Jersey government reveals new plans to make schools more inclusive

A 'vision for inclusive education' has been set out by Jersey's government.

Seven principles have been revealed which all education settings in the island must commit to. 

These are: 

• Children's voice: every child and young person has the right to have a voice and to be included, have their views taken seriously and responded to.
• Respected and valued: each individual and the diversity of the wider community are recognised, respected and valued.
• Safe environment: learning environments enable engagement and participation. They ensure all children feel safe and confident to learn.
• Wellbeing and support: the holistic needs and wellbeing of all children are recognised, understood and responded to.
• Learning: children and young people are supported to learn in suitably adapted ways that recognise their individual need.
• Working together: practitioners collaborate with families/carers and agencies, building positive relationships and effectively communicate. 

This follows an independent review in 2021, which said there were instances of exemplary practice in schools, but that these were not consistent across the island.

It's hoped that by uniting schools under this approach, a disparity in practices across places of learning will be reduced. 

READ MORE: 1 In 5 Parents Want More Inclusive Schools

Specific guidance on how schools should put these principles into practice has not been laid, but evaluations on how well they're being implemented will take place through surveys over the next few years.

Last year, a survey revealed more than half of parents in the island do not believe the education system represents the diversity of pupils. 

Associate Director of Education Jane Lancaster Adlam wants to see this new vision work towards improving these numbers:

"We recognise where we are and what we need to do. it's not surprising that some parents felt there wasn't a fully inclusive education system. 

"All of their comments have been taken on board and the government has pledged to fund inclusion within our system within these next few years."

Jane Lancaster Adlam tells us what practical measures will be implemented through this vision: 

"We will be training staff. We're also looking at a pilot at the moment linked to speech and language development and occupational therapy. 

"Certain spaces within schools can also be far too overstimulating for young people, its the same for us as adults. If there's so much going on it can be difficult to decide what to focus on. 

"One of the things we have done is those schools with additional resource centres, we've been working with occupational therapy to look at those spaces and find the best use for them."