01550 760400At the end of July Natspec shared a new report, ‘What is inclusion and who gets to decide?’. The report has been created with the experiences of learners and senior leaders at its heart. It seeks to inform policy and practice as well as to challenge stereotypes around inclusion.
The research focuses keenly on gathering opinions from specialist settings
Natspec have created this report as existing literature tends to focus on mainstream education. This means the views of young people and leaders from specialist settings have historically not been represented. Natspec want to encourage the government to consider the views of those working and learning in specialist settings.
Inclusion is about belonging, choice, agency, access to appropriate expertise
The young people and senior leaders who participated in the research said that inclusion isn't about where you learn; it's about belonging, choice, agency, access to appropriate expertise, and having opportunities to lead a fulfilling life during and after college.
The report covers how specialist colleges approach inclusion and explores the aspects that could be used in mainstream settings. The conclusion is that there is good practice that could be shared. However, the research suggests that some approaches are unique to specialist settings – so it's essential that young people with a higher level of need are able to access what they need.
The report is broad in scope and includes recommendations for the Department of Education in England, for Welsh Government and for local authorities across both countries.
A report about inclusion written to include as many audiences as possible
There are five different versions of the report on the Natpsec website. This is to make the findings accessible to learners from specialist FE settings and show them how young people's voices have been represented.
There is a simplified version in PDF and Word format, two easy read versions with and without symbols and the main report.