Week 2: Creating an inclusive ethos and culture

1. Introduction to Week 2

The purpose of creating an inclusive school is to ensure that all learners can access learning and fulfil their potential in an environment where they are supported and valued. The ethos and culture of a school enables them to achieve inclusive education as set out by Mariga, McConkey and Myezwa, (2014, p16):

But how can educators create these conditions?

The ‘ethos’ of a school is what it ‘feels’ like. It is the   atmosphere experienced by children, parents and staff. It is determined by the values and beliefs that the school officially supports and ideally, are held by all those who work there. An inclusive ethos and culture are visible in the actions of individual teachers. A positive ethos towards inclusion is also created and supported by a range of roles and systems that support everyone in the school.

Each ‘layer’ of the school community has a responsibility to promote positive attitudes towards diversity, but it is through the actions of the people directly associated with the school – the head teacher, teacher, administrative staff and School Management Committee – that an inclusive ethos will emerge.

During this week, you will consider some of the collective actions that help to create an inclusive ethos.

In Week 2 you will:

• Consider what is meant by ‘an inclusive ethos’
• Consider the role of data and information sharing in creating an inclusive ethos
• Explore how school policies and systems can support an inclusive ethos
• Examine how behaviour management policies can contribute to an inclusive ethos
• Prepare an individual plan for a student with individual needs
• Plan professional development activities based on inclusive attitudes and values

In total there are eight activities in this second week, including a quiz at the end that is part of your course assessment.

1.1. Activities for the week

2. Key factors for establishing a strong inclusive ethos

The foundation of an inclusive school is that all pupils of different abilities, and children with disabilities are welcome to attend and that staff are able to make adaptations in the classroom to ensure that they can access learning, as outlined in the first course in this series, ‘Inclusive Teaching and Learning’. However, this foundation needs to be supported and developed through school leadership and organisation, including school policies.

In Activity 2.1 you will find out about some key factors that contribute to an inclusive ethos and culture in schools

2.1. Reflecting on key factors for establishing a strong inclusive school ethos

The video in Activity 2.1 emphasises:

• leadership from the school Principal and other members of staff such as the school-based support team co-ordinator
• whole staff commitment
• flexible management
• systematic approaches to removing attitudinal, learning and physical barriers in school.

The video clip shows that children with hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and ADHD are included in the Bukhosibetfu school in South Africa. However, simply enrolling children with disabilities in mainstream school does not make the school inclusive.  Research in schools in Kenya highlights the importance of ‘adapting curricula and curricula support materials; adapted facilities and equipment; teaching learning resources and a safe and accessible environment’ (Mwarari, 2020 p7).  Mwarari (2020) goes on to argue that Head teachers’ attitudes to inclusion are the most significant predictor of effective implementation of inclusion, alongside the knowledge and attitudes of class teachers. Class teachers and other staff can work together to make the ethos and culture of a school inclusive:

• through their willingness to make adaptations to support learners in their classrooms
• through the way they interact with children with different needs e.g. using positive language and valuing each child’s responses
• through advocating for inclusive practice by learning about, discussing and sharing new strategies with other members of staff

2.2. Policies for an inclusive ethos and culture

Inclusive schools will develop a range of policies to set out their expectations. The most effective policies are developed with consultation between staff and families and children. They are not hidden in a folder in the Head Teacher’s office, they are widely shared and discussed with staff, parents and children so that everyone is working with them.

A school with an inclusive ethos and culture will have a clear policies about Inclusive education that set out:

1. How they will admit children with disabilities to the school
2. The support that teachers will provide in the classroom
3. How they will monitor progress, share information and review pupils’ support needs
4. How they will use resources and the learning environment for children with disabilities
5. How they will encourage positive behaviour management
6. The school expectations for positive non-discriminatory language and how they will establish inclusive attitudes and relationships between teachers, pupils and parents.
7. How teachers will be supported in developing inclusive teaching practices through professional development programs.
8. How the school will monitor the effectiveness of policies to support inclusivity.
9. How they will consult with the child to find out about the support they need
10. How they will work with parents and caregivers
11. How they will work with other agencies
12. The role of the inclusion support team

The first course ‘Inclusive Teaching and Learning’ focused on how all teachers can provide support in the classroom (no. 2). The rest of the activities this week will focus on how to create an inclusive ethos through policies on, positive behaviour management, using resources and the learning environment to support students with disabilities, using information to review pupils’ support needs and how teachers can act as role models (no 3-6). Next week the activities will focus on professional development and whole-school monitoring (7 and 8) and in the last week you will consider how schools can consult students and work with the wider community (9-12)

3. Gathering and sharing information about learners

A key element in creating an inclusive ethos and culture is ensuring that the choices the teachers make in the classroom are informed by their knowledge of pupils’ capabilities, strengths, interests and where they need additional support. The next activity will ask you to reflect on the ways in which the teacher uses his/her knowledge of the pupils to adapt his/her lesson and to consider the strategies he/she uses to gather information on their progress.

