Teachers and teacher training for inclusive pedagogies in England. Mainstream and SEND schools providing their own solutions

Abstract

In England, a vertical equity model of inclusive schooling has been increasingly visible in both educational policy and school practices since the 2019 education reforms. Within this mixed model of provision, alongside and in complementarity to mainstream schooling, alternative provision (AP) and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) settings offer schooling for disabled or excluded children. Within this national context, teachers across mainstream, AP and SEND schools were interviewed in a 2021-2022 study about their views and experiences of training for inclusive pedagogies. The findings reveal that teachers across the sectors face similar problems, such as a lack of time for further training in inclusive pedagogies and the difficulty of meeting all pupils' needs (both those with and without SEND). Teachers in both mainstream and specialised settings favoured in-house training to promote specific skills, while those working in the AP and SEND sectors also wanted more sharing of best practices through inter-school networks. Both mainstream and specialised settings further identified a place for university-based training in supporting teachers' understanding of diversity and inclusion, in addition to schools-based professional development. Teachers' views suggest that initial teacher training insufficiently prepares teachers for working with diverse pupils, and it is only by real-world practice that effective skills are developed.