Whole School Development: Enabling Effective Inclusion - Essay Example

?Whole School Development: Enabling Effective Inclusion Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Critiques of Educational Reform in the UK 4 Whole School Development Concept in the UK 5 Multi Agency Working 6 Strategies for Whole School Development 7 Special Education Needs (SEN) and Inclusion 8 Barriers 8 External Influences on Inclusion 9 Provision Mapping 9 The Green Paper 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction Education is primarily recognised with schooling, but in broader concept it is much beyond that of simple schooling. In the United Kingdom (UK), apart from schooling, the education is also concerned with the logical, the rational and the social development of people. Education in the UK has been particularly significant as an instrument of social policy, not only for welfare of people but also for the welfare of society and corporate structure. The major focus of education in the UK is improvement of individual intellectuality and morality. It works as a way of communicating social standards and ethics, therefore at times is viewed as a system of social control. The education system in the UK serves in the industrial progression and the economic development by generating a proficient workforce and providing instructive services (Spicker, n.d.). Critiques of Educational Reform in the UK During post war era, the education system of the UK had gone through several reforms. In the period of 1980s, the educational system of the UK had faced decreasing standards with an increased tendency of leaving school at the early stage. Therefore, in the period of 1980s to 1990s, the UK had presented market instruments in their educational system for developing the standards. These instruments focused on increasing parental choice and thereby improving the responsibility of state subsidised schools (Machin & Vignoles, 2006). Along with the market instruments, the UK had also developed two substantial national educational policies. The first policy was familiarised in the year 1980 for increasing educational curriculum standards for students of 7 to 16 years. The second educational reform policy was introduced in the year 1998 by involving every primary school for specific objective of improving the basic skills of students (Machin & Vignoles, 2006). Apart from that, in order to deal with the early leaving problem in education, the UK had reformed the educational qualification for improving the desirability of professional qualification. The UK had introduced “Educational Maintenance Allowance” which compensates students from poor families in case they remain in full time education even after 16 years (Machin & Vignoles, 2006). Whole School Development Concept in the UK The whole school development concept necessitates sustainable development of educational system. The whole school development concept not only considers the development of educational program but also incorporates development in the areas of good governance, stakeholder engagement and community involvement in the education. The whole school development approach promotes active shared learning which requires whole school comprising students, teachers and administrators to actively participate in creating a sustainable school completely considering the syllabus as a driving aspect (Hargreaves, 2008). In the UK, the main vision for implementing whole school development approach was changing the way of thought of students so that they can properly engross with the global matters and make a difference. The whole school development has included every aspects of school life such as attitude, beliefs, school development strategies and training of educators among others (Critchley & Unwin, 2008). The main point of commencement of global aspect in whole school development was standard audits to generate an overview of existing global activities and to identify the key areas that require development. The curriculum review is one of the most significant areas of whole school development in the UK. It had provided with new prospects and new challenges which can support the international scopes in schools. For instance, in the secondary education curriculum review of England the emphasis had been placed on better flexibility and consistency in education, more attention on goals and skills of students, and superior personalisation of evaluation. On the other hand, in Scotland the curriculum development was focused on the transferable talents and standards to increase the educational strength of separate schools (Critchley & Unwin, 2008). In recent times, the whole school development approach has been encouraged as a more favourable method to improve action based schooling for sustainable growth. The formal education curriculum has shown increased concerns for environmental problems. In this way, morals and approaches of global aspects are encouraged in the classrooms and have been adapted in regular activities of teachers, students and other employees. The whole school development education plan has helped to make the schools and educational establishments a microcosm of developing sustainable civilisation, rather than unmaintainable society. Multi Agency Working Multi agency working is designed for connecting areas of skills to develop a more efficient educational system. The cooperative multi agency working provides several advantages in educational framework. It has resulted in enhanced and improved understanding for children and young students by providing varieties of facilities. It assists in developing harmony and breaks down professional limitations as well as narrow attitudes of teachers. Improved coordination and facilities lead to better association and improved recommendations for mutual goals (Cheminais, 2009). But multi agency working had been critiqued that it at times brings about loss of professional individuality and endangers the relegation of specific agencies (Howes & Fox, 2004). Strategies for Whole School Development As the global education system has changed significantly over the last few decades between the periods of 2000 to 2010, there has been increasing demand for improving the schools. The whole school development requires improvement in training of teachers, improvement in writing skills and introduction of new kinds of educational tools. The core strategies for whole school development in the UK are incorporation, differentiation, and personalisation that reinforce the most operative tactics of education in schools (Sheffield Hallam University, 2010). Improvement in Writing and Reading Standards: In the UK, methodical artificial phonics had been developed to improve the writing and the reading standards of students. Previously, until 2005, the educators in the UK used ranges of reading schemes with flexible outcomes for diverse groups of scholars in order to improve the method of literacy. But presently, several schools of the UK has accepted the programme of artificial phonics where scholars are evaluated habitually and structured into teams for regular assemblies at their own phonic level. It not only eliminates the barriers of illiterateness but also improves the writing skills of students (Training and Development Agency, 2011). Visual Maths Technique: In the UK educational system, visual maths technique is significant which helps to learn and to apply mathematical skills such as totalling, multiplication, fraction and estimation easily. The visual math techniques in classroom assist students in decorating mathematical diagrams and use several graphical tools such as instructional manual, presentation, and computer graphics among others which can help to increase the educational experience and motivate larger number of students to be involved in class (Stokes, 2001). Special Education Needs (SEN) and Inclusion