ABSTRACT
I work as an Assistant Head for Inclusion in a small, inner city school where mental health issues are common among our diverse intake of pupils. My role encompasses the breadth of inclusion and I coordinate the needs of children with behaviour issues, English as an additional language, special educational needs and medical diagnoses. I am responsible for ensuring that all children have access to the whole-school curriculum and make equivalent progress and attainment as their peers, irrespective of the needs they have. I work closely with parents, other professionals (such as Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists) and the school staff. At my school, we have a whole-school restorative justice approach in which the core themes of listening to what has happened, talking through the impact of events and finding ways forward are the approach we use when dealing with conflict between students. This book is important for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) or those working within inclusion because the chapters focussed on schools offer practical advice which is underpinned by research and evidence-based practice.