3.1. Responding to children’s needs

The teacher has given the children a group task. This can enable them to support one another and to learn by talking about the task. He has also included some resources and activity sheets that help them to visualise the numbers which should help all the children to access the learning. He planned the lesson using his knowledge of the pupils and has decided to focus on a topic that they are struggling to understand. He observes and talks to each group as they are working so he can find out which pupils have grasped the concept and those that are still unsure. He can use this information to decide how to help them in the next lesson.

This strategy can work for all children but is especially important to monitor how children with disabilities are coping with tasks and to plan in advance to support them with resources or different activities.

Overtime, this will enable him build up a detailed picture of his class. He will be able to pass this information on to the teachers who teach them next year. If he also records marks in assessments and keeps a few examples of their work, he will notice if something changes (such as their marks decrease) and he will be able to intervene.

The example below, demonstrates the importance of collecting information and sharing it within a school.

3.2. Individual Plans

All teachers need to gather information about their students. But for students with a particular need, more detailed information is needed.

In some systems, where disabled children are integrated into the mainstream, the child has an ‘individual plan’ that sets out their needs. In some countries this entitles them to extra, individual support from a teaching assistant, paid for by the Government. Whether or not a formal system exists, the idea of a plan which is centrally available for all the teachers who come into contact with that child, is a good one, as it gives the teacher a starting point. In the next activity you will look at an assessment of a disabled child about to enter mainstream, and make a plan that could be shared with his teachers. The first step is to observe the child and consider their needs under these main headings:

• Sensory difficulties: checking for hearing and vision problems.
• Physical ability and limitations: notably their use of hands - and any problems with sitting in chairs or on the floor.
• Activities of daily living: such as dressing, toileting and eating.
• Language development: understanding what is said to them as well as their level of expressive language.
• Academic readiness: for learning to read, write and number work.
• Behaviour and emotions: attention and concentration, their self-esteem, relationships with others.” Mariga, McKonkey and Myezwa (2014, p105)

When staff have some idea of the areas where the child needs support, they can use an individual plan to set some targets and action to work on, as well as to record any special resources or teaching activities that might help them.

Reveal

4. Optional reading

In the UK, the ‘individual plan’ has evolved into a ‘pupil passport’. This document is negotiated between the student and a teacher, or support worker. The targets are linked to the curriculum to help teachers in their planning. You can read about this system here

Your plan for David may have targets that relate to his ability to follow what is going on in lessons, his speech, his spelling and his relationships with other pupils. These should be accompanied with some strategies and activities that the teacher and support team can use to help David. A simple adaptation could be to ensure that David sits in front of the teacher, with his friend next to him. This way he should hear most of the lesson and his friend can also help to explain the learning or task. The teacher could also use more pictures and gestures to explain ideas in lessons. The preparation of individual plans, that involve students is one way in which an inclusive school ethos becomes visible.

5. Resources and systems to support children with disabilities

There are many ideas that schools can embed in their policies and ways of working which will help children with disabilities. Next, you are going to read a case-study about Luis, a pupil with Down’s Syndrome. You will be asked to think about the case study and how school policy could be used to improve Luis’ experience at school.

6. Resources, buddy systems and clubs

Strategies to ensure that Luis could be supported in class to keep on track with his tasks might include:

• The teacher checking on Luis at regular intervals and explaining again if needed
• Setting up a visual timetable with pictures and simple words to remind Luis of his different task in the lesson and talking this through at the beginning of the lesson, then putting this on his desk or the wall where he can check it.
• Providing Luis with a peer ‘buddy’ in the lesson who will be able to remind him about what to do next
• Plan for group work and seat children together where the group can keep each other on task

Luis and other children, with or without disabilities, could also benefit from a playground buddy system, or from after school clubs and activities.

Both these strategies link to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that asserts:

The school inclusion policy could be discussed and shared with all staff. It might:

• set out possible teaching strategies that will benefit all children
• describe processes for sharing information
• highlight relevant resources and possibilities for peer support
• describe the extra-curricular activities that will support all children including those with disabilities.

If systems are put in place to put the policy in action these strategies can become are part of the normal ways of working for the whole school and do not need to be introduced to help one pupil. In this way, policies help to shape the ethos and culture of a school.

Luis’ experience also highlights the importance of responding to the individual needs of children with disabilities by creating opportunities to listen to their concerns and difficulties.

7. Positive Behaviour Management

All children are more likely to feel included if they feel safe and if behaviour inside and outside of lessons is good. Policies for positive behaviour management are one of the ways in which a school sets an inclusive ethos. Such policies can influence how teachers and children interact and emphasise the importance of mutual respect.  To create an inclusive ethos and culture behaviour management must avoid physical punishment, negative language or the humiliation of children.

