Inclusion Now 55

Spring 2020 Issue 55

ÂŁ2

A voice for the Inclusion Movement in the UK

Contents

Editorial

2

Editorial

3

Education, Health & Care Plans

Young Person’s Voice

5

Inclusive Education in Malta Inclusive Practice

8 10

Being Healthy AND Being Included ALLFIE Day of Action Young Person’s Voice

12

Accessibility Plans Research News

14

Inclusive Further Education Teacher’s Voice

15

Inclusive Education Manifesto

16

Inclusive Education Funding SEND crisis

18

Legal Question Funding cuts

Inclusion

Now

occasionally

includes

adverts

for

products, services, courses or events offered by other organisations. This does not imply that we endorse or support the products, services, courses, events or organisations concerned. Readers are advised to check details for themselves and make their own judgements.

Inclusion Now provides an opportunity for the exchange of information. All the views expressed are not necessarily the views of ALLFIE, Inclusive Solutions or World of Inclusion. We reserve the right to edit articles. Contact ALLFIE for advertising rates and policy.

Inclusion Now is also available in audio or text format via

It is a great pleasure to write my first editorial for Inclusion Now magazine - the voice of inclusive education in the UK. This edition shares welcome and thought provoking messages from Disabled young people, practitioners, researchers and disabled leaders, all championing inclusive education.

The RIP:STARS (opposite) are not shy when it comes to speaking up for change for disabled children and young people. They discuss their contribution to the Commons Education Select Committee SEND Inquiry and how they demanded an end to inequality in human rights and “social injustice” for disabled children and young people at their evidence session in Parliament.

We hear all the news from ALLFIE’s national Day of Action for inclusive education, which hosted three events in Westminster in January - including delivering a 108,000 signature petition to Downing Street and launching the long-awaited Accessibility Plans report. Student Martine Harding attended all three events and reports back, page 10, while Armineh Soorenian shares report findings, page 12.

College teacher Hilra Vinha shares her personal account of promoting inclusion in further education work on page 14. Nic Crosby’s insightful article, page 8, highlights the important role health plays in supporting Disabled children and young people’s access to education and classroom inclusion, through provisions such as Personal Health Budgets.

On an international note, Richard Reiser gives an insight into how Malta’s education system is delivered for disabled children and young people, and the approach taken to resource and deliver support.

All of which highlights why inclusive education must be regarded as a human right for all disabled people, and the importance of solidarity.

email - see subscription form on page 19.

You can also search and view past issues online at www.allfie.org.uk/news/inclusion-now/

2

Michelle Daley

ALLFIE Director

Young Person’s Voice

Education, Health & Care Plans

Giving evidence to the Education Select Committee

Back in early 2019, we received a call from the Education Select Committee inviting us to present our research evidence as part of their SEND Inquiry.

We jumped at the chance as we thought this might We know that – we feel it – we see it happening be a way to really achieve change. in our schools and colleges and we researched it. We know that our experiences of the education We are the RIP:STARS, a group of disabled young system have been poor, we have experienced many researchers aged 16 – 23 based in Coventry. We moves in education, not received the support we were funded by DRILL/Big Lottery to undertake should have and have felt excluded, isolated, voicedisabled young people-led research into quality and less, powerless, angry, and sad. We know that rights in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). we can’t ever get that time again – but if we can In December 2018 we published our research change just one child’s experience then we will.

A generation of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is failing to receive the support it deserves, say the Education Committee in its report on SEND.

findings, based on interviews and discussion groups with disabled young people, parents and professionals from across the country. Since then, we have been travelling the country disseminating our research, and our person-centred, rights and quality framework for SEND practice to nearly 1000 professionals. We haven’t yet met anyone that doesn’t agree that change is needed in how we view disabled children and young people and how we support them, especially if we are to achieve inclusion. The report and framework for practice can be downloaded for free from our website: www.ripstars.net

So on March 19th 2019, we went to Parliament.

We spoke about our rights, as human beings, to an inclusive education that meets our needs and supports us to achieve a full life, now and in our futures. We felt welcomed and listened to by the MPs, we enjoyed our day at Parliament and came away hopeful that maybe – just maybe – somehow we might have made a difference.

On October 23rd 2019, the Commons Education Select Committee published their report. https:// publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201919/ cmselect/cmeduc/20/20.pdf

3

Young Persons voice It was long but we ploughed through it, looking at every recommendation. We were proud that our voices, our research evidence was in there – we had been heard and so it appeared had the other two groups of young people who had presented that day. Ok, so they didn’t go so far as to acknowledge our rights arguments, but there we were in black and white:

to support students. We feel that it is fairly obvious to have this in every school, because students need and deserve to have a member of staff who is especially trained to support those with SEND. Schools should have a designated professional for disabled young people to speak to should they have any concerns regarding their EHCP or school in general.

“There should be someone there to ensure that this child and children like this get what they deserve and what is needed for them to have the best future, and are not tossed aside and forgotten about in the system.” Jordan, RIP:STARS

We could go on… the report was over 100 pages long with 38 conclusions and recommendations.

