ABSTRACT
Engaging with children to seek their views on issues that affect them both individually and as a group, is central to initiatives such as Every Child Matters: Change for Children (2003), the 2020 Vision (2006) and the Children Act 2004. This approach built on the aims of the Children’s Fund in 2000 that sought to tackle experiences of disadvantage and social exclusion in the most vulnerable children and young people. Responding to these initiatives means that schools are increasingly listening to learners to discover how their pupils experience what is provided for them. This information can then provide the basis for further developments that more accurately meet their needs, with ‘users’ becoming ‘participants’ and sharing responsibility for learning (DfES 2020 Review Group 2006). Collecting feedback from a full range of learners is an important way for education settings to demonstrate a commitment to inclusion. Being prepared to do whatever it takes to discover the views of even the most ‘hard to reach’ learners, indicates the value that they place on each individual.
