Feedback from school staff

Key findings

EdCapital engaged with principals, other school leaders, teachers, school counsellors and student learning and support officers (SLSOs) from eight schools including mainstream schools and schools for specific purposes (SSPs) across NSW. More than 630 educators also completed a survey on inclusive education.

Participants identified factors that most supported them to deliver inclusive practices in mainstream schools:

• a strong school leadership team that champions inclusion and sets high expectations of teachers and students.
• an inclusive teacher culture of ‘our kids’ where teachers take responsibility for the participation and inclusion of students with disability and make adjustments to their teaching.
• support classes and access to specialist learning and support staff in mainstream classrooms.
• a strategic approach to school structures and staffing resources to enable flexible support options for students.
• developing teacher expertise to differentiate teaching and provide access to the curriculum through tools, programs and professional learning.
• high quality relationships between teachers and SLSOs and students.

Participants identified common factors that supported them to deliver inclusive practices in SSPs:

• hands-on leadership team that advocates for every student by setting high expectations with a focus on wellbeing and learning outcomes.
• Consistent school wide expectations, communication systems and routines to support student communication, wellbeing and learning.
• SLSOs and teachers working in partnership to support each student.
• Using funding to organise school structures and staffing resources to focus on developing teacher expertise.
• Strong relationship and communication with parents and carers, and collaborative processes also involving specialists.

Next steps

This valuable feedback is shaping how we are growing awareness and knowledge of inclusive practice and building the capacity of NSW public schools to meet the needs of all students. It has also informed the Inclusive Education Policy for students with disability and practice resources for schools to strengthen inclusive culture. We will continue to use these insights to strengthen inclusive practice in NSW public schools.

More information

Read the report by EdCapital: School-based Perspectives on Inclusive Education

Read the easy read: School-based Perspectives on Inclusive Education.

Find out more about other ways we are building the evidence base for students with disability through research.