Robert Halfon MP stated:

We agreed with the report that there needs to be a change in the culture of schools and colleges to meet the needs of disabled young people, and also recognise their rights to involvement in decisions about their lives – to stop viewing the EHCP as just another paper document, but see it as a stepping stone for the young person’s life. This way disabled young people will get what they deserve. We feel that professionals need to adopt person centred practice and put the young person at the centre of their plan or support, it should be the young person’s plan with the professional’s advice not the professionals plan.

We were pleased to see that the report recognised the hundreds of thousands of children and young people without an EHCP but who also need SEN support. We argued that if people do not require an EHCP then they should be told why and still be given the support needed in order for them to succeed in life, otherwise we feel that professionals are setting disabled young people up to fail.

We were excited to see that they had listened to us, and we are sure many others, who said there had been too much emphasis on the young person’s educational achievements and not what they would like to get out of their lives. We argued that there needs to be more support for disabled young people to achieve their dreams and ambitions, and professionals need to take more time to discuss these instead of looking at their achievements from an educational perspective.

“We need to end this major social injustice, one which affects children and their families, particularly those who are not as well equipped to navigate this bureaucratic maze. Of course, extra funding for SEND announced in the spending round is welcome but the truth is that more cash will fail to make a difference to children with special education needs unless there is a radical change of approach throughout the system. The DfE cannot continue with a piecemeal and reactive approach to supporting children with SEND. Rather than making do with sticking plasters, what is needed is a transformation, a more strategic oversight and fundamental change to ensure a generation of children is no longer let down.”

We learned about parliamentary process and that the government has 60 days to make a response to the report. We understood that this was delayed by the General Election in December. We understand that the government has called for a further review of SEND and set up a SEND System Leadership Board, we understand that they have released some money for children who need high levels of support. But we also understand that this is a cop-out, kicking the issues into the long-grass, call it what you want. Many of the recommendations of this Inquiry, and many, many other reviews and reports have stated what needs to change and how.

We as the generation who have been failed still feel failed as we note on the SEND Inquiry website – ‘Awaiting Government Response’ some five months later. Please do not fail those who are coming now behind us.

Our own experiences of SENCOs has been hit or See our website www.ripstars.net or follow us on miss, so we agreed with the recommendation that twitter @stars_rip Eva, Heidi, Vandana, all schools should have a properly trained SENCO

4

Ben, Jordan, Tom

Inclusive Practice

Inclusive Education in Malta In the late 90s Malta began to move towards a more inclusive, community-based education system.

On a recent visit, I connected with the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (of which I am General Secretary).

I also met Education Department officers and representatives of the Malta Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (MFOPD) to research and visit two education facilities: the University of Malta and Dingli Sccondary School – here’s what I discovered.

Malta is a small country of three islands in the Mediterranean, 80 miles south of Sicily. It was a British Colony for 250 years and retains some cultural similarities but also differences: being Maltese speaking and more religious, with a strong national pride and focus on family and conservatism. Malta has a traditional single gender education system, based on streaming and selection, with a school population of 55,000 (493,500 total population).

Education in Malta is well resourced with 5.1% of GDP spent on education and an average secondary class size of 20. Education is largely delivered through the compulsory system comprising: 150 state schools; 34 church schools; 18 independent schools.

Three resource centres act as special schools for full or part-time students. These looked likely to die out at one point but, more recently, student numbers have greatly increased. While some children attend these resource centres full-time due to parental choice, others have no choice. Unfortunately, centres have retained the role of special schools, and investment “geared to their new and expanded role of providing professional support to regular schools in meeting special educational needs” (Salamanca Statement 1994), has not taken place.

In church schools the state pays for teachers’ salaries and support services, with parents asked for a voluntary contribution. In recent years state schools have become co-ed. The independent schools are fee paying.

In 2014, a ten-year ‘Framework for Education Strategy for Malta’ was launched to increase participation, community involvement and inclusion, and support educational achievement and retention. A system of “banding” was reintroduced at the end of year 4 (age nine), with benchmark exams in English, Maths and Maltese replacing the equivalent of the 11+ exam and students being ‘set’ according to marks obtained in these exams.

Recent figures from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education Report show over 96% of students statemented in Malta attend Since 2010 state schools have been organised mainstream inclusive classes - the equivalent for geographically, through pyramidal colleges England is 47.8%. The level of Statements is around comprising: one secondary school; one or two 5.5% in Malta, compared to 3.5% in England - this middle schools; six to ten primary schools. figure is rather high.

5

Inclusive Practice The Board is appointed by the Minister of Education and made up of SEND professionals, mostly those working within the education directorate. The LSEs are encouraged to attend University of Malta’s Department for Inclusion and Access to Learning for training to gain a diploma, recently upgraded to a degree. Other institutions also offer training courses. One particular course is of dubious quality.

Many of the older teachers have not undertaken effective training in inclusion. In recent years there has been a big increase in LSEs to 2800 for 3800 children, using the bulk of increased the SEN budgets, despite rolls falling. The LSEs protest there is not always the necessary teamwork between Nearly all of the school population attend their local them and teachers to facilitate the inclusion of all school and age appropriate classes, with only 160 students. A student with a statement of needs is attending special school. There are, however, also considered to be the responsibility of the LSE. resource bases developed around nurture group principles in primary schools and learning support zones in secondary, with specially trained teachers for social and emotional issues - currently one for primary and four for secondary schools (including Dingli Secondary school, featured below). In addition, 32 children with significant autism attend a specially commissioned foundation two days a week with Learning Support Educators (LSEs) to undergo a group TTEACH type programme. The effect of this provision is very low exclusions.

