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A whole school approach is the most effective way to ensure all learners are well supported, and enables a preventative approach to social, emotional, and mental health needs. Research tells us that proactively supporting wellbeing and mental health, relationships and belonging, will have a positive impact across academic outcomes, social skills, mental health, and life chances for all learners.
All Wiltshire schools have access to Five to Thrive: Attachment, Trauma, and Resilience training for their staff. Embedding trauma informed practice not only benefits children and young people who are experiencing difficulties, but supports the engagement and wellbeing of all young people.
Based on systemic analysis of the experience of SENCOs and ELSAs in their role on the ground, the following were identified as ways in which the whole school can support them to improve the overall standard of inclusion. They are accompanied by questions for schools to reflect on, in reviewing how they can support SENCOs and ELSAs better, and move to more of a whole school approach to inclusion.
Promoting adoption of an inclusive mind set and culture
How does your school:
live and breathe inclusion as a part of your vision, principles, aims and objectives?
how is this implemented strategically and operationally?
how might your policies, procedures and practice contradict your principles and what could you do about it?
what does your environment and communications reveal about your attitudes to inclusion?
what imagery do you use?
what language do you use?
Developing a culture of inclusion
How does your school:
represent inclusion as part of your vision?
engage with colleagues in, and generate support for, implementing more inclusive practices?
balance "ordinary" and "special" provision in a way that develops your core offer?
utilise quality first teaching to push the boundaries of what your "ordinary" offer delivers?
develop positive attitudes towards inclusion in...
each classroom?
the school?
your community?
Leading, coaching, managing and directing inclusive strategies and practice well
How does your school:
lead, coach, manage and direct inclusive strategies and practice, and have you chosen an appropriate leadership style?
role model the behaviours and attitudes we would like to see in others?
Promoting the benefits of an inclusive culture
How does your school:
create a compelling narrative around inclusion?
build collective will-power as agency for change?
celebrate success?
Managing expectations of what an inclusive culture can deliver
How does your school:
communicate effectively across:
each classroom?
the school?
your community?
react when things don't work out?
turn failure into a learning opportunity?
Delivering new inclusive strategies and practice well
How does your school:
make sure it is following sound change methodology?
make sure the inclusive strategies and practice they implement are "the right thing, in the right place"?
measure the success of strategies and practice implemented?
learn lessons and develop strategies and practice to meet future needs?
Improving colleagues' awareness and understanding of needs and support resources
How does your school:
create opportunities for colleagues to develop their understanding and awareness of inclusive practice (for example: QFT)?
improve quality of, and access to, opportunities for colleagues to develop their understanding and awareness of inclusive practice?
Reducing reliance on SENCOs and others with formal responsibility
How does your school:
take a whole school approach to inclusion?
delegate responsibility and increase distribution of authority?
develop a culture where inclusion is everybody's responsibility?
Making resources which promote inclusion more accessible
How does your school:
access the right resources (including training, tools, methods, practice etc) at the right time?
Prioritising quality first teaching and implementing early intervention strategies
How does your school:
prioritise QFT, early intervention and inclusion more broadly?
implement early intervention strategies?
Completing successful assessments, referrals and achieve swift diagnosis
How does your school:
achieve assessment and referral objectives as swiftly as possible?
achieve appropriate diagnosis?
gain funding and further support when it is needed?
reduce delays in meeting need due to lack of completion of processes?
Managing our expectations of ourselves
How does your school:
delegate and take a more distributive approach with responsibility?
develop a culture which is not based in fear of failure?
Managing our time and priorities
How does your school:
prioritise and develop time management skills?
communicate relative priorities?
define what success looks like (quantifiable and non-quantifiable) against provision and how it will be measured?
achieve an appropriate balance between "additional" and "ordinary" provision?
Managing our well-being and resilience
How does your school:
reinforce collective resilience in classroom, school, community?
embed their principles and vision for well-being and resilience in their policies and procedures?
prioritise compassion and trauma-informed practice?
help those in need of well-being support?
Communicating and engaging with parents, carers, and community
How does your school:
communicate effectively with parents and carers, community, partners, collaborators?
develop clear key messages which communicate their values around inclusivity?
Collaborating with external individuals, organisations and other schools
How does your school:
balance focus between internal and external interests?
benefit from working with an outward facing orientation?
