
- Overall Principles (Nasen)
Every human being has an entitlement to personal, social and intellectual development and must be given an opportunity to achieve his/her potential learning. - Key Principles
Valuing diversity: All children are educable and the education authority has a duty to meet their needs. They should be equally valued whether or not they have additional support needs.
Children present a rich and diverse range of strengths and needs. Inclusion is most likely to be achieved when this diversity is recognized and regarded positively.
Inclusive Curriculum
- All children are entitled to receive, with a suitable peer group. a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.
- Whenever possible this should be in a mainstream school, recognising that appropriate support, advice and resources may be necessary to achieve this.
- Parents and the young person’s views must be considered.
- "Our aspiration for all children and for every young person is that
they should be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens
and effective contributors to society and at work"
(A curriculum for Excellence)
Inclusive Curriculum – Code of Practice.
Values and Principles which involve:-
- Taking a holistic view.
- Seeking and taking account of the views of children, parents and young people.
- The Act promotes integrated working across agencies, in assessment, intervention, planning, provision and review.
- Inclusion requires ongoing strategic planning at both system and individual level.
- Considerable effort is needed to overcome the barriers to inclusion that exist.
Individual Needs;
- Inclusive practice should not create situations where the individual needs of a child are left unmet.
- A range of flexible responses should be available to meet such needs and to accommodate their diversity.
What about staff?
- Professional development. All staff need to feel supported as inclusion may require both extension of the application of existing skills and the development of new ones.
- Need for a range of advice and resources.
Inclusive Curriculum Education authorities need to ensure there is effective communication, collaboration and integrated assessment and provision (when other agencies are involved).
- Recognise that changes in practice will need the support of all staff and the school community as a whole.
- They will need to be consulted and involved in developments from the beginning.
- Recognise that inclusion is more than mainstream placement and that positive encouragement, effective support and appropriate resourcing are prerequisites to ensure that progress is achieved.
Inclusive Curriculum
- The Act does not prescribe any particular model of assessment or intervention.
- What does the curriculum mean for VI pupils?
- Is there a special VI curriculum?