Rather than implementing inclusive pedagogies in class teachers tend to expect help from outside class usually in the figure of an LSE. The provision of LSEs is provided by a Statementing Board that schools and parents apply to for either full-time, One issue with this system is that school students shared, or shared in the same class support. ‘become dependent’ on their LSE but are only allowed one year with each, rather than transferring through phases with the same one. Additionally, informal communication and planning between teachers and LSEs causes a disconnect which undermines whole school’s collaborative approach.

There seemed a willingness from teachers to learn what was necessary, not with a coherent pedagogy of inclusion but piecemeal around particular students needs. There is an Inclusion Manager from the Directorate of School Support who coordinates LSEs in several schools and is part of leadership in schools, monitored practice, and ensures Individual Education Plans are constructed, monitored and annually reviewed.

6

Inclusive Practice The IEPs are, in practice, designed by LSEs using • A narrow, results-based curriculum and a software package, and according to diagnosis, assessment system, though recently based on the medical, deficit model of disability. modified, still seems to dominate rather than teachers and schools collaboratively taking Dingli Secondary School in northern Malta has responsibility for the learning of all 486 students, of which 30 recieve LSE support.

This includes 13 students receiving 1:1 support.

It is a spacious new build campus with lifts and wide corridors. The Principle explained that in the last two years they have introduced (as all secondaries), a vocational/practical based curriculum for those more suited to it, alongside the academic. Training takes place alongside a meeting with middle school teachers to sort out a lap top and raised diagrams, with class teachers giving notes on a pen drive.We met Sheranice, a girl who uses a rollator and the lifts to get about. She liked the school, had two best friends and seemed to have an ambivalent attitude to her LSE as she wanted to be more independent.

• The need for schools to develop and take responsibility for involving all in Inclusive Education Policies

• All staff need twin-track accredited training on inclusion in general and impairment specific accommodations for running an inclusive classroom • Not allowing LSEs for more than a year destroys continuity; changing teachers and LSE’ each year is very disruptive

• The Education Directorate needs to have regular meetings with MFOPD to discuss issues before decisions are taken We saw very well resourced specialist areas, including a hospitality suite comprising restaurant, • The need for a whole school approach to kitchen and accommodation, a food lab, and areas academic progress through UDL and evidencefor video/photography and communication, textiles, based positive behaviour support craft, electronics and engineering. Other than streamed Literacy, Maths and Science, all other • There should be more push in services into mainstream schools and classes rather than subjects in Year 9-11 are mixed ability, though we pull out think banding still applied. Different weight is given to assessment through course work, projects and • A primary focus of the inclusion process exams varying from 60% /40% to 40% /60%. should be building relationships between non-disabled and disabled peers and more In the Learning Support Zone (LSZ) children attend involvement of disabled individuals and their ongoing 2x2 hour sessions per week, with progress parents in decision making measured via Boxall profile. Focussed groups are run on appropriate behaviour, friendship and antibullying, with strong evidence of improved behaviour dealing with social and emotional issues. A favourite was a ‘punch bag’ that was well used for getting rid of aggression.

That said, Malta has many examples of good inclusive practice, accessible schools and a willingness to improve, which should embarrass the former colonial power - the United Kingdom, whose Government seems determined to reverse My conclusion coincides with the 2014 European Inclusion in England.

Agency Audit, the issues of which largely remain, despite subsequent initiatives to improve inclusive Richard Rieser approach: General Secretary Commonwealth Disabled • The UN CRPD Article 24 has not been incorporated into Maltese Law

People’s Forum and World of Inclusion

• The resourcing approach is largely deficit/ medical model and not a human right approach, particularly the resourcing model of individual Statementing needs replacing

7

Health

Being healthy AND being included If you’re not feeling well, feeling upset all the time or anxious, or maybe your physical health isn’t good or you depend on a lot of help, then being included in classroom activities and making the best of opportunities to learn, spending time with friends, or just hanging out in the playground are not ever going to feel easy, and may even make you feel worse.

For children and young people with complicated health support needs that mean they receive Continuing Health Care funding, there are ways to address ensuring they are healthy and able to take part in school activities. A well-known example from West Sussex, during their work as an SEND Pathfinder, pointed the way some years ago. There are small numbers of similar joined up packages of support in place now elsewhere in the country (although there should probably be a lot more).

Amy was a young woman attending a mainstream school. Funding for her support was split between school and home where Mum managed a direct payment that funded Amy’s out of school support.

However due to Amy’s complicated health support needs Mum was never confident in the support being offered at school; this often meant if Amy was having a bad day then Amy would stay at home. In the end it became a very combative relationship between school, services and family. Turning all the funding into an integrated personal budget, enabling Mum to manage this as a direct payment package of support that meant the same skilled support in the classroom as at home, changed everything radically. Amy’s attendance went up and general health improved, Mum relaxed as her worries had been listened to and acted upon and she was much more comfortable knowing what support Amy was having, and the difficult relationship between school, services and family improved greatly.

to think about how they may use one. This means many children and young people missing out on the opportunity of support like that in Amy’s story.

The potential of integrated personal budgets to deliver joined up support has never Nic Crosby been given the attention it should, not only for young people with complicated physical health support needs but those with mental health challenges, autism and complicated home and family lives. It is continually trumpeted as part of the solution to the rising numbers of children and young people with learning disabilities, autism and/ or mental health support needs being placed away.

Yet across the country there has been slow (if any in some places) uptake of the opportunities supported in the Children and Family Act 2014 being driven by NHS England’s move to more personalised care.

For example, a young person allocated a number of hours social care Direct Payment and also a greater number of hours of Continuing Healthcare Support but denied information and possibility of taking the CHC funding as a Direct Payment. The potential pot of hours could have offered a young person with very complicated life support needs the possibility of consistent, familiar and skilled support.

Personal budgets in education, health and social care are only one way of supporting better lives for children and young people with complicated health support needs. It is one way that often shines a light on the local area’s approach to thinking of the ‘whole life’ of a child or young person or if they continue to think solely about their service or In some parts of the country, despite the fact there departments responsibilities. has been a Right to Have a Personal Health Budget I believe that, whether its about integrating funding for Continuing Healthcare since 2014 (and to choose at individual level using personal budgets or at a to receive this as a Direct Payment), families are commissioning level delivering jointly commissioned still being denied information and the opportunity support shaped by the local Health and Well-being

8

Health

Board, the key is working together to deliver ‘whole life outcomes’. Doing so challenges social care and education to stop thinking about outcomes linked to their specific stream of funding and understand that their work/funding and provision should all interact to deliver a combination of support, opportunity and provision that enables the child to participate in learning and achieve, as well as maintain a happy and welcoming home life and the best health possible. For example, if you want to be able to make the best of learning opportunities you need to be healthy so you can participate, or you will do better at school if things are happy and welcoming at home.

joined up, personalised and skilled support and yet there remains a paucity of examples of this working in anything other than ‘one-off’ situations.

Supporting children and young people to be in the best health they can be is not only the role of health services but of all those involved in their lives. If inclusion is to be really meaningful to each child or young person then all services need to step up and play their part alongside families and partners in enabling children and young people to Be Included and to Be Healthy.

The over-riding frustration for so many people is that all the laws, guidelines and permissions exist to offer children and young people really good,

Nic is the Director of GatherBuildWork: www.gatherbuildwork.net

Nic Crosby

RESOURCES NHS England - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nG1822k83U Personal Budgets and the School Day, In Control also cited in a number of evaluation reports produced during the SEND Pathfinder programme 2011-2014 www.england.nhs.uk/personal-health-budgets/personal-health-budgets-in-nhs-continuing-healthcare/

ALLFIE website resources LLFIE is continuing to add resources to our website, and the latest A is an article aimed at education students on some of the key issues around inclusive education. In “Current Debates: Part 3”, Academic and ALLFIE trustee Dr Miro Griffiths MBE concludes the three-part series, exploring key arguments surrounding the purpose of education and the ways in which existing, exclusionary education systems can be resisted: https://www.allfie.org.uk/inclusion-resources/debates-part-3

We’ll shortly be adding a guide on how to write an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) from an inclusive perspective, so keep an eye on our resources page: https://www.allfie.org.uk/resources/

9

Young Person Voice

ALLFIE’s Day of Action: Martine Harding reports back participant for: ‘Accessibility Plans, as effective tools for inclusion: are they working?’ The high profile location fitted the gravity of the research, to debate and discuss the problems in mainstream school for disabled people. Everyone listened intently as the speakers introduced the report and its findings.

The petition ‘Don’t Shut Disabled People Out of Mainstream Education’ demands disabled people have their right to be educated in the mainstream realised. On January 23rd 2020 I travelled to Westminster, London, the heart of British politics.

Here I met a group of ALLFIE campaigners and supporters for a national Day of Action.

We marched together through the political district to 10 Downing Street, singing “education, not segregation.” This showed me we are powerful when taking action together to help disabled people who want to learn. Which I can relate to.

The report powerfully and effectively shows the problems in education for disabled people. A the launch it was emotional to hear personal stories read aloud and some people cried while listening to the negative experiences disabled children face in UK education. The report is important to me because the education system has affected me. My struggles with learning now are because I did not get enough support as a child. I hope this report can help others learn how they can change education to help Disabled people.

I was on the Q&A panel because I was one of the participants of the research so I was able to answer questions and show, from my own perspective and experiences, points that need to be improved in the education system. I shared my struggles as a disabled student in mainstream schools and how having support has helped me in college -so much that I now have offers to go to university. I found out I was helping others by showing disabled people I believe everyone should be in mainstream schools, can go to university and aim for their dream job. It so they can all learn the essential skills needed in takes courage and hope to keep fighting to reach society. Walking up to Number 10 Downing Street my life goals. and knocking on the famous door, handing over the Finally we walked to the Department for Education petition, I feel I am finally getting to have my say to deliver ALLFIE’s manifesto for inclusion and on my own education. Having Marsha de Cordova negotiate a meeting with the Secretary of State MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Women and for Education. We argued with his secretary, who Equalities, join us on the doorstep of 10 Downing could not give a written promise a meeting would Street highlighted the importance of the petition take place. We showed how real people can fight for and of addressing problems in the education system their rights in society, some are not listening and we for disabled people. It also shows the Government need change to improve.The Day of Action showed need to review education in mainstream schools me the Government need to improve and how and colleges for disabled people. politics works in real life. It has given me courage to Next we walked to the Supreme Court building for continue fighting for human rights for all. the launch of the research report which I was a

10

Young Person Voice

11

Research News

What we learned from our project about Accessibility Plans In 2018, we were given funding from the ‘Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning’ (DRILL) programme to lead a project that examined whether Accessibility Plans were effective in driving inclusive education in English secondary schools post Equality Act (EA) 2010. The EA (2010) and Children and Families Act (2014) made it compulsory for all education and training providers to develop and publish Accessibility Plans outlining how they intended to make their settings more accessible over the course of time.

news would often come as a surprise or be found out by chance. The professional participants admitted that in their schools, the delivery of information in alternative formats was inconsistent. Many talked about accessible documents only being provided if pupils or parents made specific requests, rather than as standard practice throughout school.

Instead of assigning responsibility to their school, the majority of the professionals felt factors such as lack of funding and not enough uptake by pupils were more important reasons.

As the project researcher, Physical access I travelled across England All of the project participants conducting 12 focus groups, highlighted very similar five semi-structured interviews physical access barriers within and two sets of online their schools. These included questionnaires to glean people’s physical organisation of experiences and perspectives school buildings, an excessive about different topics based number of steps, broken lifts, on the three key areas that and inadequate provision of Accessibility Plans are legally accessible toilets. Some parents required to focus on:- information pointed out how their children’s delivery, physical access, and sensory issues, which were curriculum. Disabled young clearly causing anxiety, were people, parents of Disabled being totally unsupported and young people, and education misunderstood in their schools. professionals took part in the In the online questionnaire, one project, and made up three parent wrote: separate participant groups.

‘Too much distraction. Walls Quantitative data gathered & some windows are covered from various sources were also used to support the with text, photos, pictures, drawings, info. Desks field study. Here are some of our project findings. are filled with stationary pots. The acoustics in the Delivery of written information dining area are bad, making it extremely noisy at In our project, Disabled young participants generally lunch & break times.’ thought that the provision of accessible information For most parents, barriers were often amplified by was poor. Parents’ responses were more diverse. professionals’ inflexible attitudes when they needed The majority of parents reported that in the absence help with removing the obstacles. In relation to of adequate provision of accessible information, access, it was clear that Accessibility Plans did not they had no choice but to scour a school’s website always comply with legal requirements. hoping they had not missed news regarding school activities. Some said they had to ask staff or other parents repeatedly for the information; for others,

12

Research News Curriculum In terms of teaching, learning and assessment, Disabled young participants felt that there was no level playing field in respect of their ability to participate in classroom activities and the school curriculum, particularly in relation to assessments.

Parents were also frustrated with professionals’ insensitive attitudes in making reasonable adjustments to meet their children’s impairmentrelated needs. In one parent’s words:

The professional participants agreed that inclusive practices to help with Disabled children’s social inclusion were ad-hoc and inconsistently implemented. All these accounts from the project make clear that social inclusion in school communities should be a key part of any Accessibility Plan, as opposed to a side issue, in order to help prevent the frequent bullying and exclusion of Disabled young people and promote a culture of equality among peers.

‘The teacher disregards my daughter’s medical needs and diagnosis and makes no concessions, which is now impacting on her confidence, mental health, enthusiasm to learn and not wanting to go to school. Other students have been put down in front of the class and I’m not sure if this has happened to my daughter, as she doesn’t want to talk about school at all.’

Our project research highlighted systematic gaps in Disabled young people’s education, providing a stark contrast to the requirements of not only national but also international legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It is essential that government leaders, policy makers and society at large, in discussion with strategic thinkers and those who deliver front-line education and training services, recognise and address these structural and institutional barriers in an urgent and comprehensive way. We believe through the implementation of our project recommendations, effective and fully implementable Accessibility Plans can be developed and nationally enforced.

This can then lead to more inclusive schools, where Disabled and non-disabled young people learn and play together and grow into adults who can understand and respect each other’s differences.

Other parents revealed concerns that the adjustments they had requested for their children had not been honoured by their school, and that their children were being taught in corridors every day and being punished for behaviour that was consistent with their diagnosis, such as shouting out for not being able to follow a particular teaching style. The education professionals, for their part, felt that an effective and fully implemented Accessibility Plan would be a useful tool to promote and ensure equality in teaching.

Social inclusion Even though social inclusion in its own right is not one of the key areas that an Accessibility Plan is required to focus on, I was interested to learn about participants’ experiences and views in this area. In their focus groups, Disabled young participants explained how they were denied full participation in their school community. They faced a number of barriers, including prejudicial attitudes, inadequate transport facilities, lack of trained staff during social time, limited finances, and inaccessible school activities, which led to them feeling excluded. Many Disabled young people experienced bullying which had a long-term impact on their confidence and self-esteem.

Disturbing were also incidents involving the use of isolation booths, and as a result, reports of mental health difficulties being experienced by Disabled young people.

More information can be found in the report ‘Accessibility Plans as effective tools for inclusion: are they working?’

Dr Armineh Soorenian Inclusive reading If you like Inclusion Now, you may be interested in subscribing to ezines and blogs from Inclusive Solutions. https://inclusive-solutions.com/termlyinclusive-ezines/ https://inclusivesolutions.com/ category/blog/

13

Teacher Voice

Promoting Inclusion in Further Education At the age of two I was given the present of a brother who had severe learning disabilities and mobility difficulties. For as long as I can remember I have been an advocate-sister. The strong bond I have with my brother and our shared experiences have shaped my life greatly, including my professional choices and the causes I support. The rights of people with disabilities are part of the fabric I am made of - much more than a cause, it is who I am.

As a professional educator and educationalist my focus is promoting inclusive education and alternative provision, delivering tailored support for further education (FE) college students and, to an extent, teaching staff.

My education career began in my home country, Brazil, where I spent many years working in senior management roles in mainstream educational settings, collaborating with teaching and support staff. The idea of inclusion in was not introduced to the education debate in Brazil until the 1990s.

Following this, my interest in learning about inclusive practice motivated me to leave Brazil and study abroad where I believed, perhaps naively, that inclusion was already happening.

In 2011 I completed a doctorate on the topic of ‘Inclusive Practices in Education’ and have since immersed myself in learning more about this.

Inclusive practice has subsequently become a crucial part of my work providing learning support within the mainstream Further Education (FE) sector in the UK. Prior to this I worked in a UK secondary school as part of the pastoral team, where I gradually migrated to a SEN focused role.

In both settings, supporting students with learning difficulties and other special needs, I’ve witnessed a mixture of good inclusive education practice, alongside more questionable approaches.

A common thread I’ve encountered along the way is the pressure placed upon teaching staff to deliver measurable, results-based teaching practices, which aren’t as inclusive as they’d personally like. A significant proportion of teachers

14

seem to find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to inclusion, as accountability on other aspects of their role is immense, including attendance, exams results and progression.

All of which have real Hilra Vinha educational value, but result in completely diverse outcomes for students with disabilities in comparison to, so-called, able students. Although teachers are expected to design lessons incorporating differentiation, the success of this is not always measured to account for the different ways of learning or differences in abilities learners have. This causes barriers to learning for many children and young people, who struggle to fit into the requirements of a system primarily focussed on exams and grades.

In my current FE setting I have been involved in implementing measures to address this. For example, the college have adopted an increasingly inclusive approach to learning support including more integration of support staff into the whole college culture - with positive impact. Providing learning support to the wider college community has resulted in a blurring of boundaries between what is considered SEN and mainstream support.

I am hopeful such initiatives can inform inclusive education debate and go some way to reduce the limitations faced by educators who advocate and work to progress inclusion. Unesco states the aim of their ‘Futures of Education’ initiative is to: “catalyse a global debate on how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet”. While it is a continuous work in progress, as is the nature of education, I believe inclusion is the right of every child and young person and that it is our job as educators to improve our practices and make it happen.

Hilra Vinha

ALLFIE Manifesto

Alliance for Inclusive Education Manifesto ALLFIE has now published its revised inclusive education manifesto, reflecting the core changes in legislation and context, and the Government at large. Our manifesto is set in the context of increased state funded segregation, greater challenges faced by education providers and less flexibility within the education system. Disabled pupils’ and students human right to inclusive education under Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is at the heart of our demands, alongside the transition from a segregated to inclusive education system.

Our revised manifesto focuses on the challenges in our education system faced by disabled people, education providers and society as a whole. The challenges of education include being a vehicle for social cohesion whilst preparing students for the future workplace, accountability and measuring success, and the inclusion of children with a broader range of impairments, support and access needs. All whilst providers are expected to do more with fewer resources.

We believe disabled people have the right to: • An inclusive education supported by human rights laws • A coordinated education, health and social care system • An inclusive learning environment • An inclusive curriculum • An inclusive assessment system • An education workforce committed to inclusive education practice

We have moved our focus from an individualistic to a systematic approach to developing and promoting inclusive education practice. We have focused on changes in laws and systems around education, health and care and transport services, building design, qualification assessments and workforce development that would support inclusive education practice. Our demands are therefore focused on what needs to change in education, health and care organisational support in order to Further, we have adopted a more holistic view of implement an inclusive education system. inclusive education that doesn’t focus only on We intend to increase our outreach so that our what support disabled people require to flourish in manifesto is not only supported by our allies working mainstream education. We have also considered in the area of inclusive education practice. We are whether closing segregated education provision is making headway; the SEND Community Alliance, sufficient, or whether we need to spell out how to a coalition of parent campaign groups including achieve this goal. During turbulent times, parents Special Needs Jungle and SEN Action, have are worried about their children receiving no incorporated a specific demand around inclusive education, when mainstream providers still lack the education. We are keen in building more on what short-term capacity to be inclusive of all. We have we have in common rather than what divides us. focused on special schools becoming community resource hubs where mainstream education We are also asking mainstream education providers can go for specific advice, equipment and children’s campaigns and organisations and resources to support their inclusive education to support our manifesto. We are pleased to practices. We would like to develop this further, so include the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, Comprehensive Future and the Anti-Academies please do contact us with any specific ideas.

Alliance amongst mainstream education campaign We worked with our trustee board to develop our groups pledging their support for ALLFIE’s inclusive manifesto. We decided ALLFIE’s six manifesto education manifesto for the first time. We are keen demands remain relevant, however we have to build on our success so if you or your organisation updated the content to reflect both positive factors has not yet pledged its support, please do so at and shortcomings of current legislation and policy, www.allfie.org.uk or contact simone.aspis@allfie. and connecting thinking between education, health org.uk and care services.

15

SEND Funding Crisis

Inclusive Education & Funding in England Promises made by the UK Government on school and SEND funding are not what they seem. Even if true, which they are not, they do nothing to deal with structural problems created by wider Government Policy, that make it increasingly difficult for mainstream schools to successfully include disabled children and those with special educational needs. The Government needs to recognise the reality and act.

£2.6bn to the core schools budget in 2020-21, but the unions say there will still be a shortfall of £2.5bn in the coming year after years of devastating cuts.” Guardian 30.09.19.

NEU joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney stated:

“Johnson has made lots of empty promises on school funding – but his numbers don’t add up.

The latest funding announcement falls well short of settling the shortfall for every child. And crucially Prime Minister Johnson, like his predecessors it fails to reverse the cuts schools have suffered Theresa May and David Cameron, has promised to since 2015.” “level up” school funding across the country. But, if you fast-forward to the highest point in the Prime Unison’s Head of Education Division John Richards Minister’s plan, in three years’ time UK schools commented: will be reeling from a £1.3bn funding shortfall in “Schools are so cash starved that staff are buying 2022/23 compared with 2015/16 — the biggest equipment like pens and stationery with their own in a generation. In real terms, the Government is money. Valuable teaching assistants are also being not levelling up historically poorly funded areas axed by schools as they struggle to balance budgets. to the level of the best funded (and usually most The government keeps promising resources but deprived) areas but cutting the best. schools need money now.”

The numbers just don’t add up, accounting for This means all pupils with SEND in mainstream rising school costs and the number of pupils the schools with no Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), budget has to cover: who receive funding from a “non-ring fenced” SEN • Since 2015 the average amount spent on Support budget, lose out. Which puts increasing a pupil has fallen from £5,000 a year to just pressure on parents to get an EHCP for their child. under £4,700. Schools need an extra £2.4bn a The Government’s Higher Needs Block funding year to put that right. which pays for EHCP provision is not keeping up.

• 83% of schools in England will lose out in 2020 It is estimated the £780 rise million rise, added in September 2019, will not prevent a £1.3billion compared with 2015. deficit by 2021. Until recently, Local Authorities have • Schools in England will be £2bn poorer in 2020 taken money from other funding to bridge the gap. than in 2015.

However, the Department for Education has now • The Government is putting more money in but stopped this ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ approach, not enough (Source School Cuts Campaign) meaning more cuts in EHCP provision. Ironically the ability to switch budgets was the main reason the This has been met with a widespread negative courts found in favour of the Government in the response and coverage: Judicial Review last year. This is now closed down.

“The government has pledged to invest an extra Currently 8,000 children with SEND are out of school £7.1bn in schools in England over the next three awaiting placement. The reasons more mainstream years up to 2022-23, including an increase of schools say they can’t meet the needs of children

16

SEND Funding Crisis with SEND referred by Local Authorities (LAs) are complicated. If parents demand a mainstream school, the only legal reason a school can give for not accepting them, provided the school is nonselective and has places, is interference with the efficient education of other children. The pressure on schools to meet raised attainment targets on national tests is high. Many schools claim they do not have the expertise or practice to meet the child’s SEND needs. But schools and teachers are legally expected to admit the child and make reasonable adjustments so they can thrive. Local Authorities are not prepared to place children with EHCP Plans in schools, even though they have the power to do so. The fact an increasing number of academies and free schools have reduced the numbers of pupils with SEND at a faster rate than maintained schools has had a big impact on this.

When Michael Gove introduced the new national curriculum, discarding curriculum levels, no thought was given to how this would work with for the bottom quartile. Then continuous assessment and course work was replaced with exams and curriculum content based more on knowledge and less on skills and understanding. Which made it far harder to maintain good inclusive pedagogy and a child centred approach. Alongside the rigid curriculum, increasing use of zero tolerance behaviour policies have impacted massively on disabled pupils, leading to 50% of school exclusions constituting disabled pupils whose impairments are social, emotional or mental, such as ADHD, Autism or anxiety.

All of which is far removed from the Government’s commitment to implement Inclusive education under Article 24 of the UNCRPD or the Children and Families Act 2014. Instead the commitment is to a presumption of mainstreaming. The values and pedagogy our school system is based upon need reasserting, and the principles of inclusive education put into practice. Importantly, this includes changing high stakes testing and rewarding schools for the success of all their pupils, alongside implementing concrete measures to welcome all and challenge exclusion and bullying.

If this change does not occur Government will never be able to fund the growing demand for nonsegregated education.

What Can Be Done!

Ensure staff and parents understand the cuts and their impact Pressure school leadership to run effective training and inclusion Challenge exclusions and press for zero inclusion policies and training to make this a reality Build local campaigns with parents ,teachers and school workers against cuts and for inclusion.

Join and be active in the School Cuts Campaign https://schoolcuts.org.uk/ Join and be active in the Send Community Alliance https://sendcommunityalliance.org.uk/

Richard Rieser

World of Inclusion

www.inclusive-solutions.com

Nottingham Community Circles

17

Legal question

“

I am concerned about my Local Authority’s ability to properly fund the SEND provision that all children with special educational needs require to be educated in mainstream education. All the mainstream schools in our Local Authority are running a deficit budget. That means that many of our children will see cuts to SEND provision. I understand that the Government has reviewed the funding regulations which means less flexibility for Local Authorities to use funding, such as reserves, elsewhere to cover the shortfall. What can I do?”

There has been a lot of media coverage over the cuts to funding for SEND provision, so it’s not surprising that you have concerns. As you have concerns about SEN funding, there are a number of options available to you.

If the Local Authority are not implementing the support in the EHCP, you should first contact them and ask that the support is implemented. If they still don’t implement the support, you could consider a complaint to the Local Government If your child is considered to have SEN, the school and Social Care Ombudsman. They can should follow a ‘graduated approach’. This is investigate and make recommendations about made up of four parts. Firstly, your child’s needs what the Local Authority should do. You must are assessed. Then a plan is put together to first go through the Local Authority complaints support progress. The plan is implemented, and procedure without success. then reviewed.

Judicial Review may also be considered if the As part of this approach, specialists can be Local Authority are not meeting provision in the brought in to advise on any necessary intervention. EHCP. A Judicial Review is where you take the In general, schools must fund the first £10,000 Local Authority to court when they have done of SEN Support identified through this four step something unlawful.

To make a Judicial Review, you usually have to have pursued all other options first, but for urgent situations, such as your child missing out on their education because of a failure to If your child’s needs are not being met under SEN implement an EHCP, an urgent Judicial Review Support and top up funding is not available, you can be considered immediately. could apply for an Education, Health & Care Plan, Funding cuts can also be challenged by Judicial known as an EHCP. An EHCP outlines the needs Review. In 2018, Simpson Millar successfully of your child, what support must be implemented challenged Bristol City Council’s decision to to meet those needs, and where your child will reduce SEND spending. The Court decided that the process which led to the Council cutting receive an education.

An EHCP is a legal document which places an funding was legally flawed, so it had to reconsider obligation on the Local Authority to fund the its decision. approach. If this amount isn’t enough to cover the support, then top up funding can be requested from the Local Authority. You can ask the School to request this for you.

education provision in the EHCP and to make sure it’s implemented. To have an EHCP put in place, your child will need an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) and for it to be decided that an EHCP is necessary after this assessment. You can ask the Local Authority to conduct an assessment in writing. The Local Authority must conduct an assessment if there is a possibility that your child may have SEN, and that special educational provision may be necessary.

Ultimately, Local Authorities can only cut funding if it’s done lawfully. If your Local Authority makes cuts to the funding available to meet the needs of children with SEND, you should seek specialist legal advice to see if you can legally challenge that decision.

Our Education and SEN Solicitors can help ensure that children and young people get suitable provision at school and that funding is in place.

Gillian & Hannah

Paralegals in the Public Law Team | www.simpsonmillar.co.uk

18

Subscribe

Subscription Form o o o ­­o

£15 a year Individuals (UK) £30 a year Organisations (UK) £25 a year Overseas Individuals £40 a year Overseas Organisations

I/We would like to subscribe to Inclusion Now Name: Address:

E-mail: Phone: I would like my copy:

o In Print o As Audio o As a PDF oText only

(both options by email)

Date: Signature:

Our preferred method of payment is by standing order - please return this form to us at the address overleaf and we will send you a standing order form to sign. Otherwise, please enclose a cheque made payable to the Alliance for Inclusive Education.

Subscription automatically entitles you to membership of the Alliance for Inclusive Education.

19

This magazine is published by: The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE)

A national campaigning organisation led by disabled people. ALLFIE works to change laws, practices and procedures which discriminate against disabled young people and prevent inclusion. ALLFIE works together with allies to build a social climate in which everyone has a valued place.

336 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AA Tel: 020 7737 6030 Email: info@allfie.org.uk Website: www.allfie.org.uk

In collaboration with: Inclusive Solutions

A team of psychologists and associates who specialise in cutting edge practical strategies and ideas for developing effective inclusion in local mainstream schools and communities. We work with anyone who wants to bring about the real systems changes that are necessary to move towards a truly inclusive society.

Tel: 0115 9556045 or 01473 437590 Email: inclusive.solutions@me.com Website: inclusive-solutions.com

World of Inclusion

A consultancy that provides advice, resources and training in the UK and around the world to develop equality for disabled people especially in education. Richard Rieser is an expert disabled international equality trainer, consultant, film maker and writer and teacher.

Basement, 78 Mildmay Grove South, London N1 4PJ Tel: 020 7359 2855 or 07715 420727 Email: rlrieser@gmail.com Website: worldofinclusion.com

DISABLED PEOPLE, PARENTS AND ALLIES, WORKING TOGETHER to educate, facilitate and empower everyone who wants to be part of the growing inclusion movement. Together we want to bring down the barriers so all young people can learn, make friends and have a voice in ordinary school and throughout life. For each and every young person, this is an essential human right.

ALL MEANS ALL