Contributions from: Mel Ainscow, Tony Booth
Abstract
This symposium will provide an explanation of the development and use of the Index for Inclusion, a set of materials that guide schools through a process of inclusive school development. The Index is about building supportive communities and fostering high achievement for all staff and students. The Index adopts a self-review approach to help schools analyse their cultures, policies and practices and to identify the barriers to learning and participation that may occur within each of these areas. It also helps schools to decide their priorities for change and to evaluate their progress. The Index has been designed to be used as an integral part of existing development policies, encouraging schools to undertake a wide and deep scrutiny of everything that makes up a school's activities.
The Index organises school development work around a cycle of activities which guide schools through the different stages of preparation, investigation and review; it takes the social model of disability as its starting point and builds on existing good practice.
It has been developed over three years by CSIE in collaboration with the University of Manchester, Canterbury Christ Church University College and a team representing heads, teachers, disabled people, parents, governors and academic researchers. The Index trials in six different LEAs and 20 schools were part-funded by the Teacher Training Agency and the Department for Education and Employment.
 |
 |