Creating an inclusive learning environment within care settings presents distinct challenges that reflect the complexity of learners’ needs and the systemic structures shaping provision. Inclusive practice, as Booth and Ainscow (2002) emphasise, is not only about access but also about enabling participation and achievement for all learners. However, care-based education frequently encounters barriers at both structural and pedagogical levels.
One key difficulty lies in heterogeneity of learners’ needs. Learners in care settings may present with diverse cognitive, emotional, and behavioural profiles, often linked to trauma, health conditions, or previous educational disruption (Sebba et al., 2015).
Assessment of Difficulties
The difficulties learners face in classrooms highlight that inclusion cannot be achieved solely through individual teacher effort or classroom-level adaptation.
We, as an organisation have developed and provided:
- Systemic investment in resources, specialist staff, and assistive technologies.
- Professional development that equips teachers with confidence in inclusive pedagogy and trauma-informed practice.
- Cultural and relational change, where learner diversity is seen as central to curriculum and pedagogy, not peripheral.
Impact
We, as an organisation, recognise that inclusive classrooms must move beyond surface-level adjustments to embrace a deeper shift towards equity, participation, and recognition of learner agency.
References
Booth, T. & Ainscow, M. (2002) Index for Inclusion: Developing Learning and Participation in Schools. Bristol: CSIE
Sebba, J., Berridge, D., Luke, N., Fletcher, J., Bell, K., Strand, S. & O’Higgins, A. (2015) The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England: Linking Care and Educational Data.