In this section you will be asked to reflect on some example case studies and consider how policy can support inclusive practice in school.

8. What can we do about disruptive behaviour?

Most disruptive behaviour has a reason behind it. Sometimes children misbehave when the lesson is too hard, or too easy for them; if they are sad or worried about something at home and cannot concentrate; or if they feel as if the teacher does not like them or value what they. They may just want the teacher to pay them some attention. For some children, getting the negative attention of being shouted at makes them feel noticed and this is worth getting into trouble for. Occasionally, a more serious condition such as ADHD or Autism that can make it difficult for children to behave appropriately.

Eshe is intelligent and socially accepted by her peers. There do not seem to be any underlying disabilities that might be making her behave inappropriately. The teacher should talk to Eshe and find out more about her home life, what she enjoys and what she finds difficult. It seems most likely that Eshe is either bored as the lesson is too easy for her, or she is intent on gaining some adult attention. The teacher should look at the quality of Eshe’s work and reflect on whether the work could be too easy. They could also look back in their mark book and see if the quality of Eshe’s work has changed recently, and talk to others who have taught Eshe The teacher could try giving Eshe an extra task to complete and see if this will keep her on task.

An inclusive school ethos would ensure that teachers’ examine their practice and the impact of their practice on learners. Through reflection, collaboration and talking to Eshe, much progress could be possible.

In addition, some other strategies to improve the behaviour of a persistently disruptive pupil are:

• find ways to ‘Catch them being good’ and to praise them for the moments in the lesson when they put their hand up to answer, or quietly complete a task;
• set up an individual reward system for a disruptive pupil or something for the whole class; 
  (a simple example could be to put a marble in a jar every time someone is praised. Once the jar is full the class could choose to sing a song or play a game as a reward)
• give praise to the other children when they are behaving appropriately so that the disruptive child may want to copy their good behaviour to be included in the praise;
• ignore some low-level disruption and instead of admonishing the child, say something positive to encourage them to work hard on the task.

9. Establishing a culture of positive behaviour

A school behaviour policy should set out how teachers can manage a disruptive child positively, and also set a culture of positive behaviour in the school. Teachers should be able to follow strategies in the policy including graduated rewards and sanctions for different situations.

Table 1 : possible actions to positively manage disruptive behaviour

From a student’s perspective, good behaviour is easier if there is a consistent approach across the school. For this reason, it is helpful if school’s have a policy in place which sets out the expectations for behaviour, the rewards and the sanctions. Even better, if creating the policy involves discussions with teachers and pupils. For example, pupils might be asked to suggest their own classroom rules for good behaviour. Once agreed, displaying it around the building will help to create a shared understanding of what good behaviour looks like and why it is important. What a positive behaviour policy might contain is discussed in the next section.

10. Positive behaviour management checklist

The checklist below is suggested as a way for teachers to review how clear, consistent, positive and inclusive the behaviour management strategies are in their schools. The next activity asks you to use this checklist to reflect on how behaviour management strategies could support an inclusive ethos and culture in your school.

11. Teachers as role models in inclusive schools

Teachers are in a powerful position in schools – and very often how they behave has more influence than what they say. Teachers have an important role in modelling positive attitudes.

12. Summary

When you walk into a school, you can immediately get a ‘feel’ for what it is like. The way you are greeted, the wall displays, the ways in which students and teachers interact with each other, and the sounds that you can hear will help you form an immediate impression of what that school is like  and whether it has an inclusive ethos. The focus this week has been on how the policies that the head teacher and staff in the school put in place can support an inclusive ethos and make the values and beliefs that they hold, visible.

Next week the focus is the school as a learning organisation – focusing on what the head teacher and school staff can do to improve practice and monitor progress towards becoming an inclusive school.

13. Looking forward

In the next week of this course you will consider how to create the conditions for becoming a learning organisation which is an important aspect of creating an inclusive school

References

Department for Education (2011) Getting the simple things right: Charlie Taylor’s behaviour checklists. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/571640/Getting_the_simple_things_right_Charlie_Taylor_s_behaviour_checklists.pdf

Mariga, L., McConkey, R. and Myezwa, H. (2014) Inclusive Education in Low-Income Countries: A resource book for teacher educators, parent trainers and community development workers, Cape Town: Atlas Alliance and Disability Innovations Africa. https://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/Inclusive_Education_in_Low_Income_Cou ntries.pdf

Mwarari, C.N. (2020) ‘Head teachers’ attitude towards inclusive education the key predictor of effective implementation of inclusive education in public primary schools of Muranga county, Kenya’, ijebp (International Journal of Educational Best Practices) (Online), 4(1), pp. 1–16. doi: 10.31258/IJEBP.V4N1.P1-16.

UNICEF (2020) Special Schools and the Convention. https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/resources/teaching-resources/guidance-assemblies-lessons/special-schools-convention/