About the project

General information

Do you value inclusivity and diversity? Why not play a key role in shaping the education practices of the future through the Inclusive Schools II project?

Inclusive Schools II is an international project run between January 2021 and July 2023 by Fundacja British Council Poland in partnership with CESIE (Italy), ESHA (Netherlands), InterActing UK (United Kingdom), Lifelong Learning Platform (Belgium) and Universidad de Granada (Spain). It is funded by the European Union under Erasmus + Programme and it builds on results of the Inclusive School project  www.inclusiveschools.net (2019-2021).

The vision of the Inclusive Schools II project is to significantly increase the knowledge and skills of school leaders, teachers and student teachers to work inclusively with the increasing range of diverse learners in their schools. Taking an inclusive approach means learning environments where every student has an opportunity to succeed.

The project is built on the idea of scaling up good practice around training in inclusive education, leading to changes in policy, practice and culture at school, local and national levels.

We would like to enable teachers - both serving and in their student years - to develop and implement inclusive education practices with confidence. We intend for teachers and school leaders taking part in the project to become role models for others, influencing practice and policy at local, regional and national levels.

We know that inclusive education is essential in changing minds and breaking down barriers in schools. Teachers who join the project will be equipped to make this change happen in their setting.

Putting values like:

• respect for rights, for diversity and for equality

• belief in community, commitment to participation of all and democracy

• compassion and trust

Practice through inclusive education is not a one-off event. It is a journey. Each country and school has its own journey, depending on its particular context. Teachers undertake their own journeys too. These never end as the influencing factors – in particular the learners – change and require different responses. The journey requires perseverance and commitment from school leaders, teachers, learners, families and other school stakeholders. Inclusive education principles should sit at the heart of every teacher in Europe. We will work together to embed inclusive education principles that work for every setting.

Inclusive Schools will concentrate on lifting key barriers to inclusive education:

• Overcrowding in classes. We know this can make it difficult for teachers to cater to additional needs that some young people in their class have.

• A lack of support teams, a rigid education system or a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

• Training and confidence gaps within teachers tasked with dealing with students who have additional and diverse needs.

• Bias against diversity in school communities, for example against refugee and immigrant children, children with learning disabilities, bullying, gender-based stereotyping or poverty.

• Pressure on exams and curriculum results.

• Training and confidence gaps within teachers tasked with dealing with students who have additional and diverse needs.

• Allowing teachers a space to speak freely about their experiences and challenges

Project aims

We aim for positive changes in schools across Europe by:

• increasing the number of teachers trained in inclusive education policy and practice

• deepening knowledge and understanding of inclusive education policy, practice and culture

• enhancing the skills of teachers working inclusively in schools

• strengthening leadership of inclusive education in schools

• facilitating enhanced cooperation within the school community (parents, students, school staff) and with a wider spectrum of education stakeholders

• increasing the confidence and motivation of teachers to implement inclusive pedagogies

• influencing policy change at school, local, regional and national levels

Inclusive Schools II will focus on developing school leaders, teachers and student teachers but will also impact on learners and families, policy makers, local authorities and ministry staff, higher education institutions, and organisations with an educational focus at local, regional, national and European levels.

The main indirect beneficiaries of the project will be learners from diverse backgrounds, who will experience a shift to more inclusive classroom practice and culture as well as parents who will be encouraged to actively participate in shaping an inclusive school community where their children can feel safe to learn and develop. 

Project Results

The project has been designed with the following areas of development in mind:

• Development of specific face-to-face training courses that address everyday and systemic challenges in schools

• Effective support for teachers’ professional development focusing on understanding and implementing inclusive pedagogies.

• Development of a MOOC designed for newly qualified teachers that is an effective introduction to inclusive education and will give you a level of confidence for working in diverse settings.

• Effective online support for newly qualified teachers participating in the MOOC.

• Providing the tools for effective communication and sharing of good inclusive practice amongst schools and institutions in Europe.

• Influencing national and EU policy agendas with the aims of developing inclusive education policy and practice

The rationale of the project is that by providing high-quality, effective professional development tailored to the needs of each particular group of educators (school leaders, teachers student/newly qualified teachers) you will develop the in-depth knowledge, understanding and skills, plus motivation and confidence, to lead the development and embedding of inclusive policy, practice and culture in your classrooms and schools.

With this experience and confidence, you will become a role model for your peers and will be able to influence policy and practice both locally and nationally.

Through our project, we aim to involve all of those who play a part in Education and educational development directly and indirectly, including:

• School communities – school leaders, teachers, professors, students, school advisors, school psychologists and parents.

• Policy-makers and public authorities’ staff – EU institutions, ministries and local authorities.

• Institutions and organisations with a focus on education, at both local and European level.

Those interested in taking part will form a community of leaders, tasked with contributing ideas to form inclusion strategies for schools across Europe.

We will support these school communities to become advocates for cultural change, confident in addressing discrimination and prepared to uphold self-directed initiatives for inclusion.

Working together with these leaders, the project will create a ripple effect across the school community as a whole and support the creation of an action plan to practically deliver future inclusion strategies in European schools.