Special Education Needs (SEN) and inclusion is intricately related with strategy clarification, professional growth, personal knowledge and public opinion. SEN provides practical advices to local education authorities (LEA) for recognition, evaluation and developing facilities for children’s early educational background, educational requirement, and statutory responsibilities of schools among others. In the year 2001, SEN had developed “Special Educational Needs and Disability Act” for strengthening privileges for children requiring special education needs to be educated in the regular educational institutes (Department for Education and Skills, 2001). Barriers There are several inclusion critiques in SEN of children which cause barriers in the education such as organisational barriers, social barriers and physical barriers. The major organisational barriers are decreased prospects of play and lack of training of teachers among others. The social barriers with respect to children education are social communications or bonds, and physical barriers exist in the form of lack of equipment or availability of tools (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2006). External Influences on Inclusion There are several external factors which can have an impact on effective inclusion. One of the most vital external factors related to inclusion is the economic aspect. Development of any policy or strategy for education requires considerable amount of budget. Therefore, unless the financial condition of a country is good it cannot provide effective inclusion. In addition to that the environmental, marketing and societal factors also influence the inclusion in the UK. The societal factors such as demographic changes and increase in population need to be considered for mitigating the risk of inclusion (The Financial Inclusion Centre, n.d.). Provision Mapping Provision mapping is the concise and the comprehensive method of displaying ranges of provisions during whole school development programme. The constitutional structure for inclusion in the UK bestows clear responsibilities on schools and local education authorities (LEA) to observe, to assess and to design the development of educational facilities in order to satisfy different requirements of students and to increase access of education for poor individuals (Wiltshire Council, 2012). The Green Paper The green paper is concerned with SEN of disabled children and young people in the UK. The policy of green paper says that each child is worthy of getting impartial beginning of life and the best chance to prosper in due course. In the year 2011, almost 2 million children were recognised for SEN requirements in England. The green paper intends to provide parents with additional controls on backing their children as well as their families. It helps to cease the hindrances, the intricacies and hostilities inherent in present educational system of the UK which can destabilise a family. The green paper proposes educational reform in order to provide for healthier life outcomes for young people. It classifies the requirements of children and ensures that they get all health and educational facilities so that they can satisfy their potentials. Green paper aims at eliminating the inclusion barriers and reinforces parental choice by providing the various ranges of schools and also changes constitutional regulations for LEA (The Secretary of State for Education, 2011). Conclusion In today’s changing educational background, there is an increasing need for development and reformation of the educational process of the UK. Therefore, the UK had developed SEN and inclusion to improve the school education. It demonstrates the commitment of government to improve the life of children by providing inclusive learning environment. The objective of inclusion is to ensure that each child attains their maximum potential. But inclusion becomes successful if there is no partiality in education where each student receives equal opportunity. In order to get the most benefits from it, the UK needs to demonstrate a commitment for developing the talents of every child along with their natures, social approaches and capabilities (University of Derby, 2011). References Critchley, M. & Unwin, R., 2008. Whole-School Development and the Global Dimension / Global Citizenship. Development Education Centre. [Online] Available at: http://www.decsy.org.uk/downloads/Whole_Sch_Devt_&_GD.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Cheminais, R., 2009. Effective Multi-Agency Partnerships: Putting Every Child Matters Into Practice. SAGE Publications Ltd. Department for Education and Skills, 2001. Special Educational Needs: Code of Practice. Department for Education. [Online] Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200581%20200MIG2228.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Hargreaves, L. G., 2008. The Whole-School Approach to Education for Sustainable Development: From Pilot Projects to Systemic Change. Education for Sustainable Development. [Online] Available at: http://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue6-perspectives2 [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Howes, A. & Fox, S., 2004. Developing Multi-Agency Working in Urban Educational Contexts. University of Manchester. [Online] Available at: http://www.education.manchester.ac.uk/research/centres/euc/research/_files/fileuploadmax10mb,84852,en.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2006. Inclusion of Disabled Children in Primary School Playgrounds. Informing Change. [Online] Available at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/0016.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Machin, S. & Vignoles, A., 2006. Education Policy in the UK. Centre for the Economics of Education. [Online] Available at: http://cee.lse.ac.uk/ceedps/ceedp57.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Spicker, P., No Date. Education and Social Policy. An Introduction to Social Policy. [Online] Available at: http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/education.htm#reforms [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Sheffield Hallam University, 2010. Training and Development for the Whole School Workforce. Centre for Education and Inclusion Research. [Online] Available at: http://www.shu.ac.uk/_assets/pdf/ceir-Training-Development-Whole-School-Workforce.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Stokes, S., 2001. Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning: A Literature Perspective. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, 1(1), pp. 10-19. Training and Development Agency, 2011. Improving Standards in Reading and Writing. School-Partnerships. [Online] Available at: http://www.tda.gov.uk/cpd-leader/school-partnerships/~/media/resources/school-leader/school-partnerships/literacy_systematic_synthetic_phonics.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. The Financial Inclusion Centre, No Date. Understanding the Causes of Financial Exclusion and Under Provision. Fair, Inclusive Financial Services. [Online] Available at: http://www.inclusioncentre.org.uk/6.html [Accessed January 02, 2012]. The Secretary of State for Education, 2011. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability. Department for Education. [Online] Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Green-Paper-SEN.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. University of Derby, 2011. Inclusion. SEN Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.derby.ac.uk/files/sen_magazine.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Wiltshire Council, 2012. Provision Mapping A Guide to Developing a Provision Map in the Primary School. A Vibrant Learning Theory. [Online] Available at: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/provision-mapping-guide.pdf [Accessed January 02, 2012]